How To Get Rid Of Worms In Lawn

Lawn Treatment For Worms

First of all, there will be no earthworm killer or earthworm repellent in this program. We are going to embrace the power of worms and use it to our advantage.

The problem is going to become a benefit. This is really a lawn treatment FOR WORMS.

A lawn treatment for healthy soil. You are going to have a lawn that your kids can play on. A lawn your pets can run on.

A lawn that needs less watering. Grass between your toes and grass in your hair. A healthy and happy outdoor space!

You will not need any Warning Signs on this lawn. Send the chemical lawn-maintenance company packing. They can take their signs with them.

We are NOT going to have a chemical and pesticide-laden wasteland of a yard. The kind of lawn that kills everythingincluding our kids and pets. The birds, bees, insects, worms, and even the fish.

Eventually us! No, No, No!

Sound like a plan? Goodlets go.

Identifying Cutworms In Your Lawn

A large number of birds scratching and pecking at your lawn can indicate a sizable cutworm population in the grass. Although they are primarily a problem in early and late summer, cutworms can cause harm to lawns throughout the growing season. Once they are established in spring, several generations can hatch in one season and damage the lawn before they die out in the fall. Cutworm adults are dark moths with bands or stripes on their forewings. They are often seen fluttering around lights in the summertime.

Dealing With Dreaded Dew Worms

Dew worms have destroyed our beautiful lawn. Do you have any recommendation to get rid of them? We have tried severely dethatching the lawn, a heavy sprinkling of sand over the lawn and a few applications of Sevin, as per instructions on the box. This has been done over the last two years. The worms are still winning the war.

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What Do Worms Do

Worms are soil-dwelling creatures that eat decaying plant matter, but do not damage growing plants. Many species come up to the surface to eat organic matter on the surface and pull it down into the ground through their tunnels. Both horizontal and vertical, the tunnels play an important role in maintaining soil structure and the worms eating habits introduce a myriad of rich nutrients to the environment, boosting soil fertility.

There are around 16 species of worm in the UK. Typically, they can be active throughout the year, but youre less likely to see evidence of them during particularly hot or dry weather as they go dormant.

Worm activity in lawns is particularly common in the autumn and winter months when the soil is wet. The casts are the main problem as they look unsightly and can cause muddy conditions when theyre stepped on.

The casts themselves can be removed by sweeping them off the lawn or breaking them up with a rake . But make sure that theyre dry before you start, otherwise they will just smear across the grass, which can create conditions that support the growth of weeds and moss. For this reason, its best to keep off the grass during wet weather when casts are a particular problem.

High levels of worm activity can also attract moles, which feed on worms. But there are mole repellers that can help control the problem.

Worms In Lawn Conclusion

We have talked about worms in your lawn. Those mysterious mounds of dirt in your yard are caused by Anecic worms.

The benefits of worms in your lawn are soil health and in turna healthy lawn that is safe for kids and pets.

Organic lawn care was discussed and some of the steps that are involved in making that happen.

Hopefully, you have discovered that worms are good for your lawn.

Working with the worms, instead of against them, makes perfect sense.

Lets keep our lawn areas a chemical-free zone and keep our families safe and healthy.

They are worth a little extra work in the yard.

As always, if you have questions or would like to say somethingdrop it in the comments below and I will answer your questions.

We love to hear from our readers. Also, check out some of the links for more information on the topics covered.

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How Can Earthworms Be A Hindrance In Garden Health

So, I just told you that theyre great but now theyre not, what do you mean you ask me?

Although they can be great, they can also be troublesome.

As I said above, during the wet and humid seasons they rise to the surface and this is where the issue lies

When they migrate to the top of your soil, they leave their castings on your lawn. Worm castings are small mounds and bumps left in your lawn that is essentially worm excretion.

This excretion is packed with nutrients that can help with decomposition and just the overall health of your soil.

So, whats the issue?

These mounds can be an issue for the gardener that wants perfectly leveled and aesthetically pleasing grass.

The bumps that these castings make give the lawn an uneven texture and on top of this, can leave quarter-sized brown patches scattered across the grass due to their high nitrogen content which can be an over-fertilization problem.

Coupled with the issue of a surplus of worms, these brown spots can be a major downer when youre trying to keep your grass looking perfect!

In the case of a weak or thin lawn, when mowed these undesirable brown patches become more obvious, as does the unevenness of the grass surface, both a no-no when you want pristine lawn.

Second, to this casting problem is the issue of animal pest attraction.

