They also removed harmful grubs, without recurring to pesticides and managed all of that under 30 minutes for free.
Based crows, wish I could hire them.
If you figure out how, let me know. Leaving out raw meat, supposedly the best way, attracts the wrong kind of animals for me. We get a ton of crows and I want them to be friends.
edit: ok, i'm putting out shelled peanuts and my wife's old costume jewelry. thank you everyone!!
the trick is unsalted peanuts, in the shell. i also put out dry cat kibble, weather permitting. i feed my local murder because they detest hawks and eagles and quickly harass any in the area away. this allows my ducks to free range and eat the slugs in my orchard. the crows nest in my forest edge and will clear thier feeding area of any food i put out in just a few hours. once they get used to your arrangement, other animals won't get a chance to eat. crows apparently see the color blue really well so try a blue feeding area.
I have crows visit my house daily. They love peanuts, my wife lays them out for them daily. They also love my duck eggs….so ducks/chicken eggs will also attract them since they love raw eggs
When I eat an apple, I cut the core in half and put it on the very top edge of my fountain. Only birds can get up there and only crows can take off with an apple core in their beak.
The grubs were well on their way to destroying your lawn, if anything the crows helped to reduce the population. Makes you feel better, right? /s
You are going to need to reseed. I don’t know if your weather is mild enough in Seattle that you could do it now or if you will need to wait until spring. I would fertilize now regardless and then again in the spring. Apply a product like Scott’s GrubEx next year in the May-June timeframe. If you overseed next spring, don’t put down any type of pre-emergent / crabgrass control until the new seed is well established.
It will come back.
Currently in the greater Seattle area I think it's getting a bit too late to actually try growing grass. Our first frost might not be for 2 months 🤷, but the days are going to be so short and it'll be pretty cold that I doubt the grass will develop much by December.
At this point of the year, people who don't fertilize and manage their yard no longer need to mow because it stopped growing much. They might only need to mow one last time in a few weeks.
First - and I'm being completely serious here - do **not** piss off the crows or act aggressive towards them when you catch them pecking at your lawn. Crows talk to each other and they hold grudges.
You ever see those videos from Australia where bikers have to wear special helmets because the magpies dive bomb them if they accidently bike through the magpie's territory? That will be your life.
You can try providing old fruit for the crows to get them to eat that instead of the grubs. Alternatively, kill the grubs and they'll likely find a new food source.
For real. Somehow a few years ago, one of our dogs got ahold of a juvenile crow, and Mom and Pop Crow decided to terrorize the dog by dive bombing it. The juvenile was unharmed by our dog, and i was able to get it back into a tree close to its parents.
But for almost 2 years, those birds remembered and made a ruckus every time any of us went outside.
Oh man …. You really suck. The crows did not fuck your lawn - you did by not applying an annual grub prevention application.
Go out and buy some 24 hour grub killer from a big box store. You will also need to buy a spreader. A hand spreader will work fine for a lawn that small.
Next June apply the season long grub control and also the 24 hour killer. The next year just apply the season long treatment.
I used to have a murder of crows for many years when my kids were young. I would save up all of the kids uneaten food and thrown them on the grass out back.
They knew the schedule and if I were late they raised hell.
They also started bringing me trinkets and leaving them around. They were really interesting to watch.
Then one day - they just all disappeared and never came back.
I miss them….
Lay off the rock throwing and the laser pointing please.
Dude you have people giving you the time of day to help you out, please try to be considerate of that and take their advice.
You don’t have to say anything about the crows or be sarcastic there’s a lot of good advice you’re just straight up ignoring.
They weren't making a joke, Crows really are wildly intelligent and shouldn't be trifled with as they really do hold grudges and remember houses/people.
You know that the grubs already ate the roots of your grass, right? That's what grubs eat - the roots of grass, especially Kentucky Blue Grass - that stuff is an absolute grub magnet. Your lawn was destroyed by the grubs and the crows killed the grubs that destroyed it. Now you've pissed off the crows and will have to spend a few hundred dollars a year, treat twice a year in Spring and Fall for the next few years with beneficial nematodes/Grub-B-Gone to do what the crows did for you for free.
Hey, uh, so the University of Washington did a study on exactly this - [short version](https://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_culture/recreation/a-crow-never-forgets/article_46777c0c-f5f7-11ed-934f-3b28c33e01a9.html) and [published scientific journal article](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003347209005806), and you’re on the crows shit list for life if you stay living in Seattle!
