Power raking will level out the surface of your lawn but it will not discourage the nightcrawlers. These organisms are part of a healthy ecosystem in your turf and something you will need to learn to live with. Read on for some more information on nightcrawlers.
At the Web link Nightcrawlers, you will note that they are most active in the spring and fall. During the warmer months they are deeper in the soil. We really do not recommend using chemicals on your lawn to destroy insects, including your night crawlers. If you poison them, you also remove all beneficial insects. The number of worms will ebb and flow each year. You may have fewer next year or the year after. Removing weeds will not affect the number of worms, although it is a good idea to spot spray or hand remove weeds before they multiply in your yard. If your lawn becomes bumpy from worm activity, you can roll it in the spring. Below is an excerpt from a report on groundwater that describes the part worms play in nature's plan. Hope you find it enjoyable to read. "Earthworms affect the flow of water through the soil in ways we're just beginning to understand. Sometimes this means less runoff of applied chemicals, less erosion, and less surface water pollution. In other settings, their slimy holes can be direct conduits to groundwater. "'Past models of water movement in soils have been unable to explain the early appearance of contaminants in ground water,' says University of Minnesota soil scientist Satish Gupta. 'Looking at the role of macropores - small openings caused by earthworms, freezing and thawing, tillage and roots - is leading to more accurate models to predict the flow of water into the ground.' "Worm holes are being looked at from every possible angle - diameters, lengths, directions and quantity of burrows - by Gupta, tillage researcher John Moncrief, and a team of graduate students to learn how they interact with farm practices and water quality. They've found that burrows of Lubricus terrestris - night crawlers - are the most important water carriers. These burrows can go 3 feet straight down and be as wide as a pencil. Gupta says other worm paths are smaller and meander or dead end. 'If the burrows aren't continuous, I don't worry about it.'"
