Do I have slow worms or lizards in the garden

[ceg56]

Hi, We have noticed today some small dry crumbly earth mounds (a little larger that a chickens egg) in our grass which have holes the diameter of a pencil in the middle of them. My husband said that he saw something halfway out of the hole, of which he could see approx 2 - 3 inches, a yellow/brown/red colour. Unfortunately it moved quite quickly, he thought he saw a leg on it, but can't be 100% sure. We dug one of the holes out, but couldn't see anything. Completely intrigued and would be delighted to have some sort of reptile in the garden but also need to know if it something we don't want. We live next door to a park and get squirrels and foxes, plus lots of birds in the garden and last summer saw a lizard when putting up a greenhouse.

[Lonnie]

Slow Worms are legless Lizards, so I don;t think it would have been one of them, I regularly get them in my compost, mostly resting on top, if you had one, it would be a silvery colour, and they move really slowly.

I'd be interested to know what it is, so i'll be keeping an eye on your post, if you find out, please, post back.

[Lonnie]

Sorry, forgot, you don't say where you are, might help with identifying it.

[burnhal]

digging holes is not really a feature of lizards or slow worms. Both should be active at this time of year but when not basking or feeding they tend to hide under logs or rocks etc. Did the hole carry on into the ground when you dug it out or did it finish a few inches below ground? What you describe sounds for all the world like a ruddy great worm-cast

[ceg56]

Hi Lonnie & burnhal, I didn't expect such quick replies, I live near Dartford, Kent - not far from heathland and as I said in my posting, next to a park.

There are at the last count 11 of these in different locations around the lawn, loads of worm casts as well Burnhal lol so don't think it is a "Ruddy great worm" ;-0.

they don't have any similarity to the other casts and look like miniature mole mounds and are made of fine dry crumbly earth.

When I dug one of them out, the hole only went down a few inches and I know from when we had an extension built a few years ago, going down a few feet is solid chalk. So I think I will have to go out early to try and catch them out!!! Many thanks for your replies and will let you know what it is as soon as I find out.

[nickmo]

Could be chafer grub or leatherjacket larvae. See: http://www.greengardener.co.uk/lawn.htm and RHS site for chafer grub: http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0402/chafer.asp

To see if you have leatherjackets water a patch of the lawn then covering it in black polythene overnight. In the morning look for 1 inch legless grey-brown grubs. Control with suitable insecticide is the only way to eradicate them.

If it is only worm casts, brush them back into the turf as they are really good fertiliser. Have you seen more appear after rain? If so, may be simply the worms doing their thing. It is possible also that is is the earth dug up by badgers or hedgehogs (or birds) looking for grubs to eat.

[ceg56]

HI Nickmo, Thanks, I have had a look at the links you posted and it doesn't look as though it is either of them. I was talking to a bloke who I buy get bird food etc from and described what I had found and he seems to think it could be a baby mole. I have spoken to my next door neighbour and he has checked his lawn and has got the same. There is no damage to the grass area except for the small mounds of very dry fine earth and the hole in the middle. Thanks for the reply, will put another post in when I find out anything else.

Many thanks for the replies.

[nickmo]

Hi ceg56 - last thought on this is it could be the work of a vole using the tunnel dug by moles. I gather this can show as the small mounds you describe, but it could as you say also be a young mole at work.

[ceg56]

Hi Nickmo,

we have had voles in the garden before, or should I say the cats have found them so even though they don't go far they could have got them from elsewhere. As far as I know the park next to us hasn't had moles and they have a large area of grass which is used for football and cricket.

The suspense is killing me!!!

Many thanks again

[finnfan]

I have the same in my garden.They are miner bees.These are solitary female bees that nest in your grass. You may have many holes but this is not indicative of a community,they are all nseting quite separately.They are harmless and good pollinators of fruit trees.Thay return to the same site every year if left. Hope this helps!

[ceg56]

Hi Finnfann,

thanks for that, I did say to my husband about Masonary Bees as we had them a good few years ago. They made holes in a rockery and took up residence until we got someone from the council to "evict" them. The only difference is the mound of very fine dry earth around the hole.

Many thanks for your reply.

[finnfan]

Hi ceg56;

I found pictures of excatly what you describe (and I have) at the site www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk. small mounds of dry earth with pencil sized holes in the centre,have a look and see if they are the same as the ones in your garden.

My husband has probably made the bees rather angry by stamping on their homes before we knew they were harmless,so our 4 year old will not be playing there for a while!

[ceg56]

Hi Finnfan,

Pretty sure you are right, saw one of the bees as per the web picture and the mounds are the same (except more grey, but that must depend on soile type).

By the way, the website is very interesting, thanks for that.

Thanks for yours and everyone elses help

Carolyn