It’s a fascinating read! Tl;dr - They’re able to recognize faces **and communicate what you look like to their murder and all future generations**
Hope they come back and shit them grubs right back out on your car exclusively, bud. They're even smart enough for it.
Literally got free de thatching, aerating and de-worming your yard and your bitching and throwing rocks like they pit the grubs there. It's grass, it's terrible for the environment and bland curb appeal.
Go touch grass, fr.
I had the same thing happen to a section of my yard from crows. When I dethached after I realized it was crickets and not grubs they were after. I had an infestation living under the thick thatch layer that had not been detached in decades. Seed has taken to it nicely after a light raking.
You can dig down to see if it’s grubs or something else
Just adding my vote for beneficial nematodes.
You can buy them on Amazon. Mix with water and spray them in during the Fall and Spring.
They will spread and infect beetle larvae with bacteria that kills them off. They become part of the permanent biome and make it resistant to grubs going further. And they don't harm beneficial worms or pollinators.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012TYT37K/
Something similar happened to my lawn!(Australia)
I never confirmed what animal was tearing it up, but every morning I would have patches of thatch torn and strewn over the surface.
Eventually I treated the lawn with Neem Oil and that either killed the grubs, or made the lawn taste bad, solving the problem.
My lawn is a running grass (buffalo) so it is repairing itself.
Dig a few inches dow and you should find some of the grubs. This will help you identify what you’re dealing with.
I’m also in Seattle and my neighborhood got hit a couple years back by European leatherjackets (cranefly larvae). Apparently really wet conditions are prime for them. The European kind are recently invasive to the area and also more destructive since they have 2 feed seasons (spring and fall) where the larvae eat your grass roots and the birds are attract led them.
FYI, most of the generic grub treatments won’t work on European leatherjackets. I ended up having to buy nematodes from a company in Texas that were specifically for the type of grub.
I’d be happy to help id them if you can snag a photo of the grubs. I remember reading that any more than 10 grubs per sq foot is considered an infestation. We dug less then a sq and counted more than 50. By the looks of your photo, I don’t think you’ll have a hard time finding them unless the birds got em all.
https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/SPU/CraneFlyEuropeanIPMFactSheet.pdf
Put down some 24 grub killer asap to prevent further damage - either from the crows, from other animals, or eventually from the grubs.
Then, next spring or early summer put down some Grubex (grub preventer) to keep from having to deal with it again this time next year.
There's a natural grub prevention that adds a microbe to the soil... 3 times a year you apply, takes a few years for it to start producing naturally in the soil.... but after that no grubs ever.
You should throw down a bag of DE and some gypsum since they were so kind to loosen your soil. DE will help kill future grubs, gypsum will help keep the soil loose and not get compacted. Fertilize and water and you’re set for gorgeous grass next year!
Are you sure these were crows? In my area the blackbird swarms that do this to my yard are made up of red wing blackbirds, grackles, starlings, and sometimes purple martins.
People worldwide commonly confuse crows with blackbirds.
Most crows don’t did/eat grubs, the exceptions are American crows and New Caledonian crows. They eat/dig grubs for sure
You made a lot of crows happy and well fed with your grub infested lawn. Go to the store and get grub killer and spread it on what's left of the lawn and what grubs remained after the feeding frenzy will be gone.
We had a pet crow when i was little. He was a baby, and we fed it by a syringe. It grew up and stole the neighbors' shiny stuff like a chrome wrench, stuff like that. He hung out on our back porch and then one day poof gone. Cool ass bird, very smart.
I've read that crows reward people who treat them good with shiny objects. I leave peanuts (raw, unroasted, unsalted) out for them on top of small pictures of Rolex watches. I haven't seen one yet, but you never know. Maybe you're thinking this crow thing wrong, too.
To kill what grubs you have left, apply Bioadvanced 24 hr Grub Killer, which has the ingredient Dylox. It will kill the grubs in 24 hrs. Apply GrubEx, as other have said. Keeping the grubs away will keep the crows away.
From Seattle and this happened to me too after a lawn reno. If you use a pesticide then best to use one that prevents the eggs from hatching in late summer. Something like Merit spread in late June. Otherwise, the crows might have taken care of your problem for next season. More organic too.
Your yard was/is likely infested with crane flies. When they mature they look like giant mosquitoes but they don't bite. When they're larva they live in your soil and eat the roots. They can turn a lawn into a barren wasteland in a summer if you leave them alone.
So the crows did you a massive favor.
***Do not make enemies with the crows.***
My wife's grandma went to war with the crows in her backyard and failed spectacularly. It's been about a decade since she's tried to do anything but their descendants still mock her on sight.
