June 2024: Gardeners, Be on the Lookout for Jumping Worms

In New Hampshire, there are a few common worms living in the soil. For the most part, these little guys are harmless and can only do good for your garden. This changed about seven years ago when New Hampshire became exposed to a new type of worm. Even just one of these can disrupt an entire environment.

What are they?

They’re called jumping worms, also known as “snake worms” and “crazy worms.” These surface dwellers can easily be distinguished from other worms by their erratic behavior. Their body is firm, and they will start thrashing rapidly when picked up. Additionally, as defense mechanism, they have been known to lose their tails. At first glance, they can look similar to earth worms. They appear to be a grayish-brown color and have a white band that wraps around their head area, called a clitellum. Originally from Asia, these worms have been found all over the country. According to New Hampshire Public Radio, they’ve been spotted in every county in New Hampshire. By 2021, there were over 200 new reports of jumping worms in the state.

What’s so bad about them?

These worms have an insatiable appetite for organic matter, and they alter soil structure more than any other known worm. When exposed to soil, they will eat the upper organic layer, leaving behind coffee ground-like castings. As a result of this, plant roots are no longer able to grip soil and draw in nutrients and water, causing native plants to disappear. This change in soil can also displace different species like nesting birds, amphibians and invertebrates. In addition to soil, they also eat leaf litter, eliminating the homes of tiny critters that reside in the dead leaves. This disruption can have devastating effects on local ecosystems.

Jumping worms are also quite a nuisance for home gardens. Because they can destroy soil chemistry, plants in gardens will either die or not grow at all. If you find one jumping worm, know that there will be more because they reproduce asexually, so it’s important to get rid of them as soon as possible, or else there is risk of an infestation.

So… how can you prevent them?

You can prevent an infestation by root washing, but you must keep a careful eye out for their mustard-seed-like eggs. They are very small and easily overlooked. According to the University of New Hampshire’s NHBugs website, best management practices to avoid a jumping worm infestation include checking garden materials such as mulch, topsoil, compost and plants for signs of jumping worms or their castings before purchasing. Be especially careful at local plant sales or swaps, as worms will crawl into nursery pots and reproduce. Be on the lookout for adult jumping worms in June. While adults do not survive the winter, their young persist in cocoons and reach adulthood in mid-summer, according to NHBugs. Jumping worms have been sold as fishing bait and for use in vermicomposting. If you see jumping worms for sale, do not purchase them for those purposes or any other.

# # #