Leave mud daubers alone and what’s digging up the grass
I havemuddauber nests attached to some outsidewalls. I try not to use poison to encourage pollinators to visit, but what do I do about these wasps? They’re not aggressive. I just don’twant mygrandson to swat at one of them. The only thing Iworry about is an accidental sting. I’ve introduced them to him. Should I do more?
You are a wise grandparent. Sincemud daubers don’t defend their mud tube nurseries, the chance of a sting is almost nonexistent. The female lays one egg per cell, paralyzes spiders and leaves them for the larvae to eat after they hatch, then takes off.
Right now, the larvae are overwintering in the mud tubes and will change into adults next spring. They benefit us because, being carnivores, they keep downpest insect populations. They also aid pollination.
Leave mud dauber nests when possible. If one is in a bad spot, knock it down or hose and dissolve it. You can showyour grandson the dried up spiders and maybe larvae inside. Itmay take some scrubbing to remove all the mud, but it’s not a big job.
Something is digging up the beautiful grass I planted this fall. It has flipped over patches of turf all over the place. What can I do?
Where possible, turn turf plugs right side up and step firmly to restore soilto-root contact. With rain and coolweather, they may reroot. Depending upon howextensive the digging, youmay need to overseed or sod next spring. Soil will be easy to rake and seed.
This digging is often the work of raccoons, foxes and skunks looking for grubs. Mild autumn temperatures encourage grubs to stay high in the soil profile longer. As temperatures fall, grubs tunnel deeper— and out of the reach of predators.
If the lawn does not have a high grub population (10+ a square foot), this is passing feeding behavior, sporadic and minimal. Raccoons are true omnivores who eat awide variety of foods, including nuts, seeds, fruits, eggs, insects, frogs and crayfish. Be sure you are not attracting them with overflowing garbage cans or pet food left outside overnight.
University ofMaryland Extension’sHome and Garden Information Center offers free gardening and pest information at extension.umd.edu/hgic. Click “AskMaryland’s Gardening Experts” to send questions and photos.