Judging by the sods and tufts of dried grass littering my back garden last year Last year, anyone could have been forgiven for thinking that i had been making haystacks. It was, i was advised, as a result of marauding magpies in search of `leatherjackets`that were feasting on the grass roots causing it to die and thereby signalling their presence to the birds. I subsequently treated the lawn with `Nemasy's Nematodes` being very mindful to apply them in the correct ratios. I was therefore horrified to see , just yesterday,that the birds have started to dig again. It was my intention to have the garden dug over this summer and lay a new `instant` lawn but now i don't know what to do . Anyone out there with any ideas on the matter.

On Mon, 08 May 2006 21:17:57 +0000, zero wrote:


Judging by the sods and tufts of dried grass littering my back garden last
year Last year, anyone could have been forgiven for thinking that i had
been making haystacks. It was, i was advised, as a result of marauding
magpies in search of `leatherjackets`that were feasting on the grass roots
causing it to die and thereby signalling their presence to the birds. I
subsequently treated the lawn with `Nemasy's Nematodes` being very mindful
to apply them in the correct ratios. I was therefore horrified to see ,
just yesterday,that the birds have started to dig again. It was my
intention to have the garden dug over this summer and lay a new `instant`
lawn but now i don't know what to do . Anyone out there with any ideas on
the matter.

I would suggest that you use flash tape. Hang it from a fence post or tree
branch and strech it across the lawn area. Tack it down to the ground with
something. Be sure to twist the tape a few times so is 'flashes' well.

You can add pie pans to the mix also if the tape doesn't work so well. The
smarter birds will figure out the tape after a while. Take two metal pie
pans, staple a string to the top edge of one of the pans. Next tie some
metal object to the string half way up. I like to use cut washers and
small bolts personaly. Take the second pan and staple the two together to
make a clam shell. Hang these through out the lawn area. The wind will
twist them in the wind and the metal will clang and scare off the birds
(we hope!).

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