worm casings - maybe jumping worms??

Question: I have what appears to be worm castings all over my yard - my yard borders on a wooded county park that has lots of trees dying. I am wondering if i have the jumping worms. one picture is my actual lawn the other is one from internet that looks just like it but is a better picture

responder: Beth Clawson MSU Extension Educator Natural Resources/Water Quality clawsonb@msu.edu Replied April 18, 2023, 8:36 AM EDT
response: Lee,  Thank you for using Michigan State University Extension Ask Extension. Spring worm activity is a good thing to see in your lawn.  That indicates a healthy soil.  Your images suggest that you have earthworms.  If you suspect invasive jumping worm activity confirm and report at this website. https://www.michigan.gov/invasives/id-report/worms/jumping-worms

responder: The Question Asker Replied April 18, 2023, 8:58 AM EDT
response: Thanks Beth for your quick response!!! The portion of my lawn that has these castings is the least healthy – I have probably a full acre of grass and this is probably 20% of the total   The castings make the surface very rough and difficult to cut the grass And where there are castings ( every 2 to 3 inches ) there is no grass similar to the picture It is professionally fertilized with 5 applications per year Yet it will not thicken up like the rest of my lawn– so I blamed these mounds – not knowing what they were As of the last day or two of online research and your reply I can agree that they are most likely earth worm castings I did read that there can be too many worms and that it can cause these problems – do you agree? I did read some things to try to reduce but not eliminate the worms – like less watering etc.. I would appreciate any input Thanks Lee Below is actual picture of my lawn now imagine that in 100ft by 100ft area    From: ask=<personal data hidden> <ask=<personal data hidden>> On Behalf Of Ask Extension Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 8:37 AM To: Lee Karner <<personal data hidden>> Subject: Re: worm casings - maybe jumping worms?? (#0095959)     You don't often get email from <personal data hidden>. Learn why this is important       WARNING: This email originated outside of the JSJ Businesses; use caution opening links or attachments.

responder: Beth Clawson MSU Extension Educator Natural Resources/Water Quality clawsonb@msu.edu Replied April 18, 2023, 9:33 AM EDT
response: I personally have never heard of too many worms being a problem. Lawn care is beyond my expertise, but I would recommend starting with a soil test to make sure that the fertilizer applications are appropriate for your lawn needs.

responder: David Lowenstein  Replied April 19, 2023, 9:14 AM EDT
response: This is a bit early in the season for adult  jumping worm activity. The casings could be from a number of other worm species we have in MI.   Nothing from the photo sticks out as evidence of anything other than a common earthworm. If you find any live worms, the following site shows the difference between them and jumping worm: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/fact/jumpingWorm.html. The soil texture degrades and gets a coffee ground type appearance after jumping worms are in the area. I can't determine texture from a photo. However, the level of browning is common in springtime as the lawns begin to break from dormancy into more active growth.

responder: The Question Asker Replied April 19, 2023, 9:22 AM EDT
response: thanks   From: ask=<personal data hidden> <ask=<personal data hidden>> On Behalf Of Ask Extension Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2023 9:15 AM To: Lee Karner <<personal data hidden>> Subject: Re: worm casings - maybe jumping worms?? (#0095959)     You don't often get email from <personal data hidden>. Learn why this is important       WARNING: This email originated outside of the JSJ Businesses; use caution opening links or attachments.