One telltale sign of an infestation is a very uniform, granular soil created from worm castings, the nutrient-rich soil that the worms leave behind. Photo credit: Penn State Master Gardener Program How do you know if you have Asian earthworms? While the cocoons can survive winter temperatures, the hatchlings cannot survive freezing temperatures. One worm can produce many cocoons without mating. The cocoons, which are about the size of a mustard seed, will survive the winter and hatch in mid-April after temperatures reach 50☏ for a consistent period. Jumping worms are an annual species-the adults die after the first freeze. The structure of the soil is also damaged, and often, there will be voids under tree roots that are near the surface of the soil. When such a disturbance happens, it provides an opportunity for an invasive plant species, such as garlic mustard or stiltgrass, to move in. There is only bare soil where there was once lush vegetation and wildflowers. During heavy rainstorms, the nutrients are quickly lost, and the soil may be unable to support plant growth. Nutrients from their castings are rapidly released, with a small amount actually reaching the roots of plants.
Jumping worms are ravenous feeders that quickly consume the organic matter and degrade the soil. Many of the tree roots establish in this duff layer of the forest floor, and wildflowers grow. This upper layer of organic matter protects the soil from erosion. They live in the organic matter or the topmost layer of soil. These invasive worms are members of the genera Metaphire and Amynthas. Unfortunately, both native earthworms and European nightcrawlers are now being displaced by the destructive jumping worms. As the tunnels were created, the earthworms mixed soil components and improved air and water movement. Forests developed without them, but in time European earthworms appeared and began to burrow through the soil. There are still native species of earthworms in a few areas of North America, but in states where glaciation occurred, the native species were wiped out. They can be found in the Southeast, along the Eastern Seaboard, and in the mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and some Northwestern states.
Jumping worms, also called crazy worms, are a relatively new invasive species from Asia but are rapidly spreading across the United States.
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