The Contech CRO101 Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler is a technological “turd terminator” that senses the approach of unwanted animals and swings into action. By directing a precisely targeted jet of water at the intruders, the Scarecrow instantly, harmlessly compels them to beat a hasty retreat before they can munch your shrubs and/or leave a “gift” nobody wants.
Yours truly discovered the Scarecrow on sale at Amazon.com and the reviews seem to be overwhelmingly positive. Not only does this robotic super-soaker effectively aim a cool wet blast at any and all unwanted visitors, it's an equal-opportunity deterrent: forget to turn off the water before entering your own yard and you'll pay the price. Keep that in mind before your mother-in-law pays a visit and take any action you feel is, ahem, appropriate.
Alternatively, Scarecrow purchasers can follow the advice of one reviewer who noted most of his animal “guests” (mainly deer) paid visits between sundown and sunrise. Installing an Orbit Lawn & Garden Hose Digital Watering Timer And Valve #62001 at your outdoor faucet's outlet gives the user customized control over the time of operation. You'll pay a bit more for the flexibility but it's worth it, especially after you (or your spouse) have been surprised once or twice.
Anyway, as the name of this amazing device pretty much explains in a nutshell, the Contech CRO101 Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler combines a 9V battery-powered motion sensor with a modified impact sprinkler head. The finishing touch is a black & yellow plastic housing in the shape of a stylized crow's head.
While superficially designed to resemble a stylized crow, the sprinkler head actually looks more like Crow T. Robot from the legendary Mystery Science Theater 3000 television series. Not that this is a bad thing: the thought of an MST3K-Crow-like sprinkler head water-blasting unwary mutts accompanied by a string of sarcastic witticisms is sorta hilarious.
While not a perfect solution to trespassing turd-droppers and garden-raiders, the Contech CRO101 Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler comes pretty darned close.
You might need to replace the 9V battery and a Y-connector is a must if you plan on using your outdoor faucet for other things but all things considered, the Scarecrow is as nifty as it gets – it could probably even give traditional farm field scarecrows a run for their money.
*** UPDATED on January 6th, 2019 ***
