Why are birds attacking my lawn?
There is nothing better than watching birds visit our UK gardens; feeding on what nature has provided for them, whilst providing a little natural aeration to the surface of the lawn.
Sometimes though, things can get a little out of hand when lawn damages caused by larger birds like crows, blackbirds, starlings and magpies. These can all sometimes be seen attacking lawns and leaving a smattering of small, circular holes or larger torn-up areas which have been scratched down to the bare soil. We are sorry to say that this is often indicative of a pest problem within the lawn, with birds pecking away to get at grubs or larvae underneath.
Two of the most common (and devastating) UK lawn pests are Leather Jackets (larvae of the crane fly), and Chafer Grubs (larvae of the garden Chafer Beetle) and they are far more problematic than the holes left by the birds.
Chafer grubs can stay within the soil for several years, eating away at the roots of the grass until chunks of turf can be easily lifted away. Likewise, a bad leather jacket infestation can greatly reduce the grass coverage on your lawn.
If birds have been visiting your lawn recently, determine if you have pests by lifting a small area of turf to see if any grubs are there. They tend to live in the top few inches of soil so will be easily visible. Leather jackets have elongated, grey brow bodies whereas chafer grubs are paler in colour, with curved bodies, legs and a red-brown head.
The only way to stop birds attacking the lawn in these instances is to address the pest issue. This is no mean feat, as there are no chemical controls available anymore to kill them but there are steps you can take to try and speed up the removal process from the lawn. See our dedicated chafer grub and leather jacket pages for further information.
Lawn repair and renovation will be required for lawns damaged by grub infestation and is usually best carried out during the autumn, which is the best time to sow new seed.
What else can birds damage?
Other areas of the garden can also be susceptible to bird damage. However, we are firm believers that a garden should be full of wildlife and rather than try to deter birds from your garden, take small steps to protect vulnerable areas and start embracing them as welcome visitors.
- For smaller fruit trees, fruit can be grown in cages or covered with netting to protect the fruit once it starts to ripen
- For larger trees, this may be impractical, so you may have to resort to audible or visual deterrents. Birds can get used to things like scarecrows so move them around frequently, to avoid them building up their nerve and starting to come back. Consumer group Which? reported greatest success using kites in the shape of birds of prey to scare off birds
- Protect newly seeded lawns or seeded beds from greedy sparrows and pheasants with very fine netting or mesh, pulling it taught to reduce risks of birds getting caught
Lawn damaged by birds and chafer grub damage