Winslow - Janice Stetson has lived in the same house in Winslow for the past 50 years. A few months ago she noticed her lawn was being destroyed one patch at a time. "I don't know how you're ever going to get grass to grow back here again," she said Tuesday.

Janice Stetson says she's seen the culprits in action. They're wild turkeys. "I've seen probably around, well close to 30," Stetson said. "They're big when they're scratching but their legs just look so small you can't believe they can do this much damage."

According to Keel Kemper, a Wildlife Biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Janice Stetson is not alone. He says his office has fielded around 20 complaints in the past few weeks from people all over central Maine. "From towns as diverse as Monroe, Manchester, Readfield."

Kemper says the problem isn't so much the turkeys digging, it's what they're digging for. Grubs. "We're finding them on the order of about 3 grubs per square meter which is certainly a very high protein source," Kemper said. "The grubs are attacking the root structure of the grass which is why the grass is brown."

Turkeys may be the least of people's problems. The grubs also attract skunks, raccoons, and black bears. One homeowner in Sidney recently reported seeing a black bear digging up their lawn. "The bear actually peels back the sod and almost rolls it up like a rolled up piece of sod," Kemper said. "Whereas the skunk is digging a small hole, the raccoons are digging a small hole, the turkey is scratching, but the bear is very diagnostic. The turf is literally rolled back."

The solution Keeler says is to buy grub killer at your local hardware store. "If you eliminate the food source, then the problem is going to be eliminated. The wildlife coming in is the symptom of the underlying problem which is this phenomenal grub problem."

Unfortunately for Janice Stetson that's a lot of grub killer when you consider she has about 20 acres of land that's under attack. "Well I would probably have to buy out the company or they'd have to move the company here and do the manufacturing right here and use all they manufacture right here on this property."

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