Crows Destroy Lawns for Grubs

A family of crows can descend on a stretch of green grass and in a relatively short time destroy a lawn by plucking out tufts of grass by the root in search of grubs. Grubs are small worm-like pupae laid by beetles. They live deep in lawns. An infestation of grubs itself can devastate a lawn in their feasting on the grass root and killing it, or they can attract crows that peck and pull the lawn apart to eat the grubs.

The crows may actually be saving lawns from grub infestation. Their pecking aerates the lawn while they remove and eat the root destroying grubs. However, overzealous and repeated pecking can also destroy a lawn.

Preventing grub infestation can save lawns. Spraying neem oil on plants repels beetles; fewer beetles reproducing reduces the number of grubs in a lawn. Another option is castor oil on the lawn to control the grub population and repel crows as well as other critters known to eat grubs (skunks and raccoons, for example). Adding microscopic nematodes that feast on grubs can also control the grub population in a lawn. Any of these options are available at your local garden center or online.

Simply scaring the crows away will save lawns. Scarecrows, motion detector sprinklers, reflective pinwheels have been effective in scaring away crows.