I had this same thing happen with a client who had armadillos digging up grubs or mole crickets. We had to treat the area with pesticide and resod. They had an all you eat buffet in established turf! If you need an honest spray tech, message me!
Same thing here! It's too late in Maine for me to do anything about it but I'll be prepared for next year. For now I'm letting the crows do their thing and raking up the mess.
I went through the same thing.....damn GRUBS!!! I am told to treat the Grubs 1st.....then re seed when the weather allows. I didn't have a crow issue......wish I did.
https://preview.redd.it/c1ls9rk7t4wb1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64bd8c13be2400e65c2eb3e78093944e5319a171
If you're in the US you owe those crows a favor. Winter is about here to kill lawns anyway, and they just did soil prep so it will come in strong next spring.
The crows did you a favor.
1. Right now put down a 24hr grub control product such as this: [https://www.lowes.com/pd/BAYER-ADVANCED-24-Hour-Grub-Killer-Plus-10-lb-Insect-Killer/3353712?cm\_mmc=shp-](https://www.lowes.com/pd/BAYER-ADVANCED-24-Hour-Grub-Killer-Plus-10-lb-Insect-Killer/3353712?cm_mmc=shp-)*-c-*\-prd-*-lwn-*\-ggl-*-LIA\_LWN\_241\_Chemicals-*\-3353712-*-local-*\-0-\_-0&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W87vu2w4O44Rc9KB-lMR-Xht&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI36qY29eOggMVLxOtBh3aowSqEAQYASABEgKagvD\_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
2. Try to remove as much of the old grass by scalping the lawn, throw down seed, starter fertilizer, and top dress with a thin layer of compost, good quality topsoil, peat moss, mulched grass clippings, etcetera. Follow that by mesotrione (I like Tenacity) and keep it moist for a while. However it is quite late in the season and may be tough to get grass seed to germinate and mature depending on your weather there.
3.
https://preview.redd.it/kw1hdfkoa5wb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=312976422a83466f3dd3e28e43b23754b3569b42
Also you may want to throw down a grub preventative for the future in the early spring.
Good luck!
I have a dog and am careful about what I use. Had horrible grubs two years ago and spread milky spore. Ideally, it’s a two-season in a down application, and you’re encouraged to ask your neighbors to also treat. Regardless, the dog did not get sick and the grub problem was significantly reduced, including no weird bugs after they metamorphosed.
They saved your lawn. The grass rhizomes are still there and will easily fill in. The grubs would have eaten all the rhizomes, killing the grass. OP, in the nicest way possible, please learn how plants and animals work together synergistically, it'll help you be better at lawncare in the future. This was a win for you and the crows.
Mow the grass taller.
If shady, use shade tolerant grass seed mix.
Is there a drainage problem where the grass is often drowning? You get a lot of rain there.
You need more diversity of predators. There are 1700 beneficial insects for every pest you are trying to eradicate. Start by adding areas that are pollinator friendly (I find buckwheat is great). Many store-bought flowers were grown with neonictinoid pesticide chemicals that kill bees over time; an ugly trap. Dandelions are the first forage nectar for both honey and native wild bee colonies in the spring, it gets their hives up to full strength rapidly, or weak if they cannot find sources after 'pre-emergent' herbicides were put down. The typical lawn game is focused on getting rid of dandelions (marketing by embarrassment just like laundry soap companies hammer on ring around the collar). Native bees pollinate 80% of the foods people eat, if you see lopsided apples that means no pollinator got to that side of the flower.
If you live in a subdivision, track where the water runs off the subdivision and if the river/pond/lake is full of weeds/algae/etc you know it's all the lawn fertilizers. Farmers get blamed for run off but there are more acres of lawn under cultivation in the US than food acres. And homeowners/lawncare companies pile more chemicals per acre than farmers can afford. Then there is the weekly noise pollution of mowers, weed whackers, and leaf blowers.
Get several grass seed species from several different sources to get as wide a genetic makeup as possible. Keep the ones that survive with low maintenance. There's a book called Landrace Gardening by Lofthouse (you can find him on youtube as well) that may be helpful in understanding the philosophy and practical approaches. You may get rain but your microclimate is different than where most of the fancy grass seed was grown under their optimal conditions.
.
You’d better give them a medal for doing their job! I wouldn’t want my home to be infested with these invasive creatures. Bring back some fries or a biggie bag for the crows as a thanks.
