They are battery operated, right? Is there a switch on the head? So the only way to get to it to turn it off would be to turn the water off first. I was just looking at them again yesterday and noticed the battery part.

That was funny, Iowa_jade, thanks. I checked the Waddle fences link: they look more fortified than the fences erected by Germans during Normandy invasion. Very impressive! Whatever you do, NEVER feed bunnies rancid sunflower seeds. I threw those on our patio. A few days later, there's bunnies' feces everywhere. They diarrhea-ed on the patio. Bunnies clean up their poop by eating them, except for sunflower seeds. I have to put up with the ghastly potty site until they dry up enough to sweep away. Seil will try Irish Spring Soap - I'll try one or two bars only, lest my backyard looks like a bubble bath in the wet spring. The old fashion baby-powder with talc is cheaper than perfume, so I'll sprinkle smelly baby-powder around roses. I'll try more than one methods (raw eggs & garlic, curry powder, hair spray, garlic chives) and will report the results.

greetings from Australia, home of the water repellent soil. Wetting agents (detergents and other surfactants), such as you've tried, will only increase infiltration for a few months or until the soil fully dries out again. The water repellence will return with a vengeance. Addition of organic matter, especially eucalyptus mulch or potting mixes/soils will only increase the water repellence over time as the water repellence is due to the sand particles being coated with waxy/fatty materials produced by the natural breakdown of organic matter. best longer term solutions are: 1. always create a basin of soil (like a small well) around plants, especially on slopes, to hold the water you apply. If water is held over water repellent soils for long enough the water repellency reverts and the water runs in(can take from a few minutes up to several hours in the worst cases) 2. addition of clay to the soil when you plant can also provide long term benefits (e.g. builders clay) as clay, having much smaller particles, has a much greater surface area and so is a lot less prone to becoming fully coated and water repellent. Addition rates need to be about 10kg (22lb) per square metre (or sq. yd) dug into the top 100mm (4") of soil 3. consider pebble mulches over organic ones, as they help retain a moister environment at the soil surface and help retard runoff without adding extra organic matter. Remember the soils where these plants naturally occur contain almost no organic matter. 4. The main force acting on water in and out of the soil is gravity. Water applied to slopes will almost always runoff unless you create areas that can hold it until it can infiltrate. This may include pockets, depressions, mounds along contours, even shallow depressions above plants, larger rocks placed below plants, etc. This will in turn waste a lot less water too. good luck steve

Yes and no. I does detect if an animal walks into the area of the motion detector. It emits a multiple-second squirt of water. The noise, and getting hit by the stream of water, surprises the animal and sends it running...the first or second time. In my limited experience, a habitual user (squirrel, dog, cat-no experience with deer) will learn to go around the outer perimeter of the covered area or just move to another part of the yard. In my own situation, moving the scarer around to try to keep the critters guessing was not effective because of mature trees that provided a barrier to the stream of water. I'd still try one though. Your conditions may allow you to set up your target area more effectively.