Yes, your garden owls will stop working if you do not use them properly! Cornell University reports that plastic owls stop working after a few days. Fake bird deterrent statues are simply a tool, and your job as the gardener is to put your scare owl to correct use. People who are unhappy with our owls typically never move them. You can’t just put it in place, leave it there, and expect it to work! Animals are observant and, with enough time, will figure out that it is a garden decoy! Gardeners who leave their scare owl in the same spot season after season seem to prefer the garden decoration over a functional scarecrow device that really works. Natural Enemy Scarecrows work through biomimicry, and a motionless animal isn't lifelike. If you set up an owl and leave it in place for the whole season, pests can easily adapt to its presence, even if its head spins. We recommend using our Natural Enemy Scarecrows as needed and keeping them indoors when out of use.