Magic Pest Control in Austin, Texas

We serve the greater Austin area with Pest Control and Weed Control. We consider ourselves experts in our fields and truly love identifying pests and weeds and the proper way to manage them. While we deal with a lot of unrecognizable pests and weeds, this one, truly needs no introduction, the Earthworm. At some point in everyone’s childhood, we either held one, threw one at somebody or dared somebody to eat one….or maybe you were the one running away from the worm! Either way, we’re all pretty familiar with the earthworm and its important role in gardens and lawns. Earthworms are natural aerators and are truly beneficial to your soil. However, there are some drawbacks that earthworms can cause. 

Earthworms – The Good

Earthworms are helpful in soil management and structure. We are seeing more invasive species decimate forest floors more rapidly than ever before which is cause for concern. For home gardening and lawns, earthworms are usually helpful. If you’re seeing leftover casting piles, it may mean you have a large number of earthworms. Earthworms are great for soil by helping with water flow, nutrient flow and plant growth, and are usually a sign of a healthy ecosystem. 

Earthworms – The Bad

While earthworms can be great for soil decomposition, the castings left behind by them creates problems for homeowners and lawns. Castings are the excreted wastes of the earthworm. So, yeah…these little piles are not usually loved by homeowners that take pride in their lawns. Casting piles left behind can cause dead patches, scalping of your lawn in spots, and irregular ground cover that can cause trip hazards as time goes on. Excessive earthworms can also attract moles. Moles can definitely destroy a beautiful yard. 

How to Manage Earthworm Castings on Your Lawn

At Magic Pest, we get calls to identify what’s causing these little piles on lawns very regularly. Easily identifiable as castings from earthworms if you’re familiar with them. There are several ways to manage and possibly reduce the number of castings on your lawn. 

• Rake regularly
• Position your lawn mower blade higher
• Do not overwater your lawn
• Use a roller to even out the surface
• Topdress your lawn with soil to bring surface level
• A well fertilized and maintained lawn with regular lawn treatments can also help control the earthworm population

Contact Magic Pest & Lawn

If you’re concerned about the earthworms in your lawn, give us a call. If you’re finding more and more castings in your yard, give us a call. We can discuss comprehensive treatment that can help with pests and lawn maintenance so that we take care of all of your pest problems safely.