subject: Mud Pellets in Your Lawn? They Are Pobably Earthworm Castings [print this page] Mud Pellets in Your Lawn? They Are Pobably Earthworm Castings
I'll admit it; I'm what some would call a "City Slicker".
I've done very little hunting, some fishing, and avoid camping like a disease. So, the first time I noticed the small mounds of mud pellets in my lawn, I couldn't help but wonder about their origin. It wasn't as if I was consumed with the thought (otherwise I would have looked up the answer long before I did), but every time I encountered the mud pellets I would say to myself "I've been meaning to find out what these are".
On the occasions I had a neighbor in my yard when I noticed the droppings, I would ask the question, "Hey man, what are these?"
Obviously, I wasn't the only "City Slicker" in the area, because my neighbors didn't know the answer either. Some guys would guess they are rodent droppings, rabbit or squirrel pellets. I even had a gentlemen insist they were ant eggs. He supported his theory by the fact that an ant colony was always near by. What he didn't realize was that ant colonies are EVERYWHERE and mud pellets have little to do with it.
While mowing my lawn a few years ago, I encountered several pellet mounds and instantly stopped the lawnmower.
I'd had enough.
Immediately, I walked inside my home, turned on the computer and began my search. I had to know what these pellets were, no matter how long it took (which in today's day and age is about 45 seconds).
The fact is, the mud pellet mounds found in your lawn are called earthworm castings.
As they burrow into the ground, earthworms pass vegetation and organic matter through their body. What we see above ground are the by-products of the tunnels that the earthworms created.
These castings are clean, odorless, and can be used as fertilizer for indoor and outdoor plants. Many companies sell the earthworm castings as an organic/nature alternative to chemical fertilizers.
So the next time you see these pellets in your yard.... scoop them up! Earthworm castings are some pricey poop.
