This low-cost garden scarecrow from recycled compact discs keeps birds out of your garden.
In the late summer, when the grapes are getting about as
sweet as they can get, robins, finches, king birds and
other fruit-lovers become quite attracted to my arbors. I
have found making a garden scarecrow from recycled compact discs can keep the birds at
aggressive. The shiny, mirrorlike surfaces of CDs are
highly reflective and create a bright, swirling rainbow of
color. If you hang several discs around a tree or
grapevine, the blinding reflection is too intense for those
beady bird eyes, and the opportunistic omnivores seek
easier peckings elsewhere.
The trick to hanging the CDs for
maximum bird-repelling effect is to bend a 3-inch-long piece of wire into the shape of the Greek letter omega.
Make the loop part about 1/2 inch wide so it slips through the hole in the
center of the disc. The “feet” of the omega catch the edge
of the hole so the wire hanger doesn’t slip through
entirely. Tie a length of fishing line to the center of the
omega’s loop and the other end to a supporting branch. If
done properly the disc should have the shiny side facing
skyward, but should not be balanced perfectly horizontal.
Instead let the disc tilt at a 30 to 45 degree angle. The
discs should be able to rotate freely and placed where they
can catch the sun’s rays.
Paul Neher
Las Cruces, New Mexico