In article ,
Omelet wrote:

In article ,
Steve Calvin wrote:

I've got 'em. How do I get rid of them without hurting any
plants? I've read about introducing other predator mites
but it said that could take 5 years or so to "get them in
balance". I don't want balance, I want those little suckers
gone. They're all over the house siding, sidewalks, etc.

When I had that bad of an infestation on my chickens, (they could have
rapidly bled the hens to death!), I used 5% sevin.

I prefer organic means most of the time but sometimes there is not time
for that.

At lease sevin biodegrades rapidly.

You could try Pyrethrine too.

Talk about getting blind-sided. I would never have thought of earthworms
as a problem. Still don't.

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/ext...earthworms.htm

Problem: Earthworms - Lumbricus terrestris Earthworm Damage to
Lawn.jpg (49339 bytes)

Description: If you have mounds of soil in your lawn that make it hard
to mow, nightcrawlers may be the cause. These bumps are randomly spaced
rather than a "run" like is seen with moles.

Nightcrawlers are large worms (usually 4 to 8 inches or more). They
belong to a group of earthworms known as deep-burrowers. The
deep-burrowers build large, vertical, permanent burrows that may reach
as deep as 5 or 6 feet. Nightcrawlers pull plant material down into
their burrows which can be fed on later. The bumps you see on top of the
ground are called "middens" and are a mixture of plant residues and
castings (worm feces). These middens may be used for protection and food
reserves. The burrows can have a significant positive effect on soil by
opening up channels for water and air to penetrate. Roots also like
these channels due to the ease of root penetration and nutrients found
in the casting material lining the burrow.

Recommendations: Nightcrawlers actually help the soil but may make it
difficult to mow. Getting rid of the middens will be difficult. Rolling
the lawn while the middens are soft may help temporarily, but mounds
will be rebuilt when nightcrawlers become active again. Also, there is
nothing labeled for nightcrawler control.

Some gardeners want to protect the nightcrawlers due to their positive
effect on soils. Pesticides that may be used for other pests vary widely
in their toxic effects on earthworms. Dylox appears to have no effect.
Malathion may be slightly toxic while Sevin, Benomyl, copper sulfate,
and the arsenicals (MSMA, DSMA) are extremely toxic. Avoid using the
latter group while nightcrawlers are active if you wish to protect them.

References:

1. Earthworms and Crop Management, Purdue University Extension Pub AY-279

2. Biology of Earthworms by Edwards & Lofty, 2nd ed. Halsted Press

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http://www.canr.uconn.edu/ces/ctpep/ct_bee.html

Protecting Honey Bees From Pesticide Poisoning

Honey bees are required for the pollination of many vegetable and fruit
crops. Without adequate populations of bees, the production of these and
other crops would be impossible. In addition, bee colonies are
maintained for their honey and wax production.

Serious Honey bee kills and hive decimations in Connecticut and other
states have been attributed to the use of certain pesticides, especially
insecticides in sweet corn fields and apple orchards. Since honeybees
are insects, many insecticides used for pest control are toxic to them.
The relative toxicities of various pesticides to honey bees are
presented in Table 1. For information on mammalian toxicities contact
your local county agent. . . .

Bees may be killed while foraging on blooming plants that have been
treated by certain pesticides. The greatest hazard, however, is from
insecticides, such as carbaryl (Sevin), Penncap-M and others, that may
be unintentionally carried with pollen back to the hive. . . .
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Sevin, toxic to earthworm, toxic to bees and, brought to you by
Charlie's favorite company, Bayer.

If your just growing ornamentals and, you don't care about your
neighbors, then it may be a reasonable choice. But if you care for this
planet, there must be a better way but, then I'm a squirrel hugger too.

- Billy
Coloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)