Worm Casts
There are some 28 species of worm found in UK soil of which only four are of the casting variety. They are surface feeders and the ones that can spoil the playing surface leaving patches of bare soil after mowing. Casting worms do aerate the lawn but can also cause extensive disruption to the playing surface. In extreme circumstances burrowing animals such as moles and badgers can destroy huge areas of turf in their search for worms.
Pesticides used to be the only effective method of control but these have been withdrawn from the market and are no longer available. New methods of controlling worms have evolved and do not require the application of pesticides.
In essence the maintenance programme must address the rootzone condition and convert it into an environment that is not favoured by casting worms. The objective isn't to kill worms, just to persuade them to go elsewhere.
Methods of control vary according to the soil type. Please contact me for specific advice.
There are some 28 species of worm found in UK soil of which only four are of the casting variety. They are surface feeders and the ones that can spoil the playing surface leaving patches of bare soil after mowing. Casting worms do aerate the lawn but can also cause extensive disruption to the playing surface. In extreme circumstances burrowing animals such as moles and badgers can destroy huge areas of turf in their search for worms.
Pesticides used to be the only effective method of control but these have been withdrawn from the market and are no longer available. New methods of controlling worms have evolved and do not require the application of pesticides.
In essence the maintenance programme must address the rootzone condition and convert it into an environment that is not favoured by casting worms. The objective isn't to kill worms, just to persuade them to go elsewhere.
Methods of control vary according to the soil type. Please contact me for specific advice.
Ant Hills
During the playing season, my croquet lawn becomes home to numerous ant hills. After experimenting with various products, I've discovered that the most efficient and affordable solution is Ant Gone. This product is conveniently available online and comes in a container equipped with a watering can-type rose. Personally, I find it most effective to apply Ant Gone using a knapsack sprayer like the SportTurf B20. By directing a powerful spray directly onto each ant hill, almost touching it with the nozzle, I can effectively disperse the hill and inject some of the product into the nest. It is very effective but sometimes needs a second application. What I have noticed is that the treated anthills become inactive but new anthills spring up elsewhere. By treating these as they appear my lawn is kept anthill free but I do check it every day or two and spray any hills that appear. The product contains Deltamethrin which is a Pyrethroid as explained here npic.orst.edu/factsheets/DeltaGen.html |
I discovered this video on You Tube which shows exactly what a fire ant nest looks like. Although this was filmed in the USA I imagine that it is representative of the ant nests that we get in the UK and shows just what we are up against. From this it seems that a number of ventilation shafts emanate from each nest.
Frit Fly and Leather Jackets
This year my lawn has been attacked for the first time with up to about fifty rooks at a time pecking holes in the croquet lawn (March 2024). There is a large rookery nearby so my lawn is an easy target. As an experiment, I bought a plastic falcon (£8.50) and mounted it on a pole. This worked quite well until a brave group of five rooks decided that it wasn't a real falcon. I then bought three ultrasonic bird repellent devices made by Isotronic and available online via Amazon, Ebay etc.. The cost for 3 units was £45.95. These emit bursts of ultrasonic sound every now and again. They appear to work really well. Googling ultrasonic devices results in plenty of people saying that birds can't hear ultrasonic sound. That clearly isn't right because the Isotronic devices do work. If you buy from Amazon and they don't work, you should be able to return them for a full refund, so it is a no risk investment. The rooks now keep off the croquet lawn apart from occasional visitors which usually fly off within a minute or two. The rooks (dozens) are very happy in the field twenty yards away and lots fly over the croquet lawn but there is now very little, if any bird damage.
Having made the initial investment, the only ongoing cost is new batteries from time to time. Sheeting There is a sheeting method that is widely used by golf clubs and it has been tested by Ryde Croquet Club. They found this to be an excellent way of dealing with Leather Jackets. They cover the area with black plastic or tarpaulin overnight. This causes the grubs to come to the surface. In the photos below they covered 25 sq metres and, the next morning, they got about 200 Leather Jackets. On a good day they get 400. Nematodes The theory is that the nematodes enter the larvae which stops them feeding and they then die. The cost is more than £200 per croquet lawn. I have not come across anyone who has had success with Nematodes to kill Leather Jackets. |
Chafer Grubs
Chafer grubs are the larvae of the chafer beetle and they feed on the roots of grasses and other plants. Infestations can be very localised and sporadic and usually occur between autumn and spring. Areas of lawn might become yellowish and considerable damage can be done by crows, foxes and badgers feeding on the grubs. There are two ways of dealing with this problem, Nematodes which are applied in August to October, they are environmentally safe and do not require a licence or DEFRA registration. Leather Jackets can be controlled by using Acelepryn which is now available for amenity and residential use. Users must be registered and have pesticide certification. For croquet lawns it can be used to cover a maximum of 10% of the area. The smallest quantity available is 600ml which costs £900 (2023) and covers 10,000 sq metres (£9 per 100 sqm). You may find a local contractor who can apply the product for you.
The comments regarding Leather Jacket control also apply to Chafers. Bird scaring is an option because the main problem is bird damage.
Chafer grubs are the larvae of the chafer beetle and they feed on the roots of grasses and other plants. Infestations can be very localised and sporadic and usually occur between autumn and spring. Areas of lawn might become yellowish and considerable damage can be done by crows, foxes and badgers feeding on the grubs. There are two ways of dealing with this problem, Nematodes which are applied in August to October, they are environmentally safe and do not require a licence or DEFRA registration. Leather Jackets can be controlled by using Acelepryn which is now available for amenity and residential use. Users must be registered and have pesticide certification. For croquet lawns it can be used to cover a maximum of 10% of the area. The smallest quantity available is 600ml which costs £900 (2023) and covers 10,000 sq metres (£9 per 100 sqm). You may find a local contractor who can apply the product for you.
The comments regarding Leather Jacket control also apply to Chafers. Bird scaring is an option because the main problem is bird damage.