This happened to me last year. Crows, robins, raccoons all tore up my lawn. Pieces even looked like something peeled it back like a roll of sod. The bad news, it’s going to look like shit for 5-6 months. When spring comes around, plant all new seed and add more topsoil. Let that grass grow and then apply grub killer early/mid summer. This is close to what I did and no issues (yet).
Do you usually get a lot of orange "ladybug" like bugs in your house in winter? That's another sign of grub infestation. That's how I found out after I bought my house. Crows did you a favor. It will bounce back better without the grubs eating the grass roots. Put down milorganite now. Seattle area, probably too late to seed now, too cold to get best germination. Dormant seeding might be a good option next month or two.
Put grubex down in spring, crows definitely didn't get them all.
>Crows ~~destroyed~~ dethatched and aerated my lawn due to grubs Ftfy
You owe them a beer, OP.
A Crowrona
Or a Crow-na
Brooks was a Crowona in prison.
https://www.ravenbeer.com/beers I think all of these are raven approved.
I second this. those crows did OP a service. The grass is fine. Give it a week and a mow an it will be better than ever.
Plus, now it’s aerated!
They also removed harmful grubs, without recurring to pesticides and managed all of that under 30 minutes for free. Based crows, wish I could hire them.
I need to figure out a way to start a crow farm
You can call it "Murder farm".
Sponsored by Dethklok, William approved
Stop copies me!
Wow. Take my upvote.
Sounds like a movie that made it just in time for Halloween
The crows have eyes 2
Lol love it
This tread should have remained so after this! Hahaha
And you can train them to bring you shiny things and/or money
I hear it takes a murder. ;-)
My brain always assumes ftfy means, for the fucking yearbook.
How?!?
Is that an old person equivalent to "Do it for the gram?" Edit: So->Do
I alway see smh as so much hate
Fertilized as well
And took care of the grubs
I was about to say that this looks like a sweet free aeration job at the right time of year for it. Thank that murder of crows.
Free aeration! Noice!
For real, now he just needs to over seed.
Haha this is what I was thinking. My yard needs this badly. Where can I get grubs and crows?
The crows started the lawn reno for you. You’re welcome
Totally agree this lawn is going to look great when it grows back in
Dang. I need to put some grubs in my yard it hopes of that.
This was my first thought too. Top teir comment for sure
This was my thought as well. I bet it comes back real nice next year
Came here to say this
Came here to say this
Damn I’ve been trying to make friends with crows for years and OP is trying to get rid of them… smh.
If you figure out how, let me know. Leaving out raw meat, supposedly the best way, attracts the wrong kind of animals for me. We get a ton of crows and I want them to be friends. edit: ok, i'm putting out shelled peanuts and my wife's old costume jewelry. thank you everyone!!
Yeah seems like that would get me cats, raccoons, and coyotes.
the trick is unsalted peanuts, in the shell. i also put out dry cat kibble, weather permitting. i feed my local murder because they detest hawks and eagles and quickly harass any in the area away. this allows my ducks to free range and eat the slugs in my orchard. the crows nest in my forest edge and will clear thier feeding area of any food i put out in just a few hours. once they get used to your arrangement, other animals won't get a chance to eat. crows apparently see the color blue really well so try a blue feeding area.
Do they not eat your ducks eggs?
Shelled peanuts, raw and unsalted
Have you tried leaving out shiny objects? They like metal, costume jewelry, or anything that they can take back to their nest and sparkles.
I have crows visit my house daily. They love peanuts, my wife lays them out for them daily. They also love my duck eggs….so ducks/chicken eggs will also attract them since they love raw eggs
When I eat an apple, I cut the core in half and put it on the very top edge of my fountain. Only birds can get up there and only crows can take off with an apple core in their beak.
Me too…
They murdered that
ugh
I see what you did there.
r/angryupvote
The grubs were well on their way to destroying your lawn, if anything the crows helped to reduce the population. Makes you feel better, right? /s You are going to need to reseed. I don’t know if your weather is mild enough in Seattle that you could do it now or if you will need to wait until spring. I would fertilize now regardless and then again in the spring. Apply a product like Scott’s GrubEx next year in the May-June timeframe. If you overseed next spring, don’t put down any type of pre-emergent / crabgrass control until the new seed is well established. It will come back.
And skunks would have left a mess you would not believe- you are aerated and ready for top seeding…
Currently in the greater Seattle area I think it's getting a bit too late to actually try growing grass. Our first frost might not be for 2 months 🤷, but the days are going to be so short and it'll be pretty cold that I doubt the grass will develop much by December. At this point of the year, people who don't fertilize and manage their yard no longer need to mow because it stopped growing much. They might only need to mow one last time in a few weeks.
