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OMG! New Guinea Flat Worm
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2023 6:14 am
by Rockporter
I literally just found one of these in my backyard near the shed. How scary, I have never seen anything like it before. It was so creepy I called my husband out to look at it. I put it into a jar to toss away, I am now going to notify the local extension about it. It's so creepy seeing that thing move like a snake but it was like a worm and flat. Yuck!
http://www.tsusinvasives.org/home/datab ... -manokwari
Re: OMG! New Guinea Flat Worm
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2023 6:30 am
by GoDawgs
Wow! Thanks for the heads up. Your article says it was in Miami in 2015 but has the possibility of spreading through the Southeast. Miami is a waaaaaaay long crawl from here but I'll still be on the lookout.
Good on you for reporting it to the extension as they are collecting that information!
Re: OMG! New Guinea Flat Worm
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2023 8:37 am
by MissS
The good news is that they will eat your slugs and snails.
Re: OMG! New Guinea Flat Worm
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2023 3:05 pm
by Rockporter
GoDawgs wrote: ↑Wed Apr 12, 2023 6:30 am
Wow! Thanks for the heads up. Your article says it was in Miami in 2015 but has the possibility of spreading through the Southeast. Miami is a waaaaaaay long crawl from here but I'll still be on the lookout.
Good on you for reporting it to the extension as they are collecting that information!
It's officially here in Texas and in a few areas including the Corpus Christi area. I think it has probably already hit your area you just don't know it yet. This is the first time I have seen one and they have apparently been here a couple of years
http://www.tsusinvasives.org/home/datab ... -manokwari
Re: OMG! New Guinea Flat Worm
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2023 3:06 pm
by Rockporter
MissS wrote: ↑Wed Apr 12, 2023 8:37 am
The good news is that they will eat your slugs and snails.
The bad news is they will decimate them, and we need them for the eco system. I am really bothered by them being in my yard. Here is another article about them that goes more in depth.
http://www.tsusinvasives.org/home/datab ... -manokwari
Re: OMG! New Guinea Flat Worm
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2023 4:38 pm
by GoDawgs
Rockporter wrote: ↑Wed Apr 12, 2023 3:05 pm
It's officially here in Texas and in a few areas including the Corpus Christi area. I think it has probably already hit your area you just don't know it yet. This is the first time I have seen one and they have apparently been here a couple of years
http://www.tsusinvasives.org/home/datab ... -manokwari
I found a map of worm distribution dated 2023 but I don't see anything in Texas or in Georgia. Probably not reported to whoever is doing the map. But it does indicate counties where it has been reported in Florida and Alabama
https://www.eddmaps.org/distribution/us ... ?sub=78294
But I researched Georgia Extension which had an alert that they will eventually get here but none had been reported yet (as of 2020). They're really good about publicizing alerts about nasty invaders.
Re: OMG! New Guinea Flat Worm
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2023 4:41 pm
by Rockporter
GoDawgs wrote: ↑Wed Apr 12, 2023 4:38 pm
Rockporter wrote: ↑Wed Apr 12, 2023 3:05 pm
It's officially here in Texas and in a few areas including the Corpus Christi area. I think it has probably already hit your area you just don't know it yet. This is the first time I have seen one and they have apparently been here a couple of years
http://www.tsusinvasives.org/home/datab ... -manokwari
I found a map of worm distribution dated 2023 but I don't see anything in Texas or in Georgia. Probably not reported to whoever is doing the map. But it does indicate counties where it has been reported in Florida and Alabama
https://www.eddmaps.org/distribution/us ... ?sub=78294
But I researched Georgia Extension which had an alert that they will eventually get here but none had been reported yet (as of 2020). They're really good about publicizing alerts about nasty invaders.
That's great, I hope you don't come across them and they tackle them somehow. I am really glad I used a piece of thick straw that had blown into the yard the other day to pick it up. I don't like the feel of worms anyway but this thing startled me by it's looks.
Re: OMG! New Guinea Flat Worm
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2023 4:45 pm
by GoDawgs
One thing that might help me is that, for whatever reason, I have never had a snail or slug problem in the garden. No slime trails, no snail munching, etc. Maybe if a stray flat worm does come it will die of starvation.
