WORM CASTINGS- Seeking advice

[Lou_Duran]

We've been having problems with worm castings at my home club, particularly during the end of the day.  Our superintendent says that there are no effective ways of managing the problem. He says that there is a chemical treatment which costs several hundred dollars, but only alleviates the problem for two or three days (and, therefore, not worth the money).  The greens were built to USGA specs and grassed with Champion bermuda.

Questions:

1.  Are there some cost-effective practices which may at least partially solve the problem that he might be unaware off?

2.  Is there much to the argument made by the organic/enviro types who claim that earth worms are highly beneficial for the soil?  It sure is disconcerting to play late in the day and negotiate all the little mounds.

 

[Anthony_Nysse]

Topdressing!! Worms don't like to dig into sand like they do dirt...for the most part, same with moles...

[RJ_Daley]

Mocap and Proturf, or Sevin products should kill many or reduce the population of them.  But, they are beneficial and do more good than bad.  Is this happening only recently, in this early fall season?  Is it only happening that the earthworms are appearing in the last few days and as you say - late in the day?  Perhaps the super is watering in recent top dressing during the day, or doing some short cycle watering where the moisture is staying on the crown areas and not perculating deep.  With moisture near the surface, that's where they will hang out.  It seems to me that if the turf and thatch layers are dry, the worms will head deep to the rootzones where they do the most good.

[S. Huffstutler]

It is generally illegal to target earthworms as a pest due to thier beneficial activities. You sometimes kill earthworms while targeting another pest with a chemical treatment, but I wouldn't go out and treat for earthworms with anything but a topdresser. They don't like dry, sharp sand.

Steve

[RDecker]

If your course has a good irrigation system then wetting agents can be injected through the system and lightly watered into the rootzone.  Several products have been found effective as an irritant/deterent to the worms.  Aqua Aid's Fairway ISP is the one I use but there are others.  I suggest the super call around to other supers in the area and see what they've been doing also.

[Lou_Duran]

Thanks for the response to this thread and by IM, gentlemen.  I will pass the information to our superintendent.

The greens at the club in question, Great Southwest, are frequently sanded (at least monthly), aerated (deep core a couple of times annually; punched with smaller tines and topdressed two or three times more).  They are also heavily watered  (the downside of having access to seemingly unlimited free, though somewhat polluted creek water).

The castings are more noticeable late in the day (greens are moved early every morning), particularly in the past month.  Our superintendent is putting up with the problem, though I get the impression that he doesn't buy into the positive qualities attributed to these little critters.  The greenjs look like small mine fields some evenings, and it takes away from their otherwise excellent condition.

[Sean Remington (SBR)]

It strikes funny that you say the worm casts are worse late in the day. I see earthworms are more active at night and normally the castings are worse in the AM. I guess if your soil is saturated and you have cloudy days the worms will be compelled to come up for air. Is it possible that you have ants that are buys pushing the sand up all day? The mowers probably flatten them down in the morning but the ants will work all day long creating the mounds by late in the day. If this isn't the case please disreguard and go with everything already posted as it was all good information.

[Lou_Duran]

SBR,

Growing up in Ohio and hunting for dew(earth)worms with a flashlight at night (for fish bait), I am aware that they are most active when it's dark.  We have a serious fire ant problem at my home course, and my first suspicions were that the dirt was being pushed up by them.  It is the superintendent who said that it was being done by earth worms.  I really shouldn't have said that it is worse in late afternoon because it has been awhile since I've played early in the morning.  However, the castings are not nearly as noticeable around noon when I ususally play.  

[Marc Haring]

I am not sure about the US but here in the UK, the earthworm thing can be controlled by products containing carbendazim. This is the active ingredient of a fungicide but one of the beneficial side affects is earthworm control. It maybe illegal though as earthworms have been shown to have many genetic similarities to us humans so spraying on stuff that kills them is not seen as such a good idea. Your super would of course know of the correct legal situation on that one.

Other things that might work are acidification of the surface. Earthworms don’t like acid soils as the locked up calcium inhibits their skeletal development.

Sand should be a good one but if you are still getting a problem, perhaps the organic matter content of the soil is too high?