Kill This Worm Immediately if Found in Your Maine Garden

Not all earthworms are created equal, and the Asian jumping worm (found in Maine) is the worst!

I was chatting with a friend of mine, and the subject turned to gardening and compost. That's when my friend freaked out and said she was very careful where she bought her compost, because of the Asian jumping worm! She went on and on about how evil it is. I thought she was a little nuts until I did some research and found out just how bad this worm is!

The jumping/snake (Amynthas) worm has been prominent in Maine for 10 years.

According to Maine, these super bad worms are native to Korea and Japan, but are also here in the United States. They have been in Maine since 1952, but have only been found in damaging populations within the last 10 years. They were also found in a rhododendron display at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. Now they are considered widespread in 13 of the 16 counties.

How can you distinguish between a bad jumping worm and a good earthworm in your Maine garden?

You can tell the difference between these two types of earthworms, and it's important you do. Jumping worms change the soil, and not in a good way. They turn good soil into grainy, dry worm poop that plants can't grow in. In nurseries and greenhouses, jumping worms damage soil so much that it has drought symptoms. Make sure you kill these worms!

Be careful around these worms! They get their name because when they are caught, they go crazy! Don't use these as bait, either!