Asian Jumping Worms: What We Know

Last fall, I was digging in one of my garden beds to plant garlic when I came across the largest worm I had ever seen. Quickly, my heart jumped into my throat - I had heard about these extra large, extra wriggly worms and knew that they were not a good sign for my garden. This turned into a full on panic as I dug up various spots throughout the yard and found they were spread out across the entire acre of land. An infestation of jumping worms that I knew meant trouble for my soil health and ability to grow thriving vegetable plants in ground.

To my horror, as I began frantically googling, it slowly dawned on me that there is surprisingly little known about these worms and how to effectively eradicate them. Cutting them in half just causes one worm to duplicate into two, burning them seems cruel, and when I tried to drown them in a bucket of water, they somehow managed to quickly climb out…and that my friends is how I ended up with a gallon size baggie of worms frozen in my freezer. Freezing them felt like the most ethical way to deal with them, as they basically just go into a deep sleep and never wake up, but still - I was left nauseous and horrified.

What are jumping worms?

Jumping worms, scientifically known as Amynthas spp., are a group of invasive earthworms native to East Asia. They are also commonly referred to as crazy worms, snake worms, or Alabama jumpers. These worms are distinguished by their unique behavior of thrashing and writhing vigorously when handled or disturbed, which gives them the appearance of "jumping." Unlike traditional earthworms, which burrow deep into the soil, jumping worms typically reside in the upper organic layer, where they feed on decaying organic matter, leaf litter, and root systems.

One of the most alarming characteristics of jumping worms is their ability to quickly degrade the soil structure and organic matter. They consume large quantities of organic material and leave behind castings that, unlike earthworm castings, are devoid of nutrients, altering the composition and texture of the soil in negative ways. This rapid decomposition can lead to significant changes in soil fertility, moisture retention, and nutrient availability, detrimentally affecting plant growth and ecosystem dynamics.

Jumping worms are highly adaptable and can thrive in various environments, including forests, gardens, and agricultural fields. They reproduce rapidly and have been known to easily outcompete native earthworm species, disrupting soil ecosystems and native plant communities. Additionally, their presence can attract predators and disrupt food webs, further impacting the balance of local ecosystems. While they die back in areas with cold winters, their microscopic eggs survive the chill to hatch next spring.

Due to their invasive nature and destructive impact on soil health, jumping worms pose a significant threat to natural ecosystems and agricultural systems alike. Efforts to control and manage their spread are essential to mitigate their negative effects and protect biodiversity.

How do you identify jumping worms?

Jumping worms are very large and often have a translucent, milky-white to grayish-brown coloration, with a slightly iridescent sheen. Jumping worms have a slim, cylindrical body with a smooth and uniform appearance. One of the most distinctive characteristics of jumping worms is their behavior when handled or disturbed. They exhibit a unique thrashing or writhing motion, resembling "jumping" or "dancing." When picked up or exposed to light, jumping worms may quickly retract and thrash around vigorously.

Jumping worm vs earthworm

But how can you tell jumping worms from beneficial garden earthworms? Unlike earthworms,The clitellum on a jumping worm is milky white to gray-colored, smooth and completely encircles the body of the worm. In contrast, the clitellum of European earthworms does not wrap entirely around the worm. Jumping worms are generally larger in size compared to traditional earthworm species, typically ranging from eight to twelve inches in length.

How did jumping worms get to the USA?

Jumping worms are native to East Asia, specifically regions such as Japan, Korea, China, and parts of Southeast Asia. Within their native range, they play a role in ecosystem processes and are part of the natural soil fauna. The introduction of jumping worms to new regions outside of their native range is attributed to human activities.

There are several common pathways through which jumping worms can be inadvertently transported. Jumping worms may be transported via potted plants, root balls, or soil associated with ornamental plants. They can hitch a ride in nursery stock or gardening supplies, allowing them to spread to new locations. The movement of mulch, compost, or soil amendments from infested areas can facilitate the spread of jumping worms. These materials may contain eggs, cocoons, or even adult worms, which can establish new populations when introduced to suitable habitats.

