An invasive worm species from Asia has been causing havoc in gardens and yards across the American Midwest. The Asian jumping worm can thrive in all types of soil and is making a home for itself in the fertile land between the two coasts. With no natural predators in the United States, the worm is free to breed and increase its population, leaving destruction in its wake.
These worms are not only creepy, but they are also harmful. When they consume their meals, they leave the soil depleted and in a bad state. The soil becomes altered to the point that it no longer retains moisture like it once did, and it’s stripped of many nutrients, making it vulnerable to erosion.
The Asian jumping worm has made its way across numerous states in the heartland of America as of 2021, including Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.
If you spot these worms in your garden or yard, it is recommended that you get rid of them. They steal all the nutrients from the soil, leaving local plants and animals with no food to survive. With no place to live, the local plants and animals start to die off, and their population gets depleted in proportion to how many of these worms continue to thrive.
Brad Herrick, an ecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, suggests sprinkling a mixture onto the soil to get rid of them. The formula involves mixing mustard powder with water and pouring it on top of the soil. This irritates the worms’ skin, so they leave the ground and come out for air. They can emerge as quickly as thirty seconds.
You can identify the Asian jumping worm by a marker on its body. It has a white ring around its body that is close to its head.
Smithsonian reports, “Researchers suggest individuals remove any adult worms they find, place them in a plastic bag, leave them in the sun for at least ten minutes and then throw them away. Experts also suggest that individuals shouldn’t purchase the worms for bait, gardening, or composting—and should only buy compost or mulch that has been adequately heated to reduce the spread of egg casings, which do not survive temperatures over 104 degrees Fahrenheit.”
These invasive worms are a significant threat to the ecosystem and should be dealt with immediately. By using the mustard powder mixture, homeowners can quickly eliminate these worms and prevent them from damaging their gardens or yards. Remember, prevention is always better than a cure, so make sure you’re taking the necessary precautions to protect your soil from these invasive worms.
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Source: AWM