Farming is never easy, and one farmer who has done away with the traditions of the scarecrow has deployed a laser grid to fend off bird attacks.
Sam Licciardello appears to be unmoved by the hard work of a hay-filled man strapped to a pole and has instead opted for a system of beams and bright lights that cost him £16,000.
Growing apples, pears and all sorts of fruit on his West Australian farm, the farmer is continually having to fight off winged predators to his fruity prey.
READ MORE: Bizarre bloke shoots family during 'heated' game of Monopoly that 'escalated quickly'
Drastic measures were taken when Licciardello found that 20% of his crops had been destroyed by the winged sky beasts.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and a laser grid valued at £16k has been deployed to take out those demonstrable fruit thieves.
"Last season was our first year trialling [the lasers], and we had an excellent result," Licciardello said, and it would appear such a trial has pushed him toward a permanent solution to fend off the birds.
Making it clear that the laser beams did not harm the birds, Licciardello is already having trouble with the birds, smart enough beasts to learn the patterns of the grid after just 10 days.
It leaves the farmer playing an elongated game of cat and mouse, the farmer adding that he would "scramble" the lasers, which the birds would have to "sit back and learn it again."
Woman decorates door each season but neighbours aren't keen on Christmas display
His war with the birds has driven the farmer to laser system efficiency, because £16k to prevent crows pecking at pears is not enough.
"You've gotta be really on top of it and adjust your program to suit," Licciardello says, hoping that his laser grid system, which he purchased for $20,000AUD, will improve over time.
It appears to be a constant issue for fruit farmers, with Fruit West chairperson Ann Lyster adding that "hundreds and hundreds of thousands" are thrown away by pesky birds plucking fruit from trees.
For now, lasers are the best option, as it would appear a netting system would be far too pricey, ABC reported.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.
READ NEXT:
- Exploding seashells deployed by USA were part of assassination plan against Fidel Castro
- Mum left 'disgusted' after spider nest bursts open on Waitrose bananas
- Bloke 'shot dead by his dog's paws' in one-in-a-million freak accident
- Trapped pilot and passenger 'alive' in crashed plane left dangling from power line
- 'I celebrate my Christmas Day birthday early as I refuse to share with Jesus'
Source: Read Full Article
