Good Morning, Ann!

Thanks for reaching out- Below (in italics) is our general response to jumping worm questions - this should have a lot of the info you are looking for in a more general sense, including identification, tips for controlling the worms/population, and how to protect your gardens and soil from further damage: 

Commonly known as jumping worms or snake worms, this destructive group of earthworms invading Vermont forests and gardens include Amynthas agrestis, Amynthas tokioensis and Metaphire hilgendorfi. Unfortunately, there have been reports that they have been detected throughout the state of Vermont.

These worms damage the soil food web by living in and consuming the top organic layer of soils.

To the untrained eye, they can be difficult to distinguish from the common European garden worm, especially during the first half of the gardening season when they are immature. The easiest identifying characteristic is how aggressive and active they are. When touched or disturbed, the worm flails or jumps. Because they live near the soil surface, jumping worms may have more pigment than other worms, usually reddish but can often appear somewhat brownish or purplish with some iridescence. During the latter half of our growing season (July to October), the mature jumping worm has a white ring (clitellum) that completely surrounds the body, unlike the European garden worm’s u-shaped clitellum that does not surround the body.

Here are some links to fact sheets that provide additional information on jumping worm:

• https://www.vtinvasives.org/invasive/jumping-worms (Vermont Invasives website allows you to report them on iNaturalist)

• https://go.uvm.edu/jumpingworm (Cornell University fact sheet on jumping worm)

• https://go.uvm.edu/plantsaleguidancejumpingworm (lant Sale Guidelines to Minimize the Chance of Jumping Worm Spread)

Unfortunately, no viable control methods have yet been identified. However, we can work to limit the spread of these worms. Even if you have jumping worms in one part of your property, it doesn't mean they are everywhere. We recommend the following, which may help you assess how to control their populations:

• Do NOT panic! Jumping worms have been in the U.S. since 1939…and UVM researchers are working on control options.

• Keep an eye out – learn jumping worm biology and look for signs of jumping worm to avoid the spread.

• Do not use jumping worms for bait or vermicomposting.

• Keep shoes, boot treads & garden tools free of debris. Since the worms live near the soil surface, egg cocoons can also be transported via ATV wheels, logging and gardening equipment, and boot treads. You should brush off boots or shoes and wash gardening tools if you have been in an area that might be affected by these jumping worms.

• Choose seeds, cuