Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and apparatus for controlling an excavator to excavate. The method includes: acquiring a two-dimensional image of a material pile; generating a three-dimensional model of the material pile based on the two-dimensional image; analyzing the three-dimensional model to determine a target excavating point and a target excavating trajectory of the material pile; and controlling an excavator to excavate a material at the target excavating point along the target excavating trajectory.