Are Earthworms Taking Over Your Driveway?

Why Earthworms Come to the Surface

Earthworms come to the surface in wet conditions because their skin must stay moist to breathe. They don’t have lungs like humans. Instead, they breathe through their permeable skin. When soil gets saturated after heavy rains, earthworms venture up so they don’t drown from excess water.

The sporadic wet and dry periods of spring and fall are more likely to cause earthworms to emerge. A light rain shower or morning dew can also bring them out if the ground below is dry.

Seeing earthworms on driveways and sidewalks is common after it rains. Hard surfaces provide a refuge where they can move without dehydrating. However, this leaves them vulnerable to being stepped on, being eaten by predators like birds, or drying out if the temperature rises quickly.

Earthworms:

• Aerate and enrich the soil as they move through it, creating tunnels for air, water, and plant roots.
• Improve drainage and soil texture by moving organic materials from the surface into the soil.
• Digest organic matter like dead leaves and grass clippings. Their castings add valuable nutrients that fertilize plants.
• Constantly chew and digest food, mixing nutrients in the soil and bringing minerals and nutrients to plant roots.

While bothersome on hard surfaces, earthworms are productive creatures we encourage for better gardens. Their presence indicates fertile, healthy soil.

Discouraging Earthworms on Driveways

Because earthworms are beneficial, there are no products designed to kill them. Attempting to eliminate them from your lawn would damage the ecosystem. Remember that the aim is not to eliminate earthworms from your property or harm them. The goal is to reduce their presence on hard surfaces like driveways where they are vulnerable. 

A few techniques may help reduce their presence on driveways and sidewalks:

• Install a 3- to 4-inch gravel border along driveways and walks. Gravel deters earthworms as they avoid abrasive, dry surfaces.
• Avoid excessive watering and improve drainage to prevent waterlogged soil. You don’t want standing water.
• Landscape with trees and shrubs that attract birds. Birds, such as robins, love to eat earthworms.
• Use a hose to gently spray excess worms away from surfaces and back into the grass. Avoid excessive force.
• Collect worms by hand and relocate them to planted areas where they can burrow safely.
• Sprinkling sharp sands like builder’s sand onto the driveway can deter worms from the area.

With some effort, you can reduce their presence on driveways without harming your beneficial earthworm population. Their soil benefits outweigh having to dodge a few wandering worms!

So, Are Earthworms Harmful or Beneficial?

Ultimately, earthworms are incredibly beneficial for lawns and gardens. While bothersome when amassed on driveways, they improve soil health through aeration, drainage, and nutrient recycling.

You can discourage them from hard surfaces where possible, but avoiding harm is imperative so they can continue enhancing your soil. A few worms on your driveway is a small price to pay for their ecological contributions.