7/5/2023 0 Comments Worms crazy golf black screen![]() ![]() Purchase plants from reliable sources and examine plants for signs of these unwelcome pests.Limiting their spread can help you maintain soil and plant health in non-infested areas. Don’t move plants from a jumping worm-infested garden to another area.And the last thing you want to do is share these invaders with your gardening friends. Although the worms may be easy to see, the cocoon is not. Don’t share plants as you may unintentionally be sharing jumping worms.Actively composted plant material and heat-treated mulch is less likely to contain these pests. Research indicates the cocoons can be killed in 104 degree temperatures. Only purchase and use compost and mulch managed to reduce the risk of spreading these invaders and other pathogens.Here are a few precautions you can take to help stop the spread of these voracious worms: Prevention is the first step in limiting worms spreading in your lawn. There are currently no chemical controls or methods to eliminate them from your property. The tiny cocoons can move unseen on shoes, tools and equipment. Adults and cocoons can spread in mulch, soil and plants. How to Stop the Spread of Jumping WormsĪlthough jumping worms are large in size, their tiny cocoons can easily go undetected. And when they die they leave behind tiny tough black cocoons the size of a mustard seed to overwinter in the soil. ![]() They are parthenogenetic meaning a single worm can reproduce without a mate, further increasing their rate of reproduction. Individual jumping worms only live for a year but can grow from an egg to adult in 60 days producing several generations in one season. Grab one and you just may find its tail in your hand while the rest of the worm returns to the soil. These quick-moving worms are hard to capture. They move through the soil like snakes and this along with their violent thrashing when disturbed inspired their common names. The fleshy band near the end of the worm, known as clitellum, is cloudy white to gray, encircles the worm and is not raised as it is on earthworms. They are dark brown, smooth and shiny growing to 6 inches or more in length. Jumping worms live near the soil surface. And as their populations grow you may need to change some of the plantings and maintenance practices in your landscape. All this impacts the health and productivity of our garden plants. This depletes nutrients, disturbs the soil fungi and decreases the water-holding ability of soils. ![]() Jumping worms turn rich organic soil into small crumbles that resemble coffee grounds. These worms in your lawn change the soil structure in gardens as well as our natural spaces. Photo Credit: UW-Madison Arboretum Why Should You Care about Jumping Worms? They can now be found in much of the northeast, southeast, Midwest and recently upper Midwestern United States. Jumping worms (Amynthas spp) most likely arrived in North America in the late 19th century on imported plants, and other horticulture and agriculture materials. Most earthworm species move 30 feet a year while jumping worms can infest as much as 17 acres in one season. Although a threat, the European earthworms devour organic matter and spread at a much slower rate than the jumping worms. The earthworm gardeners appreciate for the aeration they provide are another non- native species wreaking havoc in our woodlands. Their feeding changes the soil structure and chemistry so the soil is more subject to erosion, inhibits tree seedling establishment, damages the relationship between soil fungi and trees and reduces the soils ability to absorb water. These invasive worms live near the soil surface devouring leaf litter and the organic matter that plants depend upon. Whether you call them jumping worms, crazy worms, Alabama jumpers or snake worms, they are bad news for our gardens and natural spaces. Managing Jumping Worms in Your Lawn By Melinda Myers - horticulturist and gardening expert
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