Rutgers University | New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station | Pesticide User Responsibility

July 16, 2021

From Straw-Figures to Lasers: What’s the Best Method to Scare Birds from Sweet Corn?

human-like figure with plaid shirt and straw hands, red bow tie, cloth face smiling, and straw hat

Image by Jacques Gaimard from Pixabay

by Julie Kikkert, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell Vegetable Program

(Reprinted with permission from Cornell VegEdge Newsletter Vol. 17 (14), July 14, 2021, CCE Cornell Vegetable Program, Canandaigua, NY.)

Scaring birds out of sweet corn and other crops is not new, based on the centuries-old placement of scarecrows dressed in old clothes (oftentimes filled with straw) in fields. However, there are many newer methods from chemical control to loud noises, to laser beams. There are pros and cons to each method and varied costs as well. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fruit, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , , , ,