BIRDS ARE RUINING MY LAWN - PROVADO LAWN GRUB KILLER HELP !!

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Lancashire
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My lawn is absolutely ruined with the birds pecking like crazy on it. At first I ignored and left nature to take its course as the birds are obviously after some sort of Grub but at the same time I felt they were aerating the soil as there are now lots of tiny holes all over it. But it is getting out of hand and is now looking a mess.
I have purchased 'Provado Lawn Grub Killer'. The instructions are quite simple but I have seen these 'Chafer Grubs' in my borders if I have been digging, so its one thing applying the treatment to the lawn but surely the grubs will just come back to the lawn if they are in borders.
Does anyone have any further suggestions as this stuff is quite expensive so I dont want to have to be buying all the time. I have read something about washing up liquid but dont know if this would work or cause further damage. All suggestions very welcome. :rolleyes:
 
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mow it nice and short so the birds can eat the grubs. they will come to the surface after a wet night. the grubs are much more common in neglected grassland so if you keep it short it will soon be cleaned and then the birds will stop pecking it.

if you want to speed up the cleaning, put a big piece of black polythene on the (short) grass and move it in the morning. the grubs will be on the surface thinking it is dark and the birds will take them. move the plastic to a new section each day. you can wet the ground with a hosepipe before covering to make them come out.

...If you do this to a section of lawn each morning, the birds will get to know there's food about, and will sit waiting for you.
 
Great idea. I remember now I think I have read something like this in the past for slugs. I will definately try an area tonight. I havnt put the treatment on yet as only applied feed and weed 2 days ago. Would it be ok to apply this treatment in about another 3 days, say Sunday. Not sure how soon I should apply it after using the feed and weed. I do keep the grass short as I am quite fussy about the lawn. Hence this post.
Will let you know how I get on. Any other suggestions welcome.
 
Blimmey Nice, what size are these birds that have "absolutely ruined" the lawn ... geese? Seriously, birds are nature's way of keeping the pests at bay and you are right ... treat the lawn with chemicals and you'll have to continuously treat it and the surrounding ground for years. Welcome the birds as a seasonal visitors taking lawn pests ... it won't last long ... grub life-cycle.

Also many birds at this time of year appear to be poking the ground ... what they are doing is collecting damp/wet soil/mud for nest building/lining.

Obviously, I garden for wildlife (and the pleasure they bring me) so I don't mean for the above to sound patronising; I'm on a mission to 'ban' chemicals from our gardens. JohnD's organic advice is the way to go.
 
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Do you have moss in the lawn? Birds like that for nest lining. I can spend enough money on nifty tools for the garden, that there's none left for poisons.

What lives in the (rampant) garden is amazing. I was weeding a bed today and had to stop as I found smooth newts no bigger than a 2p piece living there. There's cut worms, chafer grubs and all manner of other things too, but as a result, this time of year the birdsong is amazing. Yet across the road where there are few trees or wild bits, it's almost silent.
 

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