The complete failure of predator lights and motion detector lights

[lesliedow]

Just in case anyone thought (like I did) that these work. I have a new coop that my 4-week old chicks have only spent a few days in. I have been taking them in at night because I do not have the machine cloth fully installed. Last night I added red-blinking predator lights and some motion detector LEDs. HAH! this racoon completely ignored them.

So this is just another data point, with video, that these things do not work. They in no way deter racoons who are used to people. Maybe they work for the truly wild ones, but not mine.

 

[roosterhavoc]

That’s a total gimmick. Along with other animals urine, human urine etc… trap them, shoot them or block them out 100%. The tried and true method is all three.

 

[Mellowmalt]

thx for showing, I wouldn't expect racoons to be bothered by the lights - they do work against foxes but should not be relied on, just as added deterrent/warning.

I doubt the red light would do much surely as animals cannot see red light as far as I know .. That seems more like a gimmick to me. Hunters use exactly the same red light so that the animals do not see it.

 

[mowin]

Lots of gimmicks out there that don't work. I've had coyote and fox walk through my yard before it was fenced in while I was out doing yard work. Highly doubt a light or a radio is going to deter them at night.

 

[aart]

I've seen video of the red predator lights and a fox checking out the run....didn't bother the fox at all.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Lots of gimmicks out there that don't work. I've had coyote and fox walk through my yard before it was fenced in while I was out doing yard work. Highly doubt a light or a radio is going to deter them at night.

I think anything out of the ordinary will deter them for a night or two. You can probably hang a plastic shopping bag near a pen and it will stop them if they’re not used to seeing it. They’ll get used to it pretty quick though and be back at it. Same goes for all the smells and fancy junk people have come up with to rip people off. The urines and other smells get me the most. A little basic research would tell most that animals are drawn to unique and foreign smells. African lion piss isn’t going to scare a fox away when he doesn’t even know what the heck peed there.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I've seen video of the red predator lights and a fox checking out the run....didn't bother the fox at all.

Where legal foxes and coyotes are hunted with red lights. I’ve killed quite a few since the red light isn’t as bright to them so they don’t spook as bad. By that logic you’d be better off with a blinking white light….which still won’t do much.

 

[lesliedow]

Yep, I just came in from securing the coop with 1/2" machine cloth. That is clearly the only thing that works!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Yep, I just came in from securing the coop with 1/2" machine cloth. That is clearly the only thing that works!

I'd add a few rows of electric hotwire. We have deterred a fox and dogs with a good zap. Probably raccoons too as I can't see one side of the run on camera, but I've seen raccoons on my camera.

 

[cmom]

I have electric wires around my coops and pens and nothing has gotten by the hot wires. I also have my fence grounded so if anything trys to climb it and if they touch the hot wire and the fence they will get zapped. I know, I have accidentally tested it and it hurt. I also have game cameras around on my property with most aimed at the coops from different angles and places. In the past I tried different things and the predators got used to them such as motion lights. They thought nothing of it when they set them off. Good luck...

A few years ago we were without power for a week because of a hurricane. My fence charger is AC. Now I have an inverter and a battery so I can run the fence charger with the battery. I didn't have it set up at the time so I put a battery operated radio in the barn which is behind the coop and put talk radio on kind of loud so any predator would hear voices and not music. I didn't have any events when the power was out. I hope it was the talk radio that kept the predators away.