Worm Holes

[Tinkerbell]

We have a weeping pear tree in the garden, which sheds some of its leaves onto the lawn. My husband has noticed that something gathers leaves together (maybe 10) and then drags them downwards into a tiny 'hole' from which it is quite difficult to extract them from, by pulling. Some parts of the leaf remain above ground, sticking out of the hole.

Has anyone any idea what might be at work here and why?

Tinkerbell

[fbcpmike]

Originally Posted by Tinkerbell

My husband has noticed that something gathers leaves together (maybe 10) and then drags them downwards into a tiny 'hole' from which it is quite difficult to extract them from, by pulling. Some parts of the leaf remain above ground, sticking out of the hole.

A solitary or Mining Bee ?

[Gill Catton]

I think earth worms will collect leaves from the surface.... but I'm not sure where I know that from.....

[ron1863]

Could just me a mouse nest building.

[Pigeon feather]

How big a hole are we talking about roughly? because my immediate thought was some kind of rodent but if it is really tiny then probably some kind of insect or worm as has been mentioned.

[naturelover]

is it in your lawn or a bank of some sort,if its the lawn i too think worms,but if its some where else could be rats but the hole would have to be about three ins across,if its smaller then it would be a mouse.

[Tinkerbell]

Thanks folks - the hole is no bigger than my small finger tip (once the leaves are pulled out). So if it's worms, why do they do it? Same question if it's a bee?

Tinkerbell

[Lance Morgan]

Worms -they feed on it and put all the nurtrients back into the soil. Clever they are.

[Deer Stalker]

Yep, worms dragging leaves back down their hole to eat where its safe.

[mrs fish]

Good old worms

[Wild-Woman]

Nature's recyclers and decomposers. I think it was Darwin who said that they are probably one the most important invertebrates on Earth.

[JeffH]

Yes, definitely worms and once they've dragged them into the tops of their holes they're not easy to remove!

We have lots of trees in our garden and for the last few weekends I've been gathering up large quantities of leaves using either a blower/vacuum or the lawnmower. However, whenever I come across a patch where the worms have been pulling them under neither machine will pick them up and so I have to resort to hand-picking each one

Jeff

[Tinkerbell]

Thanks once again, folks. I shall look at worms with more interest in future, may even get out there with a magnifying glass when the weather is a bit warmer. It's great to find there's something else you didn't know about! Not that I know a lot about anything, that is!!!

Tinkerbell

[Jez]

It could be Purplepixii or tinypixi gathering up the leaves lol!?!

[Tinkerbell]

How silly of me Jez - I'd quite forgotten about the fairies at the bottom of my garden.

Tinkerbell

[Gill Catton]

I have a very small garden and there's a semi-mature willow in nextdoor's garden and at the beginning of the autumn I was thinking that i was going to have to start sweeping the leaves up and then tried to remember how I had achieved this last year (only my second autumn in the place) and realised I hadn't bothered as I didn't have a rake at the time and so I didn't bother this time either and its very interesting to note that athough there are leaves on the patio bit and at the very edge by the fence, there are almost none on the lawn.... The worms must have had them all!! Very efficent