During the last week of June, a Minnesota county paused distribution of mulch and compost after workers discovered some invasive worms. Just last week, the same county found more worms at another yard waste site. Here’s what to know about the jumping worms.
Ramsey County Finds Invasive ‘Jumping Worms’ At Yard Waste Sites
According to an online release from Ramsey County, sites in Arden Hills and White Bear Township have paused distribution of mulch and compost after workers spotted the invasive jumping worms.
“Workers saw what they suspected to be jumping worms at the Arden Hills yard waste site on June 28 and immediately paused mulch distribution at that site.” The DNR confirmed the jumping worms on July 7th. Then, on July 8th, more jumping worms were spotted in the White Bear Township yard waste site. “Staff found suspected jumping worms at the White Bear Township site on July 8.”
The White Bear Township worms, found on July 8th, have not been confirmed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Why Are Jumping Worms A Problem?
You might be asking yourself, what harm can a worm do? Well, these jumping worms can be bad news for your yard or nearby parks. According to Ramsey County, jumping worms “quickly degrade soil, kill garden plants, and damage lawns. They look similar to nightcrawlers and other earthworms and can be identified by the way they wiggle intensely when disturbed.”
How Can You Spot A ‘Jumping Worm’?
While the jumping worm looks a lot like a regular earthworm, there is one telltale sign that you are dealing with a jumping worm, outside of its intense wiggling. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says that the jumping worm has “a light-colored ring that extends around the body and is closer to the head than in other earthworms.”…