If you’re thinking of purchasing a Motion Scarecrow sprinkler from Contech to deter cats and dogs (and other animals) from your yard or garden, this article is a review of the Motion Scarecrow model CRO101 and will explore some pros and cons, plus more. that you will want to consider before deciding to buy it.

First, an explanation of how this particular motion activated sprinkler works.

The Motion Scarecrow is a pulsating lawn sprinkler that starts suddenly and runs for a few seconds (rotating from side to side) to spray an arc of water over a thousand square foot area. You can adjust the arc to control the area sprayed.

Whenever the motion sensing sprinkler detects an animal in its “field of view”, the sudden activation of a pulsing jet of water that travels back and forth for several seconds startles (and annoys) the intruder.

The Scarecrow is supposed to detect animals in a thousand square foot area and can be used to keep not only cats, but also dogs, geese, rabbits and squirrels out of a particular area of ​​your garden. Since the motion detector works both day and night, it can be especially useful as a repellant against nocturnal animals such as deer, skunks, and raccoons.

Because animals (and people) do not like to be unexpectedly sprayed with water, they quickly learn to avoid the area protected by the sprayer. So if you have people crossing parts of your yard as a shortcut, or neighbors walking their dogs onto your property to do their “business”, then this motion sprinkler can be the perfect deterrent. If they complain, you can always state that you are there to keep stray cats and raccoons off your property.

Construction: The sprinkler is made primarily of plastic and has a distinctive cartoon-looking crow head for the sprinkler unit. I personally don’t like the look of the crow’s head, but maybe it will help the animals quickly recognize the unit in the “conditioning process”.

Even the 17-inch mounting stake is plastic, so don’t try to hammer it in if your ground is hard. First, soften the ground with water or hammer a dowel or something else into the ground to create a hole so you can easily insert the stake.

Scarecrow sprinklers carry a two-year limited manufacturer’s warranty, and based on reviews of this and other Contech products, the company has an excellent customer service department.

This cat repellent sprinkler uses a 9-volt battery that you will need to purchase yourself. Each battery should last at least a month or more, but that’s partly determined by how often the sprinkler is activated. It’s always good to have extra batteries on hand.

Of course, the unit must be connected to a garden hose which must be left on at all times. If you only have one outside faucet, you may want to purchase a two-way or three-way “splitter” connector that screws into your faucet so you can connect more than one hose at the same time. That will allow you to use another garden hose without having to unplug your Motion Scarecrow. .

In my case, my faucet leaked a little every time I used my garden hose, so I had to get a new hose washer before I could use the Scarecrow. I also actually ended up having to wrap the end of the hose connector with Teflon plumber’s tape that you can find at plumbing supply places, Home Depot, or Lowe’s. But this leak was a problem with my hose and faucet, not the sprayer itself. Just keep in mind that before you leave your Scarecrow running for extended periods of time, you’ll want to make sure there are no leaks in the hose, or where the hose connects to the faucet or sprayer.

Of course, except when activated, the sprinkler is not supposed to use water. And when activated, use only about a cup of water. So even in areas experiencing water scarcity, using your motion activated sprinkler shouldn’t be a huge drain on your water resources. In either case, you may want to make sure you position your Contech Scarecrow so that when it activates, it’s watering your garden while also scaring away animals.

If you have a large yard, you may want 2 or even 3 of these units. Find out where you can strategically place them to give you the most protection with the least amount of sprinklers, perhaps at natural entrances to your patio or garden. I would recommend getting just one unit to start with to ensure it meets your needs. If you buy more, you should know that multiple units can be connected “in series” with hoses going from one unit to the next, so you only have to connect the first hose to your faucet. Just remember to check the hoses regularly for leaks. And remember to turn off the water before approaching the units so you don’t end up soaked.

The drawbacks of the Contech Scarecrow: If you need to protect an area of ​​your yard that is quite a distance from your outdoor faucet, you will have to run long distances with the garden hose to the Motion Scarecrow. That can be expensive and perhaps unsightly. And, if you’re running the hoses across your lawn, you’ll have to deal with moving them when mowing. A minor annoyance.

Those who live in the northern states or colder climates will have to worry about their hoses freezing in the winter. Therefore, your garden may be unprotected during the winter months. But maybe it’s enough to use the sprinkler during the warmer months to do your “animal training”. When you disconnect the hose, you may want to leave the Scarecrow in place over the winter in the hope that the animals have been conditioned to fear the distinctive crow’s head style of the sprinkler unit.

If you live in an area with water rationing or lawn watering restrictions, you may not be able to use the sprinkler (although it only uses a small amount of water each time it is activated).

NOTE: In some of these instances where the use of the Contech Scarecrow Sprinkler is not practical, you may wish to install a similar motion-sensing cat deterrent called CatStop Ultrasonic Outdoor Cat Deterrent. It ignites animal intruders by suddenly emitting a high-frequency ultrasonic screech (above the range of human hearing).

Since these self-contained, battery-powered CatStop units are not dependent on water, they can be used year-round in colder climates and can overcome some of the water shortage issues mentioned above. Additionally, ultrasonic motion detector units can be placed in areas of your garden where using a garden hose is not practical.

On the pro side: The Scarecrow Motion Sensing Sprinkler is environmentally friendly, humanely deterring and repelling cats and other nuisance animals without the use of dangerous chemicals, traps, or other devices.

And, if you live in a neighborhood, subdivision, or gated community where fences are prohibited, or your yard is so large that fencing is prohibitively expensive, unsightly, then this Scarecrow motion-activated sprinkler may be one of your best alternatives to deter pests. the cats. .

Bottom line: If you find yourself repeatedly angry that your neighbor’s cats (or other nuisance animals) are ruining your lawn, garden, or pond, then you’ll probably find the Contech Scarecrow Motion Detecting Sprinkler to be a good addition to your cat deterrent. . arsenal.