Landscaping projects, such as transplanting, grading, or soil disturbance, can inadvertently spread jumping worms to new areas. Construction projects, garden renovations, and land clearing activities may disturb soil ecosystems, allowing jumping worms to be dispersed. Outdoor recreational activities, such as hiking, camping, fishing, and gardening, can also inadvertently transport jumping worms from infested areas to new locations. Soil clinging to footwear, equipment, or vehicles can serve as a means of transport.

Once introduced to new regions, jumping worms can establish populations rapidly, aided by their prolific reproduction and ability to thrive in a variety of habitats. Their invasive nature and disruptive effects on soil ecosystems highlight the importance of preventing their spread and implementing measures to manage and control their populations in affected areas.

Where have jumping worms been found?

As an invasive species, jumping worms have been reported in numerous countries and regions, including:

• United States: Jumping worms have been documented in many states across the U.S., including but not limited to:

• Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin

• Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont

• Southeast: Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia

• West: California, Oregon, Washington

• Canada: Reports of jumping worms have emerged in several provinces, such as Ontario and Quebec.

• Europe: Jumping worms have been observed in countries like the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

• Australia: There have been reports of jumping worms in various parts of Australia, although they are not as widespread as in some other regions.

• Asia: In addition to their native range in East Asia, jumping worms have also been reported in other parts of Asia due to human-mediated transport.

How to get rid of jumping worms

Managing and controlling jumping worms requires a multifaceted approach that aims to limit their spread, reduce their populations, and mitigate their impact on ecosystems. While complete eradication of jumping worms may be challenging, various strategies can help manage and control their populations. We need to raise awareness among the public, gardeners, and landscapers about the threat posed by jumping worms and the importance of preventing their spread.

To reduce the spread of jumping worms, we should minimize the transport of soil, mulch, compost, and plant materials from infested areas to uninfested sites, especially during landscaping, gardening, and restoration activities, and establish monitoring programs to track the distribution and abundance of jumping worms in affected areas. We can also implement practices that disrupt jumping worm populations such as solarizing soil, although these methods may also impact native soil organisms and soil structure.

How to kill jumping worms

Chemical control methods for jumping worms are currently limited, and there are no widely accepted chemical treatments specifically targeting jumping worms. Some studies have explored the potential use of certain soil amendments, such as lime or biochar, to modify soil conditions and suppress jumping worm populations, although more research is needed to evaluate their effectiveness and potential impacts.

It is not known if jumping worms have any potential natural enemies, predators, or parasites that could be used as biological control agents, and this approach requires careful consideration to avoid unintended consequences and ecological disruptions. It is not safe to feed jumping worms to chickens or use them as fish bait, because they retain heavy metals and toxins from the soil.

An integrated approach combining prevention, monitoring, cultural practices, and research is essential for managing and mitigating the impacts of jumping worms on ecosystems and agricultural systems. Effective management strategies will require ongoing collaboration, adaptive management, and interdisciplinary efforts to address this invasive species threat.

It may seem like managing jumping worms is a hopeless endeavor, but while some adaptation is required and additional measures are needed to control soil health and quality, there are many home gardeners learning through experience different ways to keep jumping worms from destroying their gardens. The reality is that soil health needs to be a priority through aggressive composting and mulching efforts, which are practices that every gardener should be employing for thriving plants regardless of whether or not they have jumping worms in their garden beds yet. This is still a relatively new issue that is actively being researched, so many new developments are possible in the coming years that could help to control invasive jumping worms in the United States.

How To Get Rid of Pests in Your Garden

Early this winter I walked into the greenhouse and found that most of the greens, especially the brassicas, had been chewed to bits. I know that this time of year there's kind of only three things that it could be - I had seen a couple of slugs in the greenhouse before and I figured that had to be it.

