{"id":21979,"date":"2023-04-27T13:00:48","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T17:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=21979"},"modified":"2025-08-05T08:41:56","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T12:41:56","slug":"asian-jumping-worms-where-to-get-started-landscape-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/asian-jumping-worms-where-to-get-started-landscape-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Asian jumping worms: Where to get started – Landscape Report"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Image<\/a>

The clitellum, the set of pale, milky colored segments, is the reproductive organ of earthworms.<\/p><\/div>\n

Purdue Landscape Report<\/a>: Asian jumping worms, a group of invasive earthworms, have gained a significant amount of media attention in the last several weeks, and for good reason.\u00a0 Unlike the nightcrawlers and other earthworms we know, Asian jumping worms do not improve soil health to the benefit of plants.\u00a0 Instead, jumping worms (also called crazy worms, snake worms, or \u2018Alabama jumpers\u2019) almost completely strip nutrients out of soil, altering the soil structure and severely impairing the ability to develop many kinds of plants. After they are done with an area, Asian jumping worms leave behind soil that has a texture similar to that of coffee grounds and very low nutritional value. On top of this, Asian jumping worms are capable of reproducing asexually, allowing their population to grow very rapidly and making them an invasive species of some concern.<\/p>\n

Identification<\/strong>
\nThe good news is that Asian jumping worms are not well-suited to Indiana\u2019s environment.\u00a0 They aren\u2019t capable of surviving winters in any life stage except as an egg, meaning their activity periods are limited to late June to the first hard frost of the year.\u00a0 If you see worms outside of this period, it\u2019s highly unlikely an Asian jumping worm.\u00a0 There are also a few traits the worms have that you can use to visually confirm their identity.\u00a0 First off, Asian jumping worms are accurately named; when handled, they writhe and thrash similar to snakes, setting them apart from common earthworms and nightcrawlers.\u00a0 Jumping worms also tend to have drier skin that has an almost iridescent appearance, as compared to the slimy, moist texture of the beneficial earthworms we need for good soil health.\u00a0 The most consistent feature is an organ known as the clitellum, or the reproductive organs of worms.\u00a0 On common earthworms, this looks like a saddle-shape that partially covers several segments, is normally reddish-brown, and is raised off the surface of the body.\u00a0 On an Asian jumping worm, however, the clitellum is indistinguishable from other segments, save for their pale, milky color.<\/p>\n

To view this article and other Purdue Landscape Report articles, please visit Purdue Landscape Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Subscribe and receive the newsletter: Purdue Landscape Report Newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Resources:
\n<\/strong>The Purdue Landscape Report<\/a>
\nPurdue Landscape Report Facebook Page<\/a>
\nGardeners Asked to be Vigilant This Spring for Invasive Jumping Worm<\/a>, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
\nFall webworms: Should you manage them?<\/a>, Purdue Landscape Report
\nMimosa Webworm<\/a>, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
\nSod Webworms<\/a>, Turf Science at Purdue University
\nBagworm caterpillars are out feeding, be ready to spray your trees<\/a>, Purdue Extension Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) Got Nature? Blog
\nPurdue Plant Doctor App Suite<\/a>, Purdue Extension-Entomology
\nLandscape & Ornamentals: Bagworms<\/a>, The Education Store
\nWhat are invasive species and why should I care?<\/a> (How to report invasives.), Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
\nIndiana Invasive Species Council<\/a>
\nAsk An Expert<\/a>,\u00a0Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources<\/p>\n

Bob Bruner<\/a>, Exotic Forest Pest Specialist
\nPurdue Department of Entomology<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Purdue Landscape Report: Asian jumping worms, a group of invasive earthworms, have gained a significant amount of media attention in the last several weeks, and for good reason.\u00a0 Unlike the nightcrawlers and other earthworms we know, Asian jumping worms do not improve soil health to the benefit of plants.\u00a0 Instead, jumping worms (also called crazy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,859,54,622],"tags":[1758,161,584,895,347],"class_list":["post-21979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-invasiveinsects","category-nature-of-teaching","category-wildlife","category-woodlands","tag-asian-juming-worm","tag-identification","tag-insects","tag-purdue-landscape-report","tag-soil","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-20 12:39:45","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21979"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21979\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34324,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21979\/revisions\/34324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}