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Problems caused by ravens and magpies digging in golf courses and bowling greens | FF0009 |
Ian Temby, Flora and Fauna Branch
June, 2003 |  |
Problem
Digging in golf courses and bowling greens as part of normal feeding activity.
Background
Larvae of pasture cockchafer beetles feed on grass roots. They can be very numerous. A study in Tasmania found that the weight of pasture cockchafer larvae in a paddock could be twenty times the weight of sheep the same paddock could carry. When the larvae are abundant, they are sought-after food items for ravens and magpies, whose digging in golf course fairways and bowling greens to extract the larvae can cause extensive damage. If the abundance of the larvae is reduced, there will be a point at which the birds will go elsewhere for food, because there are insufficient larvae to justify the effort of digging.
Control of the larvae should commence as soon as possible after this problem is identified. Scaring of the birds is unlikely to be an effective solution so long as an abundant food supply remains, particularly if the birds have an established pattern of feeding at that site. It is desirable to control the larvae anyway to minimise the damage they cause to the grass.
Solutions
- Reduce the numbers of larvae by the application of parasitic nematodes, suspended in water. Warm weather and moist soil are required to allow the nematodes to penetrate the soil and find the cockchafer larvae. Watering before and following treatment with nematodes is required for maximum effectiveness. Nematodes are available only from Ecogrow Australia Ltd., Telephone 02 9389 0888 , 02 6257 0577or email: louisa_l@bigpond.com or info@ecogrow.com.au .
- Scare birds using a range of devices including Bird Frite cartridges, scarecrows and bird hides to scare birds from areas where they are causing problems. A bird hide may be made of a light frame with hessian draped over it. If one occasionally waits inside a hide and frightens the birds when they are close, they will then be wary of it and it can be an effective scaring device, provided that it is moved to a new position frequently. Note that the use of Bird-Frite cartridges may not be acceptable in built-up areas. Prior clearance from local Police and municipal authorities should be obtained before these devices are used in such situations.
- Move scaring devices frequently and vary the order in which they are used, to reduce the chance that the birds will habituate to these stimuli.
- If you believe it is necessary to destroy some birds in an effort to reduce the damage, you should apply to DSE for permission to destroy a specified number of birds under the conditions of an Authority to Control Wildlife, by contacting the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.
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