Jumping Worm

Jumping worms are a new invasive earthworm with the potential to negatively impact gardens and landscapes throughout Minnesota. All earthworms are non-native to Minnesota. Gardeners have become used to seeing worms in gardens and to the role earthworms can play in decomposing plant material in a garden. Earthworms can spread beyond gardens and into natural areas and have large impacts on our forests.  There is a new worm species in town that can have strong impacts in garden settings. Jumping worms consume both living and dead plant material at accelerated rates and change the soil to give it a “coffee grounds-like” texture, which can severely stunt or kill plants if in high enough populations. In this Hot Topic, we’ll spend some time learning about jumping worms, including why they are a problem, how we can avoid spreading them, and what to do if you have them in your garden.  

Read:

• Jumping Worms from the University of Minnesota Extension. This page is constantly updated with new information, including answers for frequently asked questions. Check back regularly. 

• Fertilizers and Jumping Worms ; a response

• Coping with Jumping Worms from Karen Randall, Ramsey County Master Gardener 

Apply What You've Learned:

As you work through the information, consider the following questions:

• What steps can you take to prevent the spread of jumping worms?

• What should you do if you find jumping worms in your garden? 

Take Action:

• Hosting a plant sale? Follow the Plant Sale Recommendations to Reduce Jumping Worm Spread from the University of Minnesota Extension.

• Report Management to help the University understand current outbreaks and management steps you're taking around the state. This is a great way to help improve our understanding of jumping worms in the garden.

• Let the Minnesota Department of Agriculture know about finding Jumping Worms in your yard or garden.

• Become a Worm Ranger to document jumping worms across the state.

Share Resources:

• Use the Jumping Worms handout from the Let's Talk Plants toolkit to share information about Jumping Worms with gardeners. 

• Share the Cleaning Roots to Prevent Jumping Worms video to demonstrate best practices when sharing plants. A shorter version without audio is available as well.

• If you would like, please use the following language when communicating with the public about jumping worms:

Jumping worms are a new pest for many Minnesota gardeners. Jumping worms are very active, and can be identified by their jumpy, wiggly behavior. In the garden, they can change their soil texture to resemble coffee grounds, which can affect plant and soil health and lead to increased erosion. 

Jumping worms are difficult to properly identify in the early growing season when they are immature. If you suspect you have jumping worms, submit a report after late July when the worms are mature and can be properly identified. Find resources for reporting at z.umn.edu/jumpingworms

As with any new pest, we are still learning what the long-term effects of these worms are in the garden, as well as best management practices. There is still a lot we do not know. At this time, prevention is the best way to manage this pest. Visit the University of Minnesota Extension resources at z.umn.edu/jumping worms to learn best practices for prevention and stay up-to-date with our current understanding of jumping worms.

Sources:

• The MN DNR Earthworm Webpage

• The MN DNR Jumping Worm Webpage

• The WI DNR Jumping Worms Website

• Great Lakes Worm Watch

• University of Wisconsin Arboretum Jumping Worms Research Update

• Gupta, A., Rager, A., Weber, M., Dombeck, E., & Pelaez Mosquera, S. (2018) By Land and By Sea: Identification Guide to Non-Native Species for Minnesota. Field Guide, Book. University of Minnesota.