Beer trap for slugs

With slugs, the best first line of defense is beer traps, so I put some beer traps out, but they didn't end up catching anything. The way that you do the slug beer traps is you just get a shallow dish and you bury it so that it's level with the top of the soil. They're attracted to the yeasty smell of the beer and they're supposed to just fall in and drown. When this didn't work even though I knew I had a couple slugs in there, I started to wonder if it could actually be snails or earwigs.

Snails and earwigs are also attracted by the humid environment of a greenhouse, but they aren't going to fall for the beer trap, so there's a couple other things that you can do if you've got slugs snails or earwigs in your garden. These are the most common pests that you're going to find when you're gardening in the winter because they like cool damp areas - and I had to act quickly because slugs have teeth so they can do a lot of damage really fast!

Beer traps are super effective according to you guys - I haven't really experienced that for myself just because in this particular case it wasn't actually mostly slugs that I was dealing with. The next recommendation for dealing with slugs in your garden is usually salt. The problem with salt is that even though it usually works by dehydrating the slugs, it's kind of a cruel way to take them out and importantly to a lot of gardeners can do some serious damage to your plants and your soil.

Does copper work to stop slugs in the garden?

Copper is really effective against slugs because it actually has the ability to electrocute them and shock them when they touch it so they tend to avoid it. You can get copper tape or copper wire and put it around your plants, it’s just a little bit more costly and time consuming to get it set up.

What I'm going to recommend you do the most is companion planting, which I have to say was probably my biggest mistake in the greenhouse. There are certain plants that I could have put in that would have been okay even though the temperatures are going to drop in there, like chamomile and sage and oregano, that would have repelled these pests in the first place. However, because of how late in the season I discovered this problem I didn't have time to plant those things before the slugs would have taken over and decimated everything.

Because I had a limited amount of time before they destroyed everything and I really couldn't replant what they had already destroyed because of how late in the season it was, I decided to take dramatic action - this isn't something that I normally do, in fact I've never done it before, but I am using an insecticide in my garden.

Natural garden slug repellent

Sluggo is organic approved and it's made of iron phosphate which is something that's harmful to slugs and snails, but pretty much harmless to everything else. It's laced with some kind of bait that attracts the slugs and snails, and it actually works against earwigs too which is great because I'm pretty sure earwigs have been doing the majority of the damage on my plants. It comes in a pellet form that you sprinkle throughout the garden. This is not my first choice and if I could have companion planted instead I definitely would have started there, but in this case with the limited amount of time that I had I didn't really have a choice.

But the fun didn't end there, because as soon as I got this slug/snail/earwing situation under control, I came out to the greenhouse to another horrific discovery! (Can you tell I'm stressed out about this?)

Rodents in the greenhouse

I pulled back the row cover and I noticed that there was a lot of dirt on top of the plants like they had been buried by something, and there was this really weird oily wet fur smell coming from the area. I pulled that row cover back further and that's when I saw the tunnels. Now at this point I didn't know what kind of animal the tunnel was from, and I'm not going to pretend like I didn't know that it was possible for animals to get in here, or that they'd want to because of course they would! It's warm and full of food and this time of year all these little critters are just looking for somewhere to cozy up, so I totally get it and this is my fault for not thinking about the fact that they would start coming in here as early as they did in the season.

At first I thought it wasn't that big of a deal because there were no droppings, they weren't eating any of the plants or even really disturbing them, they had just made a tunnel and left for the day. I'm no stranger to having rodents in the house - we live in the country, and we've got fields and old barns all around us. We've dealt with mice before in the house and the thing that's worked the best for us inside has been peppermint oil. It's all natural, smells pretty good (although it can make your eyes water if you use enough of it) so my first line of defense in the greenhouse while I started making a more permanent plan was to spray with this peppermint oil spray.

I ended up saturating all the wood baseboards and the row covers and the wood chip path in the center, but I wanted to be careful not to get this on the plastic itself because it's an essential oil and it's highly concentrated it can actually melt the plastic, I thought “this has worked in the house, so it's totally going to work here and there's nothing else I need to do” well…it worked for one day, and then I came back out to more tunnels.