Negative Consequences Of Earthworms

While the presence of earthworms in lawns and gardens is mostly beneficial, there are a few downsides. If the infestation is too big, there is a small possibility that their tunnels can cause a problem. What can happen is that their tunneling activities can be so extensive that their tunnels speed up the passage of water through the soil. This can be pretty counterintuitive, considering what we mentioned previously.

Let me explain.

More often than not, the presence of their tunnels in your lawns soil is beneficial they allow more water to reach the soil. However, there may be situations where the tunnels are so extensive that the water moves too fast and too deep to be beneficial to lawn turf and wildlife.

Water will flow through these holes beyond the root zone of your grass. This deprives the roots of adequate moisture and washes away essential nutrients found in the soil.

If this is the case, the grass and other plant life on the surface of your lawns and gardens will suffer.

The unhealthy turf poses a problem for wildlife on two fronts.

First many animals depend on grass and other plant life as a food source. They do not receive the proper amount of vitamins and minerals from their diet if the plants are unhealthy. Secondly, animals depend on a virile and robust environment to live. It provides shelter, camouflage, and is the foundation of the ecosystem. If the tunnel systems under the surface are causing this problem, then the animals habitat will suffer.

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How To Get Rid Of Earthworms In Lawns

21 September, 2017

Earthworms in lawns might be an indication of improper maintenance. According to the North Dakota extension service, night crawlers and earthworms can be a sign of lawns that are in need of thatching, raking and proper fertilization. Although some earthworms are good for the soil under the grass, too many can attract predators such as moles, skunks and raccoons. There are some chemical applications that will eradicate the earthworms, but correct lawn care generally will rid your lawn of any earthworm problem.

Remove the thatch from the lawn that has the excessive earthworm problem. Thatch is dead grass and other debris that lays on the soil surface just under the grass. This material is the food that the earthworms and night crawlers eat.

• Earthworms in lawns might be an indication of improper maintenance.
• According to the North Dakota extension service, night crawlers and earthworms can be a sign of lawns that are in need of thatching, raking and proper fertilization.

Attach the thatching blade to the lawn mower. Run the lawn mower in a single direction across the lawn. In other words, operate the mower in an east to west direction. This will pull up any unwanted thatch material from the soil surface.

• Attach the thatching blade to the lawn mower.
• Run the lawn mower, with the thatching blade still attached, in a north to south direction to remove more dead material from the lawn.

Warning

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The Bad Side Of Worms In Lawns

Though worms do good things for a lawn, they have another side too. Worms compete with your grass for water and nutrients. When you have too many worms in the soil, the quality of your lawn suffers.

Worm castings can make the surface layer of soil too chalky, preventing air from reaching grassroots and making it difficult for plants to absorb vital nutrients. Worms also eat leaf debris that would otherwise break down into food for your grass. This causes your lawn to starve for nutrients.

Worms want soft, slightly damp soil, so if you have too many worms in your soil, they can hinder the growth of hardy grasses like Kentucky bluegrass and fescues. They also prefer acidic soils that are low in nitrogen.

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How To Get Rid Of Grubs In Lawn: 6 Effective Ways + Natural Control

If there are grubs in your lawn, youll start to notice a change in the shade of your turfgrass. Browning of grass during summer and early fall is a likely sign of white grub worms causing the damage. The key to getting rid of lawn grubs is first identifying their signs, and then applying the best control method as I am going to show you here.

The white grub worms in your lawn are a larval stage of scarab beetles. As soon as winter ends, these worms become active when warmth kicks in. They start to damage your lawn by eating grass roots at a high rate.

If you fail to identify and kill lawn grubs on time, theyll develop into pupae, and later into full-grown beetles. The beetles will later start eating lawn grass and other foliage in your yard, causing even further plant damage.

But how do you know youre dealing with grubs in your lawn and not a disease or other problems?

How To Deal Earth Worm Casts On Your Lawn

Is your lawn covered in worm casts?

Those little slimy piles of muck can really ruin the look of your lawn, especially in September/October when the weather starts to cool and the rains arrive.

But the fact is, earthworms are good for your lawn and provide more benefits than problems.

So whats a lawn owner to do?

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How To Check For Grubs In Lawn

Before you start treating, it is important to check to make sure that indeed there are grubs damaging your lawn. Irregular brown patches of dying grass are the first sign. If you see the patches, lift the turf to check for the grub worms.

Take a shovel and dig a square foot about 3 inches deep and lift the turf to check for grub worms. If you find one or two grubs is normal and healthy, but if you find 5 or more grubs, you have a grub worm infestation that needs treatment to prevent further damage to your turfgrass.

