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Gary350
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Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

Hammer Head Worms.

I saw this on TV News this morning. I did not know there is such a thing as hammer head worms. TV said, do not touch they are very toxic. Hammer head worms eat other worms. I hope I never see these in my garden. I hope I never see these worms anywhere. Dodder vine is bad enough now hammer head worms. I have learned you can get dodder vine from buying garden plants. They claim salt & vinegar will kill hammer head worms.
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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I read an article about them this morning — USA news I think?

It didn’t mention they are in TN as well as Louisiana. Non-native, Invasive species from …SE Asia?

Not so toxic that needs concern unless ingested — maybe watch pets because it excretes toxins
"If you did come in contact with one, you should wash your hands because they do produce a toxin. It doesn't affect people that just touch them. You wouldn't want to eat one because they do in fact produce a poison that they use in predation." — Chris Carlton, Director Emeritus at the Louisiana State University Agriculture Center
Predatory carnivor and will eat earthworms but also will eat slugs and insects.

Found under compost pile — makes sense since that’s where earthworms are … maybe they will also eat millipedes, pillbugs and sow bugs?

It’s a flatworm and will re-grow from as many pieces as are cut up. :eek: (Hence recommendation to salt them like slugs — I would use epsom salts which are less harmful to the garden, but probably not found up here in NJ unless accidentally imported — maybe could survive the winter under a hot compost pile?)

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Gary350
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Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

When I was a kid and lived in Illinois we had slugs grandmother gave us kids salt to pour on slugs. Slugs would produce a white foam that washed away the salt then slugs would move away about 1" and continue life like normal. We would spend hours pouring salt on slugs it never killed them. We made our own fun.
Last edited by Gary350 on Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Location: Amherst, MA USDA Zone 5a

Wow, hammer head worms, I'll keep an eye out for those!



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