06/23/2022
As of last week, Hammerhead worms have been found in Greene County! 🪱
âž¡ Hammerhead worms have become fairly widespread across the southeast and they commonly prey on earthworms- which are beneficial to our lawns & gardens.
âž¡ Don't touch! Wear gloves if you handle them! Many species of hammerhead worms contain a potent neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin- which is the same toxin found in pufferfish and a few other animals.
➡ If you spot a hammerhead worm, don’t hesitate to kill it. It’s best to put it into a bucket with salt & vinegar to kill the worm. Cutting the worm in half does not work, because like some other species of worms these two halves will regenerate so you'll have two worms instead of one.
âž¡ You can report hammerhead worms to https://www.inaturalist.org/. https://www.inaturalist.org/ is a citizen science project attempting to catalog all living things. Arkansans can upload observations and be among the first to help track the spread of this invasive worm.
âž¡ To see their current known distribution, or to learn more, visit https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/64221-Bipalium-kewense. Visitors to the site can also look up any other known plant, animal, bird, fish, insect or fungi.
âž¡ Learn more about hammerhead worms in Arkansas- https://www.uaex.uada.edu/media-resources/news/2021/september2021/09-10-2021-Ark-hammerhead-worms.aspx
Special thanks to Hyde's Termite & Pest Control for sharing this photo with us!
