1994 - Volume #18, Issue #4, Page #25

[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue ]

    «Previous    Next»

Electronic Scarecrow

Electronic Scarecrow MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Pest Animals 18-4-25 If you have problems with coyotes, birds or other pest animals, you'll want to take a close look at this new computerized "electronic scarecrow". The Phoenix "Wailer" mounts on a tripod and is powered by a 12-volt battery. It's equipped with speakers on all four sides and a strobe light on top. It makes up to 94 different sounds, both audio and ultrasonic, that are emitted randomly at programmed intervals. The frequently changing sounds keep pest animals jittery and nervous. "It operates 24 hours a day, creating a sound zone into which coyotes are reluctant to enter. It'll cover a 3/4-mile wide area depending on the terrain. As a bird dettent the unit will cover 5 to 20 acres depending on the crop and terrain. You can hook up remote speakers to the master unit to expand coverage," says Bruce Blacklock, Phoenix Agritech (Canada) Ltd., Truro, Nova Scotia. "Some people say it looks like a UFO that landed in the middle of a field. The strobe light can be seen up to 5 miles away. You can program the sounds to move between speakers at 16 different speeds and come on at intervals from 4 seconds to every 4 minutes. Coyotes and birds can't get used to the random combinations of different sounds. The sounds are emitted in a 360 degree arc from speaker to speaker, creating the illusion of movement. "It's environmentally friendly, has no moving parts, is inexpensive to operate, and nearly 100% effectivr. A Quebec farmer with 2,000 ewes and lambs bought three units last year and didn't lose a single animal. The year before he had lost 40 to 50 sheep to coyotes. "The original system was designed in England and we're now manufacturing it. We've had inquiries from over 25 countries. I became interested in it because coyotes were costing me $14,000 a year in direct or indirect losses. I tried using guard don-keys, electric fences, shooting traps, etc., but nothing worked It makes a great bird deterrent for fruit and vegetable farms and also for fish farms. "It doesn't make an annoying sound like propane cannons on other `boomers'. A deep cycle battery will run the unit continuously for two weeks." Coyote model sells for $1,240. Strobe light sells for additional $150. The Wailer MK II designed for birds sells for $1,560. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup,Phoenix Agritech (Canada) Ltd., Box 10, Truro, Nova Scotia B2N 5B6 (ph 902 897-2728).