We highly recommend replacing lawns altogether with more sustainable options like water-conscious xeriscaping or planting for wildlife. Or build some raised beds to grow food in these spaces. For homeowners who can't part with their green space, some of the products on this page are proving to be excellent alternatives to the traditional lawn grasses. Unlike conventional lawn grasses, these form no thatch, so they are not attractive to the European Chafer Beetle — or the birds and mammals that prey on them.