If you are having difficulty frightening birds and other pests out of your garden then you need to review the three essential elements for creating a pest-free zone. These three things must all be present and all work together at the same time to make an effective pest deterrent.

1. Motion – Without motion you are wasting your time and money. Static pest repellents like the plastic owls and blow-up snakes work for about two days until the pest determines that there is no threat and returns. Not all motion is created equal however. If the movement of your deterrent is a constant mechanical motion, then your pest will quickly learn the pattern and return to its destructive behavior. The movement of a good pest deterrent must be life-like for it to work effectively.

2. Noise – Without some kind of noise, your success will be very limited. As with motion, the noise must be consistently inconsistent. Strange unpredictable noises will easily frighten pests away but it will not continue to be effective if the noise is too mechanical.

3. Color - With respect to color sensitive pests like birds, without vivid colors the pest deterrent's range of effectiveness will be severely limited due to the decreased visibility. It is very important that the deterrent is seen far in advance of the fruit being seen. Keep them at a distance and don't give them a chance to be tempted.

When all three of these elements are combined into one pest deterrent then you will have a fighting chance of deterring even the most stubborn pest.