bare patches - could it be worms????

I have a bit of a problem with my lawn and its driving me mad and I hope someone can give me some advice.

I only have a small lawn so what I have I try to keep it looking its best but am forever getting small bare patches. I keep reseeding over them, getting rid of the patches and then more appear.

I could be wrong here but I have been trying to figure out why its happening and I think it may be worms as firstly small mounds of soil seem to appear which when you look closely look like coils, I then can only presume that these then get trodden in to the ground covering the grass and forming a bare patch.

I have never heard of anyone having trouble with worms before as their supposed to help aren't they but I can't understand what else it could be. So if it is worms what do I do or does anyone else have any thoughts on what it could be.

 

I have not heard of worms doing this,however do you have a dog,or perhaps one comes to visit as their wee can leave bald spots,are they a yellowish colour if so then would be a dog,

 

nope no dog and there are no signs of yellow either...

I have just been trying to read up on the internet and its says it could be ants. I have noticed lots of ants around... don't think you can get ride of them either :-(

cheers anyway macleaf...

 

is it small heaps of fairly dry soil that appear, or casts? If it's the first, then it could be ants, or some other burrowing insect - if casts, then worms. I've never heard of worms causing bare patches in grass!!

I presume the grass in those areas is really bare, not just slimey? Then it could be fusarium..

have a look here, and see if it's any help.

http://www.ext.nodak.edu/county/cass/horticulture/faq/lawn/problems.htm#ants

 

I'm really confused... their does look to be several casts that i'm guessing must be worms but there are also several small mounds and also some bare patches. Really don't know if its disease, ants or worms or all 3. Maybe I should just wait until next spring and if its not looking any heathier either re-turf or re-seed.

 

Might be leatherjackets, or chafer grubs. Are there any grubs under the bare patches or next to them? Ants are visible so you will know if these mounds are ant heaps. What about a picture. That would help if you can?

 

Thunder storms and rain in Manchester today so not a good day for a photo so will post one as soon as poss.

Was looking yesterday and am pretty sure they are worms that are doing this. One of the mounds had a hole in the top like you'd expect from a worm.

 

How about dandruff :D :D

 

Macleaf - who's Dan Druff? Do I know him? :D :D

Gavlap, I'm with Dendy- are you sure it's not leather jackets? Have a look at this link -
www.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/4123766.stm
There's certainly been a lot of them about this year!!

 

Doesn't seem to be working now?

 

:D :D

 

I pulled up all the summer bedding plants around my lawn yesterday and found some kind of grubs in the root systems of the plants.

I'm guessing if their in the plant roots they could be in the grass roots aswell.

I have looked at websites showing the main culprits but I can't seem to find them.

They look like big caterpillars, although creamy coloured with legs down the centre. They were curled in to c shapes when I found them.

I have looked at shafer grub pictures which they don't look like.

Could this be the cause of my unhealthy grass????

I defo do have a worm problem aswell which is causing lots of worm casts but maybe its these pests that are killing the grass and making the worms casts stand out more... dunno just thinking aloud...

your thoughts would really be appreciated. Photos would have been a good idea but was that stuck in too my gardening yesterday I completely forgot until it was too late, when I'd gotton rid of the grubs and raked out the worm casts. Sorry

 

Sounds like Leather Jackets,the Crane Fly Larve

 

The common ones are chafer grubs, vine weevil larvae, leather jackets, cut worms, and to a lesser extent, swift moth larvae which are the only thing which sounds like your description. Only chafer grubs have legs apart from these, and you have looked at them. It does sound as if they could be responsible for your bald patches :D
Worm casts are usually a sign of good activity in the soil and as long as the ground isn't too wet can be brushed off. If the lawn is very wet you could try aerating it.

 

Cheers for the info....

If it is Swift Moths what do I do to get rid?