A worm is a worm is a worm — right? Well, yes and no.

As gardeners, we know that finding earthworms in our garden soil is a good sign. It is an indication that your soil structure is in good condition and is healthy and thriving. They help to aerate our soils.

Unfortunately, there are now a couple of species of worms that have been introduced into Canada that are destroying the soil structure as well as affecting others in their path.

In this article, we are going to look at the Asian jumping worm.

Let’s learn about this invasive species — the Asian jumping worm, also known as crazy worms or snake worms.

As the first name suggests, this species is originally from East and Southeast Asia. They got their names because of the way that they thrash around.

Jumping worms have spread from Asia, most likely through human activities such as transportation of cargo and goods. Once here, they have probably been spreading inadvertently from moving adults or eggs by movement of potting soil or plants and from use as fishing bait.

Jumping worms are smooth, glossy gray or brown earthworms known for their erratic, thrashing movement and jumping behaviour when disturbed. They have been known to jump up to one foot in height.

Adult jumping worms have a pale, smooth ring or band that encircles their body. This ring is reproductive tissue called a clitellum and can be used to distinguish jumping worms from other earthworms, whose clitellum forms a raised saddle shape, rather than encircling the full body.

At three to five inches in length, adult jumping worms tend to be larger than most other earthworms. In addition, they grow more quickly and can live in higher densities than other earthworms.

Unlike regular earthworms, the jumping worm is found in the top couple of inches of soil. They are usually found in forest areas where there is a lot of leaf litter on the ground.

The Asian jumping worms feed voraciously on forest litter, leaving behind bare soil, which leads to different problems.

The layer of fallen leaves they are feeding on is known as the top layer of forest soil. This layer is home to a vast number of tiny animals. They displace other earthworms, centipedes, salamanders and ground-nesting birds and disrupt forest food chains.

They can invade more than five hectares in a single year, changing soil chemistry and microbial communities as they go. Jumping worms can rapidly change soil properties (e.g., water retention, nutrient cycling) by consuming organic material and producing castings that look like coarse coffee grounds.

Jumping worms have an annual life cycle. In a process known as “parthenogenesis,” they reproduce asexually. They produce poppy-seed-sized eggs known as cocoons. Cocoons survive over winter and hatch in the spring. Juvenile earthworms then grow to maturity in two to three months, at which point they reproduce before dying in the fall.

Management practices

Observe and report. Learn to identify jumping worms (see above description) and report any that you find. Visit www.reportcanadainvasives.ca to learn how to report your sighting.

Don’t buy or use jumping worms for bait, compost or gardening. Jumping worms are popular as bait due to their erratic movements. Do not purchase bait sold as jumping worms, Asian jumping worms, crazy worms, Alabama jumpers or snake worms.

Check new soil, compost, mulch and plants for jumping worms. Look for the worms themselves, as well as their castings, which look like coffee grounds.

If you suspect or find an infestation, dispose of contaminated soil in plastic bags in the garbage, destroy worms by freezing them, and rinse the roots of plants.

If you’re in an area infested with jumping worms, you can help manage the invasion:

• Don’t share soil, compost, or mulch from an area with a known infestation.

• Increase soil temperatures. Jumping worms cannot survive temperatures above 40 C. You can increase soil temperatures by tarping sections of soil or compost that are in direct sunlight. If necessary, you can place soil in plastic bins to move it to a sunlit area.

The best way to keep this pest from becoming a bigger problem is by being diligent.

Keep an eye out for this worm as you work in your garden. If you spot any, make sure you report it to the website listed above.

Joanne Young is a Niagara-on-the-Lake garden expert and coach. See her website at joanneyoung.ca

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Horticultural Society is pleased to be hosting a series of Saturday morning gardening classes, available to the public. They will be facilitated by Joanne Young on Saturday mornings, and they will run until May 31 at the NOTL Community Centre.

May 17 – Creative Containers
May 24 – Pruning Evergreens
May 31 – Tough Plants for Tough Places

Join us for the classes that interest you. For all the seminar details and to pre-register for the classes, visit notlhortsociety.com/classes.