There still wasn't a lot of damage, there wasn't anything that indicated to me that it was super gross, it was areas where I could just avoid eating those plants until they had a chance to grow back and make new growth that hadn't been touched by animals, but the tunnels didn't stop and then after a couple more days I did start to notice droppings.

With those droppings I was able to make a positive ID of these rodents, even though I haven't had a chance to see them myself yet because at first I had only seen the tunnels, I was able to determine that it wasn't something small like a field mouse or a chipmunk, but I thought it might still be a mink or a vole. With the droppings I was able to confirm that unfortunately it was the most common rodent pest that we see in our gardens; rats.

The best way to get rid of rats is to prevent them from coming inside in the first place. but unfortunately a lot of the time our gardens are just havens for them. They love the rotting food in your compost, the warm nests they can make under the layers of cardboard that you're using to make new beds, all of these things are going to attract rats to your garden - especially if it's a warm cozy place like a greenhouse.

So why did I hesitate to just do hardware cloth in the first place and why didn't I just take care of this upfront so it didn't happen? Basically when I designed this greenhouse we used wooden boards along the long edges to hold the cattle panel in, but we didn't put any wooden boards along the back or the front wall because they weren't necessary, so there's no exterior frame for us to swoop a piece hardware cloth up against and keep it protected - and realistically they could just climb that hardware cloth and chew through the plastic so it just seemed like an unnecessary expense that wasn't going to provide me any additional benefit.

At the end of the day if they wanted to come in, they were going to come in, so I thought that the best low cost low effort way to prevent them was with peppermint oil. Peppermint oil is known to be super effective against all sorts of rodents but for some reason (and you guys have confirmed this for me in DMs) rats just don't seem to mind it as much as other rodent pests do, so even though I ended up spraying every available surface with peppermint oil to the point that my eyes were watering it didn't have the effect that I had hoped it would on the rats.

Another recommendation I got from you guys was to use lavender oil, Again this just comes back to using scents that we know that they don't like to repel them from coming in in the first place. Whether or not this is effective kind of depends on how determined the rat is.

For our last food-based recommendation you guys recommended I sprinkle chili powder around the outside of the hoop house - this is totally harmless, they just don't like the spiciness! I guess when they're digging through it, it gets up in their nose. I have had a lot of success using this method.

You can also try sprinkling around some cat fur or used cat litter, and the most interesting recommendation that I got from one of you was from a reptile owner who told me that they have found that snake skins are excellent at repelling rats, so if you had a source for some snake skin you could definitely try that as well. Another popular recommendation that I got was Irish Spring soap - I've heard mixed reviews about this one myself so let me know in the comments if you tried this and it's worked for you,

Desperate times call for desperate measures so we're going to get into my least favorite recommendations; traps and poisons.

You can get traps that unalive your rats or you can get traps that are catch and release. With either of these options of course you're dealing face to face with rats themselves and depending on how many rats are present this could be an ongoing issue that continues throughout the whole season.

I will strongly discourage you from using a chemical poison on your rat population, not only because it’s an unpleasant and inhumane death but also because if other wildlife like an owl gets that rat they're going to end up poisoned too.

If you are going to go down this route I would research natural methods. I won't go into them much here since it's not something that I generally advocate for, but some of the ones that you guys recommended to me were sweet potatoes, cornmeal, and baking soda.

Let me know if you've had any luck with the suggestions that we talked about here!

Keeping Pests at Bay: 7 Effective and Eco-Friendly Ways to Control Garden Pests

First things first: this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but pests in your garden aren’t always a bad thing. Pests like to frequent areas that support a wide variety of plant life - so if your garden doesn’t have pests, you’re probably not a part of the ecosystem, which should always be your goal. But we all know that once these insects and animals have discovered your garden, they can be difficult to manage. Your garden can quickly become a one-stop grocery shop for all your wildlife neighbors. And while I’m all for sharing the bounty, these critters often take more than their fair share.

