Crawfish Castles ‘Interesting,’ But Not So Great For Your Yard

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The little hollow mudball towers called crawfish castles are fine in the swamp but not so great in your yard. They interrupt the smooth green expanse and can dull lawnmower blades.

Greg Lutz, a crawfish specialist at the LSU AgCenter, says he gets 30 to 50 calls a year from people who want to get crawfish out of their yards. He says this year has run about average.

There are no pesticides approved for crawfish. Lutz says putting pesticides into the burrows can contaminate groundwater.

The North Carolina Extension Service suggests raking the mounds smooth from time to time, creating drainage to leave surface soil less soggy, or just appreciating crawfish as interesting wildlife.

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