To keep crows, squirrels and rabbits from raiding his wife’s vegetable garden, Darren Holliday, of Myrtle, Missouri, knew there had to be a simple “no-kill” solution. Lots of fancy garden gadgets are on the market, but he finally decided to go with an idea that’s centuries old: a homemade scarecrow.
The unusual part of this case is that Holliday wanted a scarecrow that would be lifelike, with motion and noise. He came up with a man-sized mannequin that turns with the wind and is fitted with wind chimes.
Holliday used scrap PVC pipe, woven wire, plywood and metal pipe. The plywood warning sign attached to the scarecrow’s upraised arm works as a sail, pointing the scarecrow in the direction of the wind. There is a comical warning to critters on the front of the sign, and a set of owl eyes painted on back.
Wind chimes, made from pieces of electrical conduit, dangle from the scarecrow’s lower arm, jingling in the breeze.
Holliday’s wife made the head out of panty hose, using pillow stuffing, buttons and yarn.
He says it’s a fun addition to the garden and is easy to move around to keep pest animals guessing.
For questions:Email Darren Holliday at darren@wellwaterboy.com.
Reprinted with permission from FARM SHOW Magazine.