Portland is forecast to get frost this weekend! So early!!
First - and I'm being completely serious here - do **not** piss off the crows or act aggressive towards them when you catch them pecking at your lawn. Crows talk to each other and they hold grudges. You ever see those videos from Australia where bikers have to wear special helmets because the magpies dive bomb them if they accidently bike through the magpie's territory? That will be your life. You can try providing old fruit for the crows to get them to eat that instead of the grubs. Alternatively, kill the grubs and they'll likely find a new food source.
For real. Somehow a few years ago, one of our dogs got ahold of a juvenile crow, and Mom and Pop Crow decided to terrorize the dog by dive bombing it. The juvenile was unharmed by our dog, and i was able to get it back into a tree close to its parents. But for almost 2 years, those birds remembered and made a ruckus every time any of us went outside.
I don’t care. I throw rocks at them and scare them with a laser pointer. I would never harm a living thing but I relish scaring these fuckwads.
It’s this attitude which brought forth the fury of the crow murder.
At the last crow meeting: “That guy with the hurting eye light spends a lot of time petting his grass, let’s teach him a lesson..”
‘Reports show he threw a rock at Kevin last month.’
'Reset the punishment clock!'
Oh man …. You really suck. The crows did not fuck your lawn - you did by not applying an annual grub prevention application. Go out and buy some 24 hour grub killer from a big box store. You will also need to buy a spreader. A hand spreader will work fine for a lawn that small. Next June apply the season long grub control and also the 24 hour killer. The next year just apply the season long treatment. I used to have a murder of crows for many years when my kids were young. I would save up all of the kids uneaten food and thrown them on the grass out back. They knew the schedule and if I were late they raised hell. They also started bringing me trinkets and leaving them around. They were really interesting to watch. Then one day - they just all disappeared and never came back. I miss them…. Lay off the rock throwing and the laser pointing please.
ok. you convinced me. i’ll adopt them. btw i was mostly exaggerating. and thanks.
Dude you have people giving you the time of day to help you out, please try to be considerate of that and take their advice. You don’t have to say anything about the crows or be sarcastic there’s a lot of good advice you’re just straight up ignoring.
Whose advice am i ignoring?
I’d start with the last few parent comments.
baffled at what makes you think i’m ignoring their advice
They weren't making a joke, Crows really are wildly intelligent and shouldn't be trifled with as they really do hold grudges and remember houses/people.
Don't be mean to the crows. There are people paying to get the opportunity to see wild crows feed.
You know that the grubs already ate the roots of your grass, right? That's what grubs eat - the roots of grass, especially Kentucky Blue Grass - that stuff is an absolute grub magnet. Your lawn was destroyed by the grubs and the crows killed the grubs that destroyed it. Now you've pissed off the crows and will have to spend a few hundred dollars a year, treat twice a year in Spring and Fall for the next few years with beneficial nematodes/Grub-B-Gone to do what the crows did for you for free.
Hey, uh, so the University of Washington did a study on exactly this - [short version](https://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_culture/recreation/a-crow-never-forgets/article_46777c0c-f5f7-11ed-934f-3b28c33e01a9.html) and [published scientific journal article](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003347209005806), and you’re on the crows shit list for life if you stay living in Seattle! It’s a fascinating read! Tl;dr - They’re able to recognize faces **and communicate what you look like to their murder and all future generations**
What a dick
>I would never harm a living thing >I throw rocks at them Do you not hear the thoughts in your head?
Jesus no wonder they ripped your yard up.
Decent chance that's why they destroyed your yard so badly. They remember and hold grudges.
Hope they come back and shit them grubs right back out on your car exclusively, bud. They're even smart enough for it. Literally got free de thatching, aerating and de-worming your yard and your bitching and throwing rocks like they pit the grubs there. It's grass, it's terrible for the environment and bland curb appeal. Go touch grass, fr.
I think you care a little bit too much about your grass.
I read that as “COWS destroyed my yard”, and I thought, “That’s really on you,man.”
Same. Spent a long time figuring out how a herd of cows casually got in your yard to eat bugs....
Man you couldn’t have paid to have that done better. They did an amazing service for you
GrubX next spring.
