Lumpy Lawn

Ice · #1 September 10th, 2006, 05:02 PM

My parents live in Saskatchewan and they asked me to do this for them :P

Their lawn is lumpy everywhere, and when they lift the grass, there is a mound of dirt with a tiny hole and the roots of the grass have been eaten. This is spreading into the neighbors yard as well.
There are no noticable mounds of dirt on top of the grass, you don't know it's there until you step on it. So it's not moles or ants. The grass is still green on the top, just a lump underneath.
I can't find anything relating to this particular pest. The posts have stated damaged grass, brown patches or circles, but this isn't the case.
Help?

:)

**Carol Ja** · #2 September 10th, 2006, 09:36 PM

I'm not sure why you would have ruled out moles. If anything I would have said the opposite. As for looking for exits, they wouldn't come out where you could easily find them.

Ice · #3 September 11th, 2006, 07:38 AM

I've ruled out moles because the hole underneath is the size of a worm.

**Dixie** · #4 September 11th, 2006, 08:32 AM

does sound like moles, you rarely see where they exit. moles are very small, not worm size, but mouse size. i had them terribly and i hardly saw one of their holes. the only holes were from my dog digging and hunting for them. moles do like to feed on grubs. dig a square foot plot of turf up and see if you can find any grubs. if you find 5 or more in this square foot are, apply a granular grub killer, timing is actually right now before they burrow down further. kill the food source, deter the moles.

fishing fanatic · #5 September 11th, 2006, 10:14 AM

Hi, I think you may have night crawlers.The same thing happened when my husband dumped some crawlers out after a weekend of fishing and hoped that they would live.If you can,go outside after dark with a flashlight after a rain,or water an area with a sprinkler for quite awhile and then check it out.You should see them on top of the soil,but look fast,they will go into the soil very quickly!They will eventually go to the neighbors.I don't know of anyway to get rid of them,so happy fishing with them.

**Debra Dunaway** · #6 September 14th, 2006, 07:39 PM

Night Crawlers in your lawn??? How fortunate for you! Highly doubtful to be causing the carnage you are speaking of but highly beneficial, worm castings are gold.! I wish I had that PROBLEM. Deb ;)

**Newt** · #7 September 24th, 2006, 12:13 PM

This does sound like night crawlers. Here's how to manage the situation with dethatching and core aeration. Fall is the perfect time to do this.
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lan...erationRev.pdf
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/lawnchallenge/lesson5.html
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=53
http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com/lawnaeration.html
http://www.american-lawns.com/lawns/aeration.html

Newt