It’s the time of year when lawns become ravaged by invaders lured by chafer beetle infestation. From February through March, it’s not uncommon to see birds, skunks and raccoons tearing up your lawn by day and night.

What to do to protect your turf? Read this article for tips. There is no single “magic bullet” that will solve rodents and birds from attacking your lawn but a wide variety of options available.

Tips and Techniques:

  • Fence off. Install a tall fence 8 feet or higher, buried 2 to 3” below ground. Consider electric fences if legal in your municipality In farming areas, electric nets are also popular.
  • Place bleach or ammonia stations around your yard. To do this, take a shallow dish or bowl, place a rag in it and pour the solution over the rag until completely saturated. Place enough in the dish so the rag will continue to wick it up throughout the night. Avoid lawn areas, as the ammonia will burn the lawn.
  • Purchase wind chimes and movable objects including streamers and wind socks. the wind picks up, these items create noise, which will scare the crows away from the garden. Kitchen pots on sticks can also create motion.
  • Apply a lawn net or mesh. You will have plenty of airflow and sunlight and be able to water when you need to. However, crows and other harmful creatures cannot get through.
  • Lay on wire mesh. If you are experiencing problems with four-legged predators, wire will prevent them from penetrating these spots.
  • Invest in motion sensitive lights or motion sensitive water sprinklers found at most major hardware stores. These will deter two-legged and four-legged predators with a startling burst of water and noise. Some motion-sensitive solutions can be linked across a large area, and can operate on a single nine-volt battery for up to six months.
  • There is a spectrum of wire grade to choose from depending on what type of animal or bird you want to protect against.
  • Organic pesticides. Although this is not always the best choice, when all else fails, there are some organic pesticides available which can be applied to lawns. However, be sure to follow the instructions carefully to ensure the overall safety of the birds.
  • Lime. Sprinkling the garden or lawn areas with small amounts of lime will sometimes help to keep invading birds from visiting these areas.
  • Ultrasonic animal repellant are silent and can be used to protect your yard from pets as well as predators.
  • Adopt a guarding dog. Breed is important when it comes to protecting your property.
  • Make your own animal repellent spray using water plus cayenne pepper, chili pepper or other type of hot pepper sauce you can buy from a grocery store. Recipes abound on the internet. In most cases, all the ingredients are cheap and the recipes easy. But this solution requires vigilance. Rainfall requires reapplication.