To The Editor:
Last weekend at the N.O.F.A. conference, I attended a workshop on snake (or jumping) worms. There is surprising silence in the media on them.
They are invasive Asian worms that are thin, lively, snake-like, 4 inches long. They are annual and peak in mid-May to mid-June, then die in the fall. They produce many so-called cocoons, like larger black poppy seeds which will hatch in the spring in clusters in the top 2 feet of soil. They deplete the soil and plants grow slower.
They are hard to catch. Mustard seed ground in water and poured over the soil will bring them to the surface. Catch (with a glove on) and handful of earth. Drown in a water bucket. Dispose of earth in trash, wash tools, etc. Be careful of purchased mulch and plants.
P.A. Davies
Waitsfield