I have lost entire crops to squash bugs and cabbage moths, squishing potato beetles is not my favorite pastime and the near-surgical process of extracting squash bugs from the vine left my stomach turning.

I’d much rather prevent pests from ballooning out of control in the first place than be forced to take matters into my own hands and cause a loss of life - no matter how small. The reality is that every living thing needs to eat. Who am I to decide that these small creatures should live or die? But when you’ve put hours of time and effort into growing a garden, it can be frustrating when pests and diseases start attacking your plants. The good news is that there are many natural ways to control garden pests without chemicals that are harmful to our health and the environment.

How do pests damage vegetable gardens?

The effects of pests in the garden are endless. For example, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and beetles can chew on leaves, causing visible holes and damage to the plant's structure.

Aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies can suck sap from plant stems and leaves, causing them to wilt and potentially die.

Fruit flies and corn borers can bore into fruits and vegetables, causing them to rot or become infested with larvae.

Mosquitoes and ticks can spread diseases to plants, such as viruses and bacteria that can cause wilting, yellowing, and stunted growth.

Moles and voles can dig up roots, causing damage to the plant's underground structure and potentially killing the plant.

Cutworms and wireworms can eat plant roots, causing the plant to wilt and potentially die.

Grubs and nematodes can tunnel in soil, damaging the plant's root system and preventing it from absorbing nutrients and water properly.

Now I know this sounds like a spooky horror story where your garden is going to be teeming with unfriendly visitors, but the reality is your individual microclimate will dictate which of these unpleasant companions you’ll find. You’ll most likely end up dealing with 1-5 of these in your backyard garden each year and get a sense for what your area is most susceptible to. But just to give you a head start, it’s a good idea to read up on some of the various methods you can employ to prevent garden damage caused by pests.

Why shouldn’t you use pesticides in your vegetable garden?

Pesticides can be harmful to human health if they are ingested or come into contact with the skin. Exposure to pesticides has been linked to cancer, birth defects, and other health problems. They can have negative impacts on the environment, including contaminating soil and water, killing beneficial insects and wildlife, and contributing to the development of pesticide-resistant pests. Pesticides can kill beneficial soil organisms, such as earthworms and microorganisms, which play a vital role in maintaining soil fertility and health, as well as harm bees and other pollinators such as birds, which are essential for the production of many fruits and vegetables.

Insects

My two main methods of preventing insect damage in the garden are companion planting and birds. Companion planting involves growing certain plants that have compounds which are known to deter pests. Here’s a few plants to consider:

• Basil: May repel flies, mosquitoes, and aphids

• Chrysanthemums: Contain a natural insecticide called pyrethrum, which can repel and kill a variety of insects, including ants, roaches, and spider mites.

• Lavender: Has a strong fragrance that can repel mosquitoes, flies, and moths.

• Marigolds: Contain a natural insecticide called pyrethrin, which can repel mosquitoes, flies, and other insects.

• Mint: Has a strong scent that can repel ants, flies, and mosquitoes.

• Rosemary: Has a strong scent that can repel mosquitoes and other insects.

Bird “Strike zone”

Birds can be a natural and effective way to reduce bugs in the garden. Many bird species, including chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice, are known for their insect-eating habits and can help control the populations of harmful bugs in the garden. Birds can consume large numbers of pests in a single day. For example, chickadees can eat up to 500 insects per day. Birds can help control the spread of pests, such as aphids and caterpillars, by eating them before they can reproduce and lay eggs. Some bird species, such as hummingbirds, can also help pollinate plants while they feed on nectar, leading to better fruit and vegetable yields.

To attract birds to your garden, you can provide food, water, and shelter. Planting native plants that produce berries or seeds can provide a food source, while birdhouses, birdbaths, and nesting boxes can provide shelter and water. By encouraging birds to visit your garden, you can create a natural and effective pest control system that benefits both your garden and the environment.

