By Joe Millitzer
The worms can be found in the top few inches of soil, leaves, or mulch, and they are displacing earthworms, centipedes and other animals. They also damage plant roots, deplete nutrients, and alter the water-holding capacity of the soil. Plants become more susceptible to pests, drought and disease. The worms are a danger to agriculture, gardens and forests.
The jumping worms were more common on the East and West Coasts of the United States. Now the worms have been spotted in Midwestern states such as Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.
The University of Illinois says the worms can’t survive past frigid winters of the upper Midwest. But, they have egg casings that will persist through the cold weather.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is asking anyone who finds jumping worms to kill them.