It seems like invasive species are constantly in the news. While the recent appearance of Joro spiders has been making headlines recently, they’re not technically considered an invasive species. They don’t appear to be harmful to any native species, so the technical term to describe Joro spiders is non-native. One non-native species in Georgia that is most definitely wreaking havoc on the local ecosystem is the hammerhead worm, also known as land planarians. These frightening worms have been present in Georgia for years, and over the last few summers, their numbers have been increasing dramatically. They have been killing off native worms that are much more beneficial to the environment. Read on to find out more.
Like the Joro spider, hammerhead worms are native to Asia. They have actually been present in the United States for several decades, but they’re growing in numbers and becoming more of an environmental threat.
gailhampshire/Flickr
The worms are long, ranging anywhere from eight to 15 inches, and come in a variety of colors, though brown appears to be most common.
Martin LaBar/Flickr
They’re fond of high humidity environments, meaning the warmer months in Georgia are when they thrive. They are light sensitive and you can catch them feeding at night.
Wikimedia Commons
They’re quite distinctive due to their hammer-shaped head.
Wikimedia Commons
The worms are incredibly harmful to the environment, as they have no known natural predators and consume the native earthworms that are beneficial to the soil.
Wikimedia Commons They eat earthworms by dissolving them with the use of a neurotoxin. It can be irritating to human skin, so if you touch one, make sure to wash your hands off afterwards!
If you’re asking yourself “should I kill hammerhead worms in Georgia?” the answer is yes.
SREEJITH VISWANATHAN/Wikimedia Commons Do not cut the worms in half. They can reproduce asexually, so within a few weeks, those two or three halves will become two or three new worms. In order to properly exterminate hammerhead worms, you need to gather them up into a container using a stick, then pour salt or a vinegar solution onto them. Put the sealed container into the freezer for 48 hours to ensure the worm is dead.
Yuck! Even if you area fan of creepy crawlies, these things are on the icky side! Have you spotted hammerhead worms in Georgia? Share your experiences in the comments!
gailhampshire/Flickr
Martin LaBar/Flickr
Wikimedia Commons
They eat earthworms by dissolving them with the use of a neurotoxin. It can be irritating to human skin, so if you touch one, make sure to wash your hands off afterwards!
SREEJITH VISWANATHAN/Wikimedia Commons
Do not cut the worms in half. They can reproduce asexually, so within a few weeks, those two or three halves will become two or three new worms. In order to properly exterminate hammerhead worms, you need to gather them up into a container using a stick, then pour salt or a vinegar solution onto them. Put the sealed container into the freezer for 48 hours to ensure the worm is dead.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
