The invasive – and poisonous – hammerhead worm has been noticed in Ontario.
Often known as a broadhead planarian, the worm can develop as much as three ft (or a bit of greater than 91 centimetres) lengthy and has a neurotoxin, referred to as tetrodotoxin, which can also be present in pufferfish. The extraordinarily potent poison could cause tingling or a rash when touched by people, and nausea if swallowed.
However John Reynolds, a laboratory biologist and worm professional, mentioned they’re not harmful.
“They do not actually do loads of harm to crops or something. They don’t seem to be deadly to folks.”
Reynolds mentioned the worm poses extra of a menace to small animals and pets, however he would not know of any deadly instances.
“It is not going to kill them. However they will get upset, vomit or no matter, they usually’ll get a stinging sensation or numbing of their tongue,” Reynolds defined. “I’ve heard rumours about pets, however I’ve by no means had any precise particular person, give me any useable information or info.”
He added that the hammerhead worm doesn’t actually have a predator.
“In the event you break a chunk off or reduce it, each piece that breaks off can turn out to be a brand new particular person. So it is nearly like they’re right here ceaselessly when you’re not cautious.”
The worms have been noticed round Guelph and Hamilton over the previous a number of years and reported to the invasive species platform iNaturalist.ca. The newest sighting was recorded in Newmarket in March.
“They’re completely different than something that is ever been right here earlier than. Swiftly the change within the local weather, issues are shifting up that you simply’re discovering right here,” Reynolds mentioned.
He defined that the hammerhead worm originated in Southeast Asia and have been doubtless introduced over accidently by plant deliveries to nurseries.
“In the event that they got here up, not in naked root, however in ball and burlap, then it is fairly conceivable that both small members of those flat worms or their cocoons have been within the soil,” he mentioned.
Reynolds recommends gardeners buy vegetation with none soil round their roots.
“Once you go to the plant nursery, get naked root, as a result of then you possibly can actually see, as a result of the cocoons are fairly small, they’re actually exhausting to see.”
In the event you do come throughout a hammerhead worm in your backyard, Reynolds mentioned the very best factor to do is decide it up with gloves or a shovel and put it right into a plastic bag, then depart the bag out within the solar till the worm dies. The bag and worm will be thrown into your rubbish.
“Even when they have been nonetheless barely alive when within the rubbish, they’ll a landfill, they are not going to hassle something in a landfill,” he mentioned.
In keeping with Reynolds, the worms will doubtless transfer on from a backyard if there isn’t another bugs or worms to eat.
“Their essential focus is consuming slugs, snails and my beloved earthworms,” he mentioned. “If they can not discover any of these, they’re cannibalistic. They’re going to eat different members of their very own species.”
Composting considerations
Amanda Hunter, the proprietor of Worm Wrangler in Kitchener, supplies pink worms to clients who compost. Whereas hammerhead worms will not be a difficulty for individuals who do it indoors, Hunter mentioned anybody utilizing worms to assist with outside composting might expertise challenges.
“I’d suspect that these hammerhead worms would doubtlessly inhibit their capacity to compost. They might most likely decimate their worm inhabitants that they’ve invested to inoculate their compost with, that kind of factor,” Hunter defined. “I am not all in favour of seeing these guys flourish.”
Reporting sightings
Ontario’s Ministry of Pure Assets and Forestry encourages folks to report sightings on-line by the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System to help in monitoring the hammerhead worm.
The Invasive Species Centre additionally encourages folks to report any hammerhead worms, or another invasive species, on iNaturalist.ca.
