RHINELANDER, WI (WTAQ) – Another invasive pest from Asia appears to be marching northward in Wisconsin.
As gardeners and landowners start working outdoors, officials in Rhinelander are telling them to watch out for the “jumping worm.”
It turned up in Dane County about 3 years ago. It’s suspected of living elsewhere in the Badger State after arriving here from its native Japan and Korea.
Oneida County invasive species specialist Jean Hansen says the jumping worm likes being under compost piles and mulch — and those who mulch in their yards will see them just above the ground. She said the worm restructures the soil, and eats at roots — making it difficult for plants to stay alive and regenerate.
The jumping worm looks somewhat like the common earthworm, with a tan-band around its torso.
According to Hansen, the state DNR does not know a lot about the species. But they do know enough to produce a “Best Management Practice” document which you’ll find on the DNR’s Web site if you write “jumping worm” in the main search box on the home page.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)
