Finally trying to keep squirrels out of my garden, thinking about getting a solar animal repeller. Does anyone here have experience with them?
Yes, I’ve been using one for about 6 months now, and it’s been great. No more critters digging up my lettuce!
Totally agree. I added a couple of them around my veggie plot, and it’s been a life-saver. Between ultrasonic sound and the flashing light, works like a charm.
Not sure, I heard those can affect the pets, like if you have a dog or something, it might bother them too.
I’m worried about the effectiveness during the winter or on cloudy days. Anyone seen any issues during less sunny seasons?
Mine has a battery reserve that lasts for several days, so short cloudy periods are no biggie. But yeah, long winters can be a problem if it doesn’t get enough light.
If you live somewhere with a real winter, you’d probably need to supplement with manual recharging every now and then.
Has anyone thought about the impact on non-target animals? We want to get rid of pests, not harm everything with ears.
That’s a valid point, PestBusterBob. I always prefer to use it in combination with other non-harmful deterrents. That way, the impact on non-target species is minimized.
Is there someone buy the solar animal repeller from Careland before?
I mean the following item.
@GardenGuru101 I tried two different brands last summer - the flashing lights worked better than the ultrasonic sounds alone. Squirrels seemed to ignore the sound after a week but kept avoiding the strobe lights."
Important warning for pet owners! My neighbor’s dog started acting anxious when I installed mine. Had to reposition it to face away from their yard.
Place them at different heights. I have one at ground level and another mounted higher - catches animals coming from all directions.
@VeggieVal I live in Seattle and mine works surprisingly well even with our cloudy weather. The key is getting a model with a high-capacity battery.
After 3 months of testing, I found rotating the location every 2 weeks prevents animals from getting used to it. The unpredictability seems to help!
Newer models with motion activation are game-changers! Only activates when animals approach, saving battery and being less disruptive to non-target species.
@PestBusterBob makes a great point. I combine mine with physical barriers - the dual approach works better than either method alone.
Deer in my area completely ignore these. Works great for raccoons and squirrels though. Might need different solutions for larger animals.
Found an affordable $25 model and have had it for 6 months. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get great protection!
Important reminder: These shouldn’t be used near bird feeders or nesting areas. The ultrasonic sounds can distress our feathered friends too.