Scarecrow Bio-Acoustic Systems is urging field crop growers to adopt its hand-held Patrol device to manage birds and boost productivity.
The Uckfield-based firm says its device is highly effective at bird dispersal and is also humane in tackling the problem of crop destruction and health hazards caused by birds.
Scarecrow’s hand-held Patrol device works by broadcasting a digitally stored distress call to create a hostile environment in the problem area, which causes the birds to sense danger and fly away. Compared to more conventional methods of bird dispersal such as gas and guns, the Scarecrow Patrol has been very successful with near 100 per cent effectiveness.
Vitacress Salads has been using Scarecrow’s Patrol device for over a year. Francis Holland, farm manager at Vitacress said: “We are close to Poole Harbour where there are large numbers of black-headed seagulls. The birds are not only noisy but can damage the appearance of our edible crops.
“Our four Scarecrow Patrols are used every hour of every day to very good effect and fit perfectly with our company philosophy, which is to use inoffensive methods of bird control, moving them away from the farmed area to the field margins where we encourage biodiversity.”
Scarecrow has also recently launched its solar-powered Compact, which operates without the need for manpower and requires virtually no maintenance. Scarecrow commercial director Mike Ziolek said: “Food production and birds are two things that do not go together. Beautiful to look at, glorious to hear and rightly protected by law but nonetheless a source of concern for the food industry that has real economic consequences if left unchecked. Scarecrow’s method of dispersing birds from food production sites is a proven strategy for food manufacturers to achieve best working practices, cut losses and operate within increasingly stringent environmental laws. It will also significantly cut the risk of food contamination - a critical factor in this sector.”
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