Rooks and Crows

[patricks148]

These buggers are really digging up our place there are hundreds of them.

Yesterday the first fairway did not have more that a a few feet here and there that was dont dug up. A few weeks ago all the Tee's on the 9th were in a terrible state. They have sprayed for the insects but its not making any difference.

In a few months they will be breading again so they will be even more damage then.

The main problem is the rookery is in a private house boardering the course and the relationship with them and club is not the best.

I don't think you can just shoot the things anymore.

Anyone else have this sort of problem?

 

[BTatHome]

Yep, we do. You have to keep on top of the spraying and when the grubs disappear so do the rooks.

 

[fundy]

We had a bit of a problem with it late last year, there is certain conditions where they dig for the worms I believe and this is when they can cause a real mess. Pretty sure ours were dealt with in a way "that you cant do anymore"

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not with birds but we're having real issues with moles digging up edges of the fairways and tee boxes and rabbits digging in bunkers

 

[patricks148]

Not with birds but we're having real issues with moles digging up edges of the fairways and tee boxes and rabbits digging in bunkers

At least you can shoot the rabbits and put traps for Moles

If anyone wanted to re make Alfred Hitchcocks "the birds" They could come to our place and film it, no need for cgi

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Not with birds but we're having real issues with moles digging up edges of the fairways and tee boxes and rabbits digging in bunkers

We do have it with birds, about a 100yds short of the 2nd and 5th greens right across the fairway it's a mess. It was the same last year. They have apparently tried to treat it to get rid of the grubs the birds are after but it doesn't seem to work. Thankfully it seems isolated to these two areas.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Be thankful there is in badger problem - they do some serious damage on the course and you can't do a thing about them

 

[Paperboy]

We've had massive problems with both the Rooks/Ravens and Badgers. It did improve when we got these lanterns with the Chafer bug pheromone. Which attracts the bugs to it and captures them.

Also we've had Rooks strung up in trees in places where they're not obviously there.

 

[delc]

Be thankful there is in badger problem - they do some serious damage on the course and you can't do a thing about them

Badgers did a tremendous amount of damage to our course last year by digging into banks searching for grubs to eat. Whole areas looked as though they had been rotavated. I believe the green keepers sprayed something to kill the grubs and deter the badgers, but the damage took months to recover. Rooks and crows are very good at picking up replaced divots to hunt for worms in the soil underneath. When you replace a divot, you should tamp it down really hard. :mmm:

 

[Doon frae Troon]

The grubs eating your grass roots are a much bigger problem than the birds.
Same with moles eating worms.
Get rid of the food source and the pests will be gone.

 

[Crow]

The grubs eating your grass roots are a much bigger problem than the birds.

Yeah! Them crows are doing you all a favour. :thup:

 

[Twire]

The grubs eating your grass roots are a much bigger problem than the birds.

That's leatherjackets. We've been spaying our fairways to bring them to the surface, then the seagulls eat them.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Yeah! Them crows are doing you all a favour. :thup:

That's correct, the crows will do less damage than the leatherjackets.

 

[patricks148]

That's correct, the crows will do less damage than the leatherjackets.

Thats hard to believe if you had seen the damage done to the 9th tee's, stripped of every blade of grass, massive holes on quite a few greens too.

 

[delc]

Thats hard to believe if you had seen the damage done to the 9th tee's, stripped of every blade of grass, massive holes on quite a few greens too.

And crows are nesting rather than burrowing critters, so you can't even take relief from the damage they cause!

 

[Twire]

And crows are nesting rather than burrowing critters, so you can't even take relief from the damage they cause!

"Abnormal ground condition" is any casual water, ground under repair or hole, cast or runway on the course made by a burrowing animal, a reptile or a bird

 

[davidy233]

Noticed crows pecking away at the seventh fairway yesterday - I just put it down to being after the heavy rain and worms coming to the surface