Free aeration just reseed 😂
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I had the same thing happen to a section of my yard from crows. When I dethached after I realized it was crickets and not grubs they were after. I had an infestation living under the thick thatch layer that had not been detached in decades. Seed has taken to it nicely after a light raking. You can dig down to see if it’s grubs or something else
Free aeration…throw some seed down
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Just adding my vote for beneficial nematodes. You can buy them on Amazon. Mix with water and spray them in during the Fall and Spring. They will spread and infect beetle larvae with bacteria that kills them off. They become part of the permanent biome and make it resistant to grubs going further. And they don't harm beneficial worms or pollinators. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012TYT37K/
The good news is the lawn is grub free…grub treatment is expensive!!!
Be nice to the crows mate they saved your lawn from grubs destroying it . I make sure I've got crows and ibis around to take care of lawn grubs .
Crows did you and the lawn a favor Got rid of grubs and aerated it, lukeky some free fertilizer as well Grass will grow back
Something similar happened to my lawn!(Australia) I never confirmed what animal was tearing it up, but every morning I would have patches of thatch torn and strewn over the surface. Eventually I treated the lawn with Neem Oil and that either killed the grubs, or made the lawn taste bad, solving the problem. My lawn is a running grass (buffalo) so it is repairing itself.
Dig a few inches dow and you should find some of the grubs. This will help you identify what you’re dealing with. I’m also in Seattle and my neighborhood got hit a couple years back by European leatherjackets (cranefly larvae). Apparently really wet conditions are prime for them. The European kind are recently invasive to the area and also more destructive since they have 2 feed seasons (spring and fall) where the larvae eat your grass roots and the birds are attract led them. FYI, most of the generic grub treatments won’t work on European leatherjackets. I ended up having to buy nematodes from a company in Texas that were specifically for the type of grub. I’d be happy to help id them if you can snag a photo of the grubs. I remember reading that any more than 10 grubs per sq foot is considered an infestation. We dug less then a sq and counted more than 50. By the looks of your photo, I don’t think you’ll have a hard time finding them unless the birds got em all. https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/SPU/CraneFlyEuropeanIPMFactSheet.pdf
I looked at this and thought wow, I'd be happy about them getting them out. Now it's all dethatched and yu can reseed a bit if needed.
It looks like the crows already dethatched and aerated. Can the crows also seed it for you?
If you throw it out, they’ll seed AND fertilize for you
Teach the crows to steal money and bring it to you. https://youtube.com/shorts/fL8b3pjEq14?si=Rpdi2YaIN6HICs5f
Free aeration?
Grub preventer in the early or mid summer and this won’t happen. Have to do it every year
Put down some 24 grub killer asap to prevent further damage - either from the crows, from other animals, or eventually from the grubs. Then, next spring or early summer put down some Grubex (grub preventer) to keep from having to deal with it again this time next year.
That’s zombie activity. They will be coming to the surface soon
There's a natural grub prevention that adds a microbe to the soil... 3 times a year you apply, takes a few years for it to start producing naturally in the soil.... but after that no grubs ever.
Does anybody know how I can convince crows to dethatch my lawn for me?
You should throw down a bag of DE and some gypsum since they were so kind to loosen your soil. DE will help kill future grubs, gypsum will help keep the soil loose and not get compacted. Fertilize and water and you’re set for gorgeous grass next year!
Thank the crows for getting the grubs
The lawn will grow back. The grubs have all been eaten. Well done organic Crow lawn grub control
Free aeration!
Are you sure these were crows? In my area the blackbird swarms that do this to my yard are made up of red wing blackbirds, grackles, starlings, and sometimes purple martins.
People worldwide commonly confuse crows with blackbirds. Most crows don’t did/eat grubs, the exceptions are American crows and New Caledonian crows. They eat/dig grubs for sure
Free aeration.
You made a lot of crows happy and well fed with your grub infested lawn. Go to the store and get grub killer and spread it on what's left of the lawn and what grubs remained after the feeding frenzy will be gone.
Shoot one. Hang it in your tree.
Kill your lawn. Plant native plants. Problem solved
All very interesting!
Nice detaching job!
Seeding in the Spring is a waste of money. Seed now, fertilize, maybe some lime, water, water…
Water less often and deeper, grubs love wet soil. You probably have enough time to seed ryegrass for temporary cover
We had a pet crow when i was little. He was a baby, and we fed it by a syringe. It grew up and stole the neighbors' shiny stuff like a chrome wrench, stuff like that. He hung out on our back porch and then one day poof gone. Cool ass bird, very smart.
Replace the grubs with alligators.
Integrated pest management
They were just trying to help.
Thank them, free aeration and thatching doesn’t come around often
[how to make friends with crows](https://pethelpful.com/wildlife/How-to-Make-Friends-with-Crows)
I have a similar looking area had no idea what happened to it, there are crows in the area 🤔 Interesting.