How to attract beneficial insects for natural pest control

One more important note: Insects aren’t all bad. Attracting beneficial insects is a natural and effective way to control pest populations in the garden. It is important to encourage these beneficial insects by planting a variety of flowers that bloom at different times and can provide a steady food source and attract a diverse range of beneficial insects. You may also want to provide nesting sites, such as hollow stems or brush piles, that can attract beneficial insects such as native bees and ladybugs, and a water source such as a birdbath or shallow dish. Planting specific plants together can attract beneficial insects and deter harmful pests. For example, planting dill, fennel, or parsley can attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies and lacewings, which prey on aphids.

Rodents

Rodents and deer can decimate an entire garden very quickly. You’ll want to be proactive if you know that you have a large population of these creatures nearby.

Preventing rodent damage in the garden with physical barriers

Using physical barriers, such as mesh screens or fences, can prevent rodents from accessing your garden. This is especially important in the case of deer. Deer are capable of jumping over a six-foot fence, so a fence should be at least eight feet tall. You can also try installing motion-activated sprinklers in your garden, which will spray water when it detects a deer approaching. Try to create movement and sound in the garden that may startle deer away such as scarecrows, loud wind chimes or hanging reflective objects like CDs or aluminum foil to create movement.

Companion planting for pest prevention in the garden

Certain plants are known to repel rodents. Planting these around your garden can help to keep rodents away. You can try growing Mint (including peppermint, spearmint, and pennyroyal), lavender, alliums including garlic and onions, marigolds, daffodils and catnip (which will hopefully attracts your neighborhood cats to the area)

Natural predators: Encouraging natural predators, such as cats, owls, and snakes, can help to keep rodents away. Garden snakes, also known as garter snakes, can be particularly beneficial to your garden ecosystem as they feed on insects and other pests. To encourage garden snakes, create areas where snakes can hide, such as brush piles, rock piles, or old logs. This will give them a safe place to rest and hide from predators. Snakes need water to survive, so provide a shallow water source like a birdbath or small pond. Minimize disturbance in your garden by avoiding heavy foot traffic or loud noises. Snakes need to regulate their body temperature by basking in the sun. Provide a sunny spot in your garden where snakes can bask and warm themselves.

Other garden pest prevention methods

Crop rotation

Crop rotation is an effective method of pest management that involves planting different crops in a specific order or sequence to reduce the buildup of pests in the soil. To use crop rotation to prevent pests in your garden, it’s important to understand the life cycle of pests: Different pests have different life cycles and prefer to feed on certain types of plants. Rotate your crops so that plants from the same family are not planted in the same section of your garden in consecutive years. For example, if you grew tomatoes in a particular bed one year, rotate to a different family the next year, such as peas, beans, or lettuce.

Row covers

Row covers are a physical barrier that can be used to protect plants from pests, while also providing some protection from frost, sun and wind. There are different types of row covers available, including lightweight, medium weight, and heavyweight. Lightweight covers are ideal for pest prevention, while medium and heavyweight covers can also provide some frost protection. Place the row cover over the plants and secure it to the ground with stakes, rocks, or other heavy objects to prevent pests from crawling underneath. It's important to ensure good ventilation under the row cover to prevent the buildup of heat and moisture, which can damage plants or promote the growth of fungal diseases. You can use hoops or other supports to keep the cover from touching the plants.

While row covers can help prevent pests, it's important to monitor for any signs of infestation, such as holes or damage to the plants. Lift the covers periodically to check for pests, and remove any that you find.

Row covers should be removed once the plants have matured and are ready to be harvested or when the weather has warmed up enough that pests are no longer a threat. This will allow the plants to pollinate and grow properly.

Sanitation

Good garden hygiene will go a long way. Remove plant debris and weeds after harvest and before planting a new crop. This will help reduce the risk of pests and diseases overwintering in the soil or on plant debris.

What pests do you have in your garden?