These Insatiable Pests Munch Your Grass Leaving Unsightly Bald Patches Here’s How To Spot Them And Eliminate Them

A nuisance to homeowners and farmers, cutworms feed not only on lawns, but also on vegetable plants, ornamentals and farm crops. Found across the globe, they are known to cause significant damage once theyve taken up residence.

These non-discriminate feeders attack a wide range of plants, says lawn expert Dave Holmes of The Grounds Guys. All common turfgrasses are susceptible to damage by the larvae that feed at night. Heres how to spot these ravenous pests and send them packing before they cut your yard to shreds.

On This Page

• How To Prevent Cutworms From Coming Back

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Fight Nature With Nature

One of the most popular ways to deal with worms in a lawn is by introducing another species into the equation. This process, called biological control, involves bringing in predatory or parasitic insects or birds to eat the offending bugs. Some of these species, like ladybugs, can be purchased from garden centers, while others can be attracted to an area by planting or building things that they enjoy, such as certain flowers or bird baths.

This method can also bring some additional benefits. Bird droppings can help give nutrients to the soil, for instance. It’s often preferable to pick a native species in these cases, as they will have a less-detrimental impact on the environment.

References

• For best results, always follow the directions on the insecticide label.
• Properly dispose of unused insecticide according to the instructions on the label.

Writer Bio

Preventing Worms In Grass Is The First Step

Perhaps the best way to keep pests away from a lawn is proper maintenance and keeping it healthy. To do this, plant a variety of plants to avoid a monoculture , which can draw higher amounts of a certain kind of pest. Also, pick plant species that are less prone to pests and diseases. This is called cultural prevention.

Whenever possible, improve soil, nutrient and moisture for the plants to ensure they are as healthy as possible and thus more resistant to diseases and pests. Attempt to choose plants best suited to the climate and use good planting techniques for each plant and the grass.

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Identifying Common Lawn Pests And The Damage They Cause

The best way to control lawn pests is to identify them correctly, get to know their life cycles and symptoms, and then treat them promptly and properly at optimal times.

Common signs that pests have invaded your turf include brown spots, dead and dying grass patches, wilting blades, bite marks on grass, and, of course, insects in the grass or turf layer. Signs of underground pest damage include thin or missing roots and holes in the soil.

The following pests can cause significant damage to your lawn:

What Damage Do They Cause

The damage caused by Army Worms is most obvious by the speed at which damage occurs, as the caterpillars form very large numbers and behave like a colony to eat away at the green leaf of lawns.

Army Worms can vary in colour from green to brown to black, they can reach a maximum length of about 4 cm, and will become plump as they feed and mature. These large numbers are possible due to the moth parent being able to lay up to 500 eggs in a single laying, and then repeat the same process the following night.

This lawn grub gets its name because it forms a large army, lays devastation to an area, and then quickly moves onto the next lawn once it has laid waste to yours.

In fact, the mother moth can often be seen laying eggs under the eaves of your home!

Army Worms can also attack many other types of plants and vegetables, and the key to effective treatment is to identify and kill them as early as possible.

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Problems Caused By Worm Castings

Worm casts dont look nice.

If your grass is fairly long you might not really notice them. That said, they can be as tall as 60mm and on an ornamental lawn, they look awful.

And if you have a large population of worms in your lawn, they can completely ruin the appearance.

Their muddy, slimy composition also makes them difficult to remove without making a mess by smearing them over the grass.

Another problem is that worm casts are incredibly fertile. If you leave them, or if they get squashed and smeared by trampling feet or a lawn mower, they can become ideal places for weeds to establish themselves.

All that being said, worms provide a range of benefits and lawns with worms are much healthier than lawns without.

So, before I tell you how to reduce their numbers and activity, consider the following benefits.

What Is A Cabbage Worm

Cabbage worms and imported cabbageworms are the same pest. They are the larvae of white butterflies. Adult cabbage white butterfly is also known as cabbage whites or small whites. The Latin names of cabbage worm are Pieris rapae, or Artogeia rapae. This is a common pest of cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and other cabbage vegetable family members. But wait, theres more!

Cabbage worms have been discovered on a wide range of other plants in our garden, including flowers. They feed mostly on brassica plants. If you notice hokes in your leafy green plants, dont be alarmed. Cabbage Plants can tolerate significant cabbage leaf loss without harm. But, plants will suffer true damage to their growth and yield during seedling establishment or early head formation.

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