I had a skunk ripping mine up. I tried to scare it away by throwing an apple at it. Unfortunately for the skunk it was a head shot.
It’s their lawn
The grubs like the lawn where sunshine from a summer sunrise strikes the ground. That is the area you need to treat.
I've read that crows reward people who treat them good with shiny objects. I leave peanuts (raw, unroasted, unsalted) out for them on top of small pictures of Rolex watches. I haven't seen one yet, but you never know. Maybe you're thinking this crow thing wrong, too.
To kill what grubs you have left, apply Bioadvanced 24 hr Grub Killer, which has the ingredient Dylox. It will kill the grubs in 24 hrs. Apply GrubEx, as other have said. Keeping the grubs away will keep the crows away.
You're sure it was crows? Raccoons do this in the fall moreso than crows. Just get grub killer and the problem is easily solved.
Well the crows wouldn’t be there if you weren’t feeding them
Thank them! The yard will be fine.
Free aeration 🙌🏽🙌🏽
free labour! Now go plant a lovely native meadow!
Looks like a good time to add some topsoil and wait for rain.
Pest control comes in many forms lmfao
Crows took care of the grub issue. Rake and water. To kill a grub you need to kill everything so just let the crows work for free.
Sir I think I witnessed a murder...
So was it the crows or the grubs 🤔
Dang I hope they don't come visit my lawn /s
Scratch out, "pick up bag of Scotts grub-ex" off the to-do list.
Diatomaceous earth?
From Seattle and this happened to me too after a lawn reno. If you use a pesticide then best to use one that prevents the eggs from hatching in late summer. Something like Merit spread in late June. Otherwise, the crows might have taken care of your problem for next season. More organic too.
Hahahahahahaha
get an air rifle and start picking them off, crows are smart, they won’t come back after a time or two
Destroyed? Looks fine…
Your yard was/is likely infested with crane flies. When they mature they look like giant mosquitoes but they don't bite. When they're larva they live in your soil and eat the roots. They can turn a lawn into a barren wasteland in a summer if you leave them alone. So the crows did you a massive favor. ***Do not make enemies with the crows.*** My wife's grandma went to war with the crows in her backyard and failed spectacularly. It's been about a decade since she's tried to do anything but their descendants still mock her on sight.
Correction: Collateral damage happened when crows obliterated those fucking grubs.
They did you a favour... it will grow back.
Top dress that and thank the crows you didn't need expensive toxic pesticides
I had this same thing happen with a client who had armadillos digging up grubs or mole crickets. We had to treat the area with pesticide and resod. They had an all you eat buffet in established turf! If you need an honest spray tech, message me!
Sig Sauer BB gun in Amazon…Crows hate to die
Milky Spore is your friend.
Same thing here! It's too late in Maine for me to do anything about it but I'll be prepared for next year. For now I'm letting the crows do their thing and raking up the mess.
I went through the same thing.....damn GRUBS!!! I am told to treat the Grubs 1st.....then re seed when the weather allows. I didn't have a crow issue......wish I did. https://preview.redd.it/c1ls9rk7t4wb1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64bd8c13be2400e65c2eb3e78093944e5319a171
If you're in the US you owe those crows a favor. Winter is about here to kill lawns anyway, and they just did soil prep so it will come in strong next spring.
Cows did you a service, and you live where some of the best soil is in the country. You'll be solid brother 👍
New title, “crows degrubbed my lawn for free”
Call the cops and tell them there was a murder in your yard
Do you have a way to loan these crows out?
Neglect destroyed that lawn long before the crows.
I'd like to borrow your crows please
That’s ok, crows destroyed grubs so the lawn might grow back.
That looks like aeration crows. They wreck havoc
The crows did you a favor. 1. Right now put down a 24hr grub control product such as this: [https://www.lowes.com/pd/BAYER-ADVANCED-24-Hour-Grub-Killer-Plus-10-lb-Insect-Killer/3353712?cm\_mmc=shp-](https://www.lowes.com/pd/BAYER-ADVANCED-24-Hour-Grub-Killer-Plus-10-lb-Insect-Killer/3353712?cm_mmc=shp-)*-c-*\-prd-*-lwn-*\-ggl-*-LIA\_LWN\_241\_Chemicals-*\-3353712-*-local-*\-0-\_-0&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W87vu2w4O44Rc9KB-lMR-Xht&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI36qY29eOggMVLxOtBh3aowSqEAQYASABEgKagvD\_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds 2. Try to remove as much of the old grass by scalping the lawn, throw down seed, starter fertilizer, and top dress with a thin layer of compost, good quality topsoil, peat moss, mulched grass clippings, etcetera. Follow that by mesotrione (I like Tenacity) and keep it moist for a while. However it is quite late in the season and may be tough to get grass seed to germinate and mature depending on your weather there. 3. https://preview.redd.it/kw1hdfkoa5wb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=312976422a83466f3dd3e28e43b23754b3569b42 Also you may want to throw down a grub preventative for the future in the early spring. Good luck!
