Beetles and birds score win over town sports fields
CBC News | Posted: May 5, 2017 3:09 PM | Last Updated: May 5, 2017
Recreation park in Middleton, N.S., forced to close due to infestation
Middleton, N.S., is dealing with an infestation of beetle larvae so bad it's been forced to close sports fields at its recreation park as hungry birds tear apart the turf in search of a meal.
The damage to the fields at town-operated Rotary Park is extensive. The two baseball fields have been hit the hardest, with 75 per cent of the turf ripped up by seagulls, crows and skunks feasting on the grubs.
"Some of the seagulls can chew up chunks of grass the size of a baseball," said town facility manager Karl Bigelow. "They are literally pulling it right out of the ground and tossing it aside looking for the grubs."
The beetle is the European chafer, Bigelow said, and the grubs "essentially chew up the roots of the grass."
The town is now trying fix the problem. It will have to rip out all the grass and soil on the baseball fields and replace it with new ground and new sod or seed.
It will also use what Bigelow calls compost tea, which contains bugs called nematodes, to eradicate the grubs from other sports fields.
"The nematodes will take out the grubs, they are sort of like a good bacteria," said Bigelow. "They will go down into the soil and infiltrate the grubs and eat them from the inside out."
The town takes an organic approach in how it deals with its fields and plants, and does not use pesticides or chemicals.
Bigelow hopes the soccer field can be repaired in time for the summer season. A final decision on what the town will be doing will be made next week.
In the meantime, town officials have been busy telling sports teams and other users about the problem, and helping them find alternatives.
A walking/running track remains open at the park, as well as a new skateboard facility and a pavilion.