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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-1--999918811 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Thanks Chris, and everyone else who shared a response to my question. THANKS. The information and suggestions are much appreciated. I will pass them on to Robert. I had mentioned to him the possibility of June bug and crane fly larvae, and it looks like crows and ravens, in addition to skunks, CAN tear up the turf as well. That, I did not realize before. Chris, I can appreciate what you suggested about the numbers of june bug larva versus crane fly larvae. I once saw a fine example of how numerous crane fly larvae can be. A few years ago, in Avonport, a neighbour down the road gave me a call to come and have a look at his unwelcome visitors. He had hundreds and hundreds of these greenish-brownish grey, 3 or 4 cm long, larvae crawling all over his paved driveway, parking area, in the lawn grass and even crawling into his garage; they were certainly numerous. I had not seen crane fly numbers like that before. He was sweeping them up by the shovel full. Prior to that, I've occasionally seen one or two crawling over the lawn or motionless on snow surface during a winter thaw. Sherman shermw@xcountry.tv On 21/05/2008, at 11:02 AM, Christopher Majka wrote: > Hi folks, > > It's possible that the crows and/or skunks are after June bugs/ > beetles (Phyllophaga spp.) larvae. In my experience these are very > seldom abundant enough (at least in this region) to be a major food > item for birds and/or mammals. Much more abundant in grass/sod > environments can be "leatherjackets", which are crane fly (Diptera: > Tipulidae) larvae (not daddy longlegs which are Opilionids > (harvestmen) of the family Phalangiidae, which are arachnids > somewhat distantly related to spiders, with which they are often > confused) or "wireworms" which are the larvae of click beetles > (Elateridae). The larvae of many species of click beetles in the > subfamily Prosterninae feed on the roots of grasses. > > For photos of a "leatherjacket" see: > > http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/ > Tipula_leatherjacket_Emelt.jpg/800px-Tipula_leatherjacket_Emelt.jpg > http://www.turfshop.co.uk/images/home/leatherjacket.jpg > > For photos of a "wireworm" see: > > http://www.oisat.org/images/wireworm.jpg > http://www.wingwatchers.com/images2/wireworm1.jpg > > Cheers! > > Chris > > On 21-May-08, at 10:23 AM, Ken MacAulay wrote: > >> I had a similar experience here in Port Mouton several years ago. >> Despite >> much local opinion that skunks or raccoons were to blame, the >> culprit turned >> out to be crows. This went on for weeks, the minute I left for >> work until I >> got home and there was a presence in the yard. Very aggravating! >> They were >> presumably doing me a favour by eating June Bug and leather jacket >> (daddy/jenny long legs?) larvae. I noticed also that if I cut the >> grass and >> left any larger pile of clippings which turned brown before being >> picked up, >> this caught the crows attention and they immediately dug up the area, >> presumably thinking that bug larvae underneath had killed the >> grass and a >> feast was waiting. >> Ken MacAulay >> Port Mouton, NS >> +8 C, rain > > Christopher Majka > Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada > B3H 3A6 > c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca > > > --Apple-Mail-1--999918811 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> Thanks Chris, and everyone else who shared a response to my question. = THANKS. The information and suggestions are much appreciated. =A0I will = pass them on to Robert.=A0I had mentioned to him the possibility of June = bug and crane fly larvae, =A0 and it looks like crows and ravens, in = addition to skunks, CAN tear up the turf as well. That, I did not = realize before. =A0Chris, I can appreciate what you suggested about the = numbers of june bug larva versus crane fly larvae. =A0<div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>I once saw a fine example = of how numerous crane fly larvae can be. =A0A=A0few years ago, in = Avonport, a neighbour down the road gave me a call to come and have a = look at his unwelcome =A0visitors. =A0He had hundreds and hundreds =A0of = these greenish-brownish grey, 3 or 4 cm long, larvae crawling all over = his paved driveway, =A0parking area, =A0in the lawn grass and even = crawling into his garage; they were certainly numerous. =A0I had not = seen crane fly numbers like that before.=A0=A0He was sweeping them up by = the shovel full. =A0Prior to that, =A0I've occasionally=A0seen one or = two crawling over the lawn or motionless=A0on snow surface=A0during a = winter thaw.<div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Sherman</div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br><div><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; = border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; = font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: = normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; = -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; = -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; = white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div><a = href=3D"mailto:shermw@xcountry.tv">shermw@xcountry.tv</a></div><div><br = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"></span> </div><br><div><div>On = 21/05/2008, at 11:02 AM, Christopher Majka wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite">Hi = folks,<div><br></div><div>It's possible that the crows and/or skunks are = after June bugs/beetles (<i>Phyllophaga</i> spp.) larvae. In my = experience these are very seldom=A0abundant=A0enough (at least in this = region) to be a major food item for birds and/or mammals. Much more = abundant in grass/sod environments can be "leatherjackets", which are = crane fly (Diptera: Tipulidae) larvae (not daddy longlegs which are = Opilionids (harvestmen) of the family Phalangiidae, which are arachnids = somewhat distantly r