Be Kind to Earthworms - They’re Kind to Your Yard
Earthworms play an important role in keeping the soil in our yards healthy. An acre of good, relatively undisturbed soil can contain millions of earthworms, busily at work making our soil better. How do they do this? By the nature of their underground lifestyle, as well as their digestive process.
You can think of earthworms and their smaller cousins, red worms, as natural burrowers that aerate the soil - letting in oxygen and moisture. At the same time, their digestive process produces "casts" - little muddy looking blobs that consist of soil and plant material. Earthworms help improve soil texture and add nutrients to our lawn and garden. Their casts can even help decompose organic matter at the soil surface, helping to reduce thatch build-up.
You can protect your hard-working earthworm population by just leaving them alone. Studies have shown that applying broad spectrum pesticides can be harmful to worms. Avoid chemicals that are designed to kill a both harmful and beneficial insects. If you must use a pesticide, use one that targets only the bugs you are after. Pesticide production is going more and more in this direction, but you still must read the label to know what you are controlling. This will help provide your earthworms - as well as beneficial insects - with an environment where they can thrive.
