(WWJ) – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking residents to report jumping worms, as the invasive species is popping up in higher numbers than normal.
The DNR says the species may be widespread in the Lower Peninsula.
Officials say jumping worms – which look similar to earthworms (or nightcrawlers) – can be distinguished by their thrashing and jumping movements.
Earthworms have a raised clitellum that does not fully encircle the body, whereas jumping worms have a flat clitellum, often gray or milky white in color, with no gap.
The jumping worms inhabit leaf litter and upper levels of soil and can infest gardens, yards, potted plants, compost, mulch, forests and agricultural fields, according to the DNR.
The worms can reproduce without a mate, meaning their populations can increase quickly. Officials say jumping worms consume large amounts of leaf litter, destroying this “important organic layer while displaying or out-competing native species, including insects, salamanders, ground nesting birds and other earthworms.”
As these jumping worms consume organic matter, the DNR says they change the composition of the soil, making it less favorable for natural fungi and bacteria as well as for plant growth.
In forests, this could affect native plant regeneration. In lawns and gardens, this could mean harm to ornamental plantings and turf.
So, how do you identify a jumping worm?
• 1.5” to 8” glossy gray to brown worm.
• Distinctive jumping or thrashing behavior and snakelike movements.
• Body is firm and shiny.
• Clitellum (smooth, wide collar) is flat and goes all the way around the body.
• Worm castings create uniform, granular soil similar to coffee grounds.
• Overwinters in 1-2 millimeter cocoons; only one worm is needed to produce many cocoons.
How do you get rid of them?
• Currently, there are no proven methods of control or pesticide management for jumping worms.
• Individual worms can be killed by placing in a sealed plastic bag and freezing, heating, or sending to the landfill, but this may not control a population.Mulch and soil/compost can be heated to 130F for at least 3 days to destroy cocoons.
Prevention is the best management:
• Play, Clean, Go: Clean shoes, vehicles, and gear when moving from site to site.
• Purchase only new soil, bare-root plants, or mulch that doesn’t contain jumping worms or cocoons.
• Don’t use these worms as bait or composters.
The DNR is asking Michiganders to report invasive jumping worms to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network.
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