|Environmental Resources Committee|
I’m always pleased when I run across an earthworm in my garden. These natural composters benefit the garden by enriching the soil and improving the soil structure. Good for the plants and the ecosystem in general.
But an unwelcome relative of the earthworm, known as the ‘jumping worm’, ‘crazy worm’, or even ‘snake worm’, is spreading throughout the U.S., and is threatening the gardens and natural habitats of Maine. These worms are aggressive and devastating to the environment.
What makes these worms such a threat? Jumping worms are voracious eaters, rapidly consuming the surface layers of mulch and compost in the garden, and leaf debris in wooded areas. And because jumping worms live on or near the ground surface, their castings (feces) don’t enrich the soil and are not accessible to the plant roots. The eating habits of the Jumping worm ultimately degrade soil quality, leaving the soil inhospitable to many native plant species and susceptible to nutrient runoff, and soil erosion.
How do you identify a jumping worm? The easiest way is by their movement. When disturbed, a jumping worm will thrash wildly, moving surprisingly quickly in a snakelike side to side motion as it makes its escape. Since they live close to the surface, any light disturbance on the top layer of the soil will set these things into a frenzy of movement.
Jumping worms are spread primarily through the horticultural trade; in composts, soils and in plants as well. Unsuspecting and well intentioned gardeners, sharing their plants, or getting free compost from municipal facilities may be helping to spread the worms.
Prevention is the first and best defense against the spread of Jumping worms. Carefully inspect all plants you purchase. Look for the telltale castings that look like coffee grounds on the surface of the plant soil. Buy bare root plants when feasible. When you get a plant home, you can clean off all of the soil it came in,(handling the root system very gently) and dispose of the soil in a bag. Do not throw the soil you suspect has jumping worms in the woods, or compost pile. This will only spread the problem back into the garden and out in the surrounding environment.