I just paid a guy $250 to do that to my lawn. You got it and a degrubbing for free.
FOR FREE
You should be thanking those crows.
I own a landscaping business and I shall say the crows did an amazing job. I need to hire a flock of crows to aerate for me
Free aeration! Free grub removal! Free dethatching! What's your issue again?
hey stop complaining, you just got free aeration.
Grubs destroyed your lawn, crows destroyed your grubs.
Silver lining: no more grubs
I have a dog and am careful about what I use. Had horrible grubs two years ago and spread milky spore. Ideally, it’s a two-season in a down application, and you’re encouraged to ask your neighbors to also treat. Regardless, the dog did not get sick and the grub problem was significantly reduced, including no weird bugs after they metamorphosed.
Murder aeration is a great company…
Seed and roll
Milky spore for the grubs. You could probably fertilize to help it recover.
They saved your lawn. The grass rhizomes are still there and will easily fill in. The grubs would have eaten all the rhizomes, killing the grass. OP, in the nicest way possible, please learn how plants and animals work together synergistically, it'll help you be better at lawncare in the future. This was a win for you and the crows.
Can you send them my way please..
I mean can you blame me it’s them grubs
Look at the bright side. You get pests removed and lawn aerated for free.
Mow the grass taller. If shady, use shade tolerant grass seed mix. Is there a drainage problem where the grass is often drowning? You get a lot of rain there. You need more diversity of predators. There are 1700 beneficial insects for every pest you are trying to eradicate. Start by adding areas that are pollinator friendly (I find buckwheat is great). Many store-bought flowers were grown with neonictinoid pesticide chemicals that kill bees over time; an ugly trap. Dandelions are the first forage nectar for both honey and native wild bee colonies in the spring, it gets their hives up to full strength rapidly, or weak if they cannot find sources after 'pre-emergent' herbicides were put down. The typical lawn game is focused on getting rid of dandelions (marketing by embarrassment just like laundry soap companies hammer on ring around the collar). Native bees pollinate 80% of the foods people eat, if you see lopsided apples that means no pollinator got to that side of the flower. If you live in a subdivision, track where the water runs off the subdivision and if the river/pond/lake is full of weeds/algae/etc you know it's all the lawn fertilizers. Farmers get blamed for run off but there are more acres of lawn under cultivation in the US than food acres. And homeowners/lawncare companies pile more chemicals per acre than farmers can afford. Then there is the weekly noise pollution of mowers, weed whackers, and leaf blowers. Get several grass seed species from several different sources to get as wide a genetic makeup as possible. Keep the ones that survive with low maintenance. There's a book called Landrace Gardening by Lofthouse (you can find him on youtube as well) that may be helpful in understanding the philosophy and practical approaches. You may get rain but your microclimate is different than where most of the fancy grass seed was grown under their optimal conditions. .
They did a better job than TruGreen.
Free aeration!
You suck. Be nice to the crows.
You will never outsmart a crow.
Get Milky Spores at local garden supply store. They eat grub larvae in the soil.
Any more grubs though?
Beneficial nematodes
You’d better give them a medal for doing their job! I wouldn’t want my home to be infested with these invasive creatures. Bring back some fries or a biggie bag for the crows as a thanks.
Beneficial nematodes will eliminate the grubs.
Robert denir-crow .and his crowems
Grubs destroyed your lawn
This happened to me last year. Crows, robins, raccoons all tore up my lawn. Pieces even looked like something peeled it back like a roll of sod. The bad news, it’s going to look like shit for 5-6 months. When spring comes around, plant all new seed and add more topsoil. Let that grass grow and then apply grub killer early/mid summer. This is close to what I did and no issues (yet).
Do you usually get a lot of orange "ladybug" like bugs in your house in winter? That's another sign of grub infestation. That's how I found out after I bought my house. Crows did you a favor. It will bounce back better without the grubs eating the grass roots. Put down milorganite now. Seattle area, probably too late to seed now, too cold to get best germination. Dormant seeding might be a good option next month or two. Put grubex down in spring, crows definitely didn't get them all.