In Poland, farmers have set up watch shifts in the fields due to an invasion of crows that are destroying the cabbage
Polish cabbage growers are complaining about an unusually large number of crows that are damaging the crop right before harvest. On some farms, the situation has become so severe that farmers have started taking turns keeping watch in the fields to scare away the flocks of birds.
The problem is particularly acute in the Seradz area. According to local farmers, the crows aren’t just hanging around the fields—they regularly fly into the crops and damage the vegetables.
“This year has been a real nightmare. The crows are destroying more than just cabbage—there are an enormous number of them, and they seem more persistent than usual,” said one of the growers.
According to the farmers, these are not isolated incidents. Flocks regularly return to the fields, and traditional deterrents have proven to be ineffective.
Farmers note that the birds quickly get used to stationary scarecrows and other deterrents, so a human presence in the field works better.
Because of this, some farms have had to implement a “rotation” system. Farmers schedule their shifts in advance and regularly visit the fields to scare away the crows and thus minimize losses.
One farmer reported that a flock of crows once destroyed about three hectares of grain in his field in a short period of time. Losses from damage to cabbage could be even greater, so farmers are forced to spend additional time and resources protecting their crops.
At the same time, experts urge against speaking of a nationwide crow infestation in Poland based solely on isolated reports from farmers.
The problem may be localized and particularly noticeable in areas where flocks have found an easily accessible food source and regularly return to the same fields.
Data from the Polish Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (GIOŚ) show that between 2000 and 2025, the gray crow population in Poland generally increased, with the trend being more pronounced over the last decade.
However, this does not mean there will be a sharp increase in the population specifically in 2026.
Experts attribute the large number of birds in certain fields to several possible factors: local flocks, migration, the emergence of young birds after the breeding season, and the availability of food.
This is reported by the Polish publication Sadyogrody.
As a reminder, in southeastern Queensland, Australia, the invasive flower thrips Frankliniella intonsa was detected for the first time in the country; this species causes significant damage to strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry plantations.
At the modern “Sweet Light” sugarcane industrial park in the town of Quli, Fusui County, in the Chongzuo Municipal District of Guangxi-Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, new varieties, virus-free planting material, and a smart irrigation system are being used.
