Just when the ruckus over Giant Killer Hornets has calmed, we have another giant invasive pest to worry about!
Asian jumping worms have been found in at least 34 states — the first in California was found last year in Napa County — and have been a problem everywhere they’ve been found. They look like larger versions of the ordinary earthworm, but they have a distinctive white band near one end . When disturbed, they will thrash wildly and can jump over a foot. This alone is alarming, especially if you’re using them as fishing bait and they keep escaping.
Ordinary earthworms are pretty mellow creatures. They eat organic matter at a leisurely pace and leave nutrient-rich castings. They tend to hang out in the top foot or two of soil but can burrow to 6 feet in areas subject to cold winters. This burrowing leaves channels in the soil, which aerates and allows water and plant roots to penetrate deeply.
Jumping worms, however, have a voracious appetite and can devour organic matter at an extremely fast pace. When they are introduced into a forest, they can destroy the leaf litter in a short time, leaving tree roots vulnerable and disrupting the ecosystem of the forest floor. When they digest this organic matter, they leave behind their castings , which is remarkably nutrient-poor.
Although they are already here in our gardens, we don’t want them in our forests since that’s where they cause the most damage. As gardeners, there are a few things we can do to prevent this.
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