Bird Damage To Lawns – Why Are Birds Digging Up My Lawn

Most of us love having backyard birds to watch and to feed. The music of songbirds is a sure sign of spring. On the other hand, bird damage to lawns can be extensive. If you’re finding small holes in your grass and you see a lot of birds around, the damage is probably caused by birds foraging for food. There are some ways you can keep birds from digging up lawn and grass. Read on to learn more.

Why are Birds Digging up my Lawn?

It’s not hard to identify bird damage to lawns. If you see a lot of birds in your yard and you find small, one inch (2.5 cm.) holes in the turf, it’s most likely bird-related damage. What are birds digging for in your lawn? The phenomenon of birds digging holes in lawns has an easy explanation: food. They’re looking for tasty snacks, so if you’re seeing a lot of bird damage, it means you have an insect problem. Basically, your lawn is the best restaurant around because it has so many bugs. Birds are simply foraging for grubs, worms, and insects. The good news about this is that the grubs and insects will actually do more damage to your lawn than the birds will, and the birds are helping you control the population.

How to Keep Birds from Digging up Lawn

If you want to avoid the bird damage of small holes all over your lawn, you have to get rid of the insect pests. To get rid of your bug problem, invest in a pesticide, preferably something natural. You can either have it applied by a professional lawn company or you can do it yourself. It is important to time the application. If you have grubs, for instance, you need to apply in late spring or early summer. It’s also important to time application to avoid harming the birds. Apply the pesticide in late afternoon so it will be dry by the next morning when the birds reappear to search for breakfast. If you prefer not to have birds at all around your property, there is little you can do but you can try using a few scare tactics that may keep the birds away.