Nite Guard Solar Lights, have any of you used them, did it work well

[Terry1]

Tried the Night Guard lights a couple of years ago. The first one last about 6 months or less a replacement was ordered and it was supposedly made with much better electronics. Maybe last a few weeks longer but not much. Did they work? Well, my pens are set-up with electric wires that could rival Fort Knox. I happened to be near the pens one night long after dark & low and behold a great horned owl was sitting on top of the solar light. Needless to say, the single flashing light didn't impress me one bit nor did it fool one of teh most relentless predators out there. HOWEVER, I ordered several recently introduce Nite Eyes with two sets of LED very bright lights. Holycow, those things are reaaly creepy. Bet they would help keep two legged predators away too. And the cell lasts a very long time between solar charges. Just for kicks I put one in bright sunlight for 6-7 hours this Fall then placed it in a dark closet. Finally staooped flashing after nearly 6 days. Amazing. So far, I'm very impressed & their customer service is great if you have any questions.

 

[Spookwriter]

Never used those solar lights, and also have never had much of a predator problem.

I do have however, three of those big night-lights on electric poles in the yard. It's a
big yard. And it's never really dark in my yard.

One of the lights cost $7.50 a month, and I own the other two.

But it's never dark in my yard...

 

[Lapetitechickens]

Quote:
I would attach hardware cloth or some wire thats less than 1/2" x 1/2" to all sides, top & bottom, if the bottom is exposed. The wire should be small enough to keep the snakes out.

I know a few pigeon breeders that had to do this to keep snakes out of their lofts.

Hope this helps.

 

[cgmccary]

babalubird: OK, those of you who haven't lost a chicken since using these lights, did you also have an snake problems and do the lights take care of the snakes too?

I have all kinds of snakes around: ratsnakes, black racer & a large Timber rattler -- all which I saw before summer ended. I don't categorize snakes around as a "snake problem."

FYI: Most snakes are diurnal hunters. The lites blink and are for night only. They don't blink during the day and if they did, you couldn't see them anyway. Also, Snakes don't eat during the winter. My pet snakes (a Kingsnake and a Bullsnake) ALWAYS hibernate ALL winter. The Nite Guard Lite Co. have NEVER made the claim that the lites are effective against snakes. Have you ever heard that claim anywhere? What snake in the U.S., other than in Florida with the non-indigenous pythons, are capable of taking a Large Fowl chicken or even an adult bantam? Who is losing adult birds to snakes? I never have & I had chickens growing up. I have only lost some eggs to a ratsnake (which I merely picked up and relocated. Are snakes really a serious predator? I know a gentleman (an APA licensed judge at that) who purposely keeps a kingsnake enclosed in his coop for control of rodents. He raises OEG Bantams. I now have Geese and Guineas ALL which will kill snakes.

I am not vouching for the Nite Guard lites' effectiveness, but I have not lost birds & my free range during the day. I also doubt anything will stop the GHO except a very good LGD (there was an account of this happening on a post here within the last few months) OR a Ft. Knox coop. Again, my success MAY be due to my mutt dogs that many in the know inform me aren't real LGDs or may be due to luck, or may be due to the lights OR some combination of the the above. How can I say they don't work when I am not losing birds?​

 

[babalubird]

Well, my concern would be losing eggs to snakes, especially since we hope to sell eggs. Also relocating chickens large enough to come out of a brooder into the henhouse in a fenced off section. They would still be small enough for a snake at that point, I would think, wouldn't they?

 

[Jajika]

Interesting thread.

I am clueless regarding snakes. However, cgmccarry, you mention your chickens free range during the day and you have never lost one to a day time preditor, then in the same paragraph you mention your mutt dogs.

Well, that explains it. If I had a couple of mutts hanging out with my chickens all day, I most likely wouldn't have a day time problem either.

We all have to look at the particulars. Nothing like a couple of good dogs to the keep the hawks away.

Regarding the lights. I can't comment on others problems because I don't know anything about the particulars. I can only relate my experience, and fortunately for me, it has been really good. I finally retired a five year old light, but still have others that have lasted longer than three years.

Go figure. I guess there will always be a quality control issue with manufactured products.

Snakes? No se.

Geri

 

[gryeyes]

I have them, and it is my opinion they work very well. I don't care what other folks say about "any blinking red light will do, put up Xmas lights, raccoons are color blind, yadda yadda yadda."

B.C. (Before Chickens) I had a nightly predation problem in my koi/goldfish ponds. The ponds aren't all that much, nor were the few koi, but I built the 2 ponds myself, raised the fish from little bitty feeder fish (koi in the goldfish tank) and was really upset when a raccoon decimated the population and tore up the pond plants. Nightly. I put chicken wire over the ponds, looked like crap. Finally just left the mosquito fish in there, and added a couple cheap goldfish every now and then. But the nice big fish I'd grown were taken.

Then I got into chickens. Saw the NiteGuard units, thought, hmmmm, why not try 'em?

Suddenly the raccoon evidence was gone. No pond plants torn up looking for fish. I mean, totally. And I have "regrown" some very large and tasty looking goldfish in the ponds. The units are set up around the perimeter of the chicken run, NOT the ponds, which are to one side of the run.

And since I have had chickens only since October 2009, I have not lost any to night-time predation. (My few losses have been to misadventure, mostly.) Also, they continue to work quite well after a a year. No malfunctions.

I have also seen newer units by another company, which sells units with TWO red blinking lights, more like eyes. Don't know if it would matter, but they were a tad cheaper and I am expanding my run, so I will buy some of those to supplement my NiteGuard coverage.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

2 years ago, I was loosing about 2 hens a week. I hesitated buying a Nite-Guard because $30 for a little red flashing light seemed rediculous. I COULD NOT trap whatever was getting my hens. I ordered, recieved, hung, & haven't lost one of my girls since, & I'm still using the original light I ordered. Been meaning to order a back-up, but.... Glad it's still going after 2 years.

No, they don't keep snakes out.

 

[Jajika]

Whew----glad others have had good luck. I was beginning to feel like the Lone Ranger here.

 

[cgmccary]

I wouldn't get rid of my Nite Guard Lites NOR my two mutt dogs. It all works for me.