Crows can be a real nuisance, mostly because of their loud and obnoxious caw. If you find that you’re being inundated by a flock of crows, you’ll want to find the best way to get rid of them, in a humane way of course. The best way seems to be the tried and true scarecrow, with a few twists.
The biggest thing people don’t like about crows is that they are loud and their sound is not very pleasing to the ear. There is also some mysticism to them, as they have long been thought of as being harbingers of death. But aside from all of that, crows are kind of gross to have around, as they’ll eat just about anything, including roadkill and dead animal carcasses. This makes them an unsanitary pest to have around in most areas.
You may really want to get rid of them, but they might really want to stick around, which can make this a battle of the ages. It’s almost as if they know you want them gone, and they’re sticking around just because they can. We’ll explore a more Taoist approach below, but if you’re looking for a more action-oriented way to get rid of crows, here are some tips that have been used for generations.
Best Way to Get Rid of Crows: Some Form of Scarecrow
As it turns out, the basic concept of a scarecrow does work at keeping crows away, but you have to be more savvy than just putting something up one time and forgetting about it. Crows aren’t stupid and they’ll relatively quickly figure out that what you’ve put out is not moving and doesn’t pose a threat. The best thing at keeping them away is a balloon in the shape of a predator. This will keep it in motion, and if it has large eyes it will keep them away pretty effectively.
You can also use the traditional type of scarecrow, similar to the character of the same name from The Wizard of Oz. These provide a human form, which is effective at keeping them away, but you’ll want to move it pretty regularly so they don’t get used to it, and end up using it as a resting spot.
Runner Up: Loud Noises
You might find that a quick fix is to scare them off with a loud noise, like a firecracker. This might only temporarily solve your problem, and they might do a few flybys and realize that the coast is clear and return to their favorite spot.
Honorable Mention: Get a Dog
This is probably not the best way to get rid of them, because it entails all the things that come with dog ownership, but if you’ve tried other ways, this is pretty much a surefire way to get rid of crows. Plus it will be built in exercise for your dog, as they’ll get a kick out of chasing the crows away, and eventually they won’t come back once they realize their location has been compromised. You’ll have to make sure that the dog you get is still young and playful enough to want to help you out with your problem.
Wait Them Out
You might think that crows have picked a permanent residency in your yard or nearby, but they roam around a lot and usually don’t spend too long in one spot. One way to get rid of them is just let them move on on their own. By not drawing attention to your specific location, you don’t give them any reason to choose it over a another spot. If they find out they’re unwanted, that differentiates your area from others, and they may go back to it because it sticks out in their brains. This may take a bit of patience, and if they’re altering your lifestyle, you might not like this option.
What Attracts Crows?
There’s not a lot of rhyme or reason as to what makes crows choose one spot over another. If they’ve got a good food supply relatively close by, they may just like your backyard better than the one next door. They have’t chosen your abode because of anything you are or aren’t doing, and they are just hanging out because that’s what crows do. The cawing that you’re complaining about is just them being social, the same way we use Twitter.
How to Prevent Their Return
In order to prevent the return of the crows once you manage to get rid of them, be sure to keep any garbage bins covered, and tidy up any food scraps that may be left around. Crows will rummage through just about anything to try to find their next meal, so you have to make things as unwelcoming as possible. Just because you wouldn’t eat it doesn’t mean a crow wouldn’t.