Topic: New Zealand flatworm

[greenstar]

Has anybody had any dealings with these?  One of our allotment holders found one a couple of weeks ago after noticing a considerable decline in the number of earthworms in her plot.

If there's been one, how many more are there likely to be?  Are they prolific breeders?  And is  there any thing we can do to get rid of them that won't be detrimental to other worms and suchlike?  I've had a quick scout about on the internet but can't find any advice on dealing with them other than hunting them down and squishing them.

[pye]

Sorry, no. I thought I found one last year, panic stations, then I googled and discovered the difference between a flatworm and a Flat Worm.  ::)

The advice I found was the same - there's no way to get rid of them - but I did also read that in some infested areas, earthworm populations which initially had been devestated were starting to recover.

Fingers crossed you got the only one.  :-\

[jennym]

Agree with pye, however they do like to hide under smooth, damp, flattish things like black plastic or slate, so laying pices then pulling it up and removing any would help. Also, encourage the earthworms back by bringing in small amounts of soil that has earthworms (and therefore their eggs) and plenty of organic material.

[glow777]

If you suspect that you have found a New Zealand or Australian flatworm, or their egg capsule, do not touch it as the mucus covering the flatworm can cause skin irritation.

DEFRA has some information on them here - can't remember if you have to report them or not.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/pestnote/flat.htm

[OllieC]

I remember in the late 80's or early 90's, being told we'd have no more normal worms left because they'd all have been eaten by these little bad boys. I hope they're as wrong with Harlequins.

[greenstar]

Thank you all for your advice.  Went hunting under anything smooth and flat this afternoon and I found one and savaged it with my trowel!  Still seem to have plenty of earthworms so maybe they've been around on the allotments for ages.

[greenstar]

Just to update on this:

We have moved to a new plot - hurray!  But tidying it up today we lifted a load of black plastic and found six of the buggers.  We've dug the whole plot over and only seen about three earthworms.  :'(

There are few things that make me completely lose the plot (I know) when I'm gardening, but these have just been added to the list, along with bindweed, 9 inch slugs and grabbing a fistful of weeds to pull out and finding there were lots of new nettles in there.

Apparently they ooze onto the worms, liquidise them and make worm soup.  Yum.  Who needs Dr Who?

[froglets]

I had a bit of a panic last year digging over our plot, but ours turned out to be some form of leech ( I'm all for wildlife & organic gardening etc, but euch).  While I was researching it all, I'm sure the advice was to keep your soil healthy to give the good guys a better chance of surviving, and as Ollie C & Pye said, it isn't necessarily as bad as the initial scares had us believe.

Good Luck

[greenstar]

Thanks Froglets.  Unfortunately they are definitely NZ flatworms - they've been found in other plots as well.  I suppose the upside is that they've probably been here for years and the plot that we've moved onto won best veg garden at the annual show for three years in a row.  It just means I may have to rethink my no dig plans  :(

[PAULW]

GREENSTAR
I have also found flatworms on my plot and I have come up with a cunning plan when the weather gets a bit better I intend to water the area with Murphy's SLUGIT this works by breaking down the mucus on the slug so seeing as the flatworm is covered in mucus it should have the same effect on them .

[Shirley]

I had a problem with the NZ flatworm, back in 2000, but have not seen too many recently in my garden.  I did manage to get quite a bit of data on them at the time as it was a subject of university research. You do not have to notify anyone, although during the various univ. studies students were collecting data (including actual worms).

During the day the flatworm hides under polythene bags, bits of wood, etc. Look for them and the squash them or dump them in salty water.  Also look for the egg capsule which contains 6-10 young which are a creamy white in colour. The capsule is shiny black and about half the size of a blackberry. (One of the studies I have gives a full account of how this egg is produce!)

Probably not a good idea to pass on plants, etc. with a large clump of soil attached

[Lauren S]

DEFRA suggests...

Set traps
One of the locations where flatworms are most frequently found is in private gardens. Set 'traps' close to the boundary, consisting of a weighted down sheet of black plastic or plank of wood. check the underside of these traps frequently for the presence of flatworms or their egg capsules.


Good Luck

[greenstar]

Thanks for the advice everyone, no stone will be left unturned in the hunt for the evil ones!

I'm a bit concerned about using stuff that dissolves mucus PaulW - will this not harm the worms?  What's left of them, that is.  And I don't think Slugit is organic, is it?  We're trying to win best organic garden at the show, although I'm not averse to a bit of chemical help if it means killing the worm destroyers...

Any advice on encouraging rove beetles?  Apparently they eat flatworms.

[sawfish]

I seem to remember reading that they can lie dormant for years underground then reappear when the worms numbers come back.

We have them in our plot it just means you have to dig stuff into the soil yourself, doesnt affect the veg.

[greenstar]

I've read that too, Sawfish.  And here's me been feeling all smug about my no-dig plans...

Do you know how many tend to live in any one place?  I know that's a bit of "how long is a piece of string question" but since I came across (and savagely slaughtered) a bunch of them I can't seem to find any more.  And I so want to vent my serial killer tendencies. ;)

[Kea]

The thing that puzzles me is that i come from NZ and I've never seen a NZ flatworm and NZ has plenty of earthworms and doesn't have a flatworm problem.

[greenstar]

You've sent them all here, haven't you?

There must be some sort of natural predator in NZ that we don't have.  I did read somewhere that someone was experimenting with something from down under that eats the buggers but were mindful of letting new things loose in the UK in case they ate nice things too.

I'm becoming obsessed with them - not getting much gardening done for hunting for the slimey little things.  Have found a total of 24 so far.  They must know they're doomed, eh?

[Kea]

You will import stuff to this country without taking any care as to what is coming with it. You try and get through customs in NZ with a bag that had a banana, apple or similar in it a couple of weeks before and see how far you get.

If you import plant material through the post or bring it back in your suitcases you could be importing the next equivalent to the NZ Flatworm.

The reason NZ is so strict is because of all the things pests that got bought into the country before there were restrictions and the irrepairable damage that has caused to the very, very unique plants and birds.

[PurpleHeather]

Yes and the Romans brought the snails here.

We should send them all back to Italy.