Happy Thanksgiving to all our gardening friends. Starting now through the end of January, our hotline hours will be on Mondays only from 10 AM - Noon. However, you can leave a message anytime and your questions will be answered on Mondays. Looking for some gardening inspiration? Come to our next Arboretum tour on Dec. 3rd, Thursday starting at 10 AM in front of the Ag Center under the Greenroof Shelter.
QUESTION: I have little gray piles of soil all over my yard during the fall and winter. They look like tiny ant hills, but I don't see any ants. I thought it might be grubs, but when I dig around I don't see any. What could it be and what can I do about them?
ANSWER: The mounds are earthworm castings (i.e., worm excrement). The excretions themselves are nutrient packed remains of digested plant matter and are good for your lawn. Consider your good fortune of having earthworms as they are generally beneficial for the soil. For appearance sake, the small mounds can be raked level when they are dry. An earthworm fact sheet can be viewed at Earthworms.
