Growing up, my mother was a gardener and tended her 20’ x 10’ garden in our backyard. I learned that some bugs were good to have around—like spiders and bees and earthworms. OK, so earthworms aren’t bugs, but I did learn that they are good for your garden. So anytime we found some, they were tossed into the garden knowing they were making it better—aerating and fertilizing the soil.
Now in my own garden 40 years later, I again find myself “playing in the dirt.” I came across some nice fellas—wiggly and huge. I’m thinking, Great! You’ll do my garden some good. So in they go. Now I keep finding these wiggly ones. They move more like snakes, actually, but I recalled my upbringing: Earthworms + garden = better vegetables.
Then my husband, digging nearby, shouts, “Hey, I found a bunch of worms. Do you want them?” I respond eagerly, “Yes! Please toss them in the garden.”
Then I stumble on an article about “Asian Jumping Worms” on Facebook and, lo and behold—guess what!? Asian Jumping Worms are NOT good for your garden. In fact, if you find them, you want to kill them (you can put them into a container with vinegar.) If not removed, they will ultimately consume soil nutrients and damage your garden.
What had I done!????? I was adding them to my garden. Well now, I can’t dig one hole without finding them by the dozen! I had created a haven for Asian Jumping Worms right in my vegetable garden!
These days even earthworms don’t get a chance. If I see any wormlike creature, I err on the side of “this one is a bad one”—and out it goes. ❖
EDITOR’S NOTE: Asian Jumping Worms are actually not that hard to distinguish. The jumping worms have a dark band encircling their body a bit below their head, do not feel slimy, do move a bit like snakes, and jerk frantically—even “jump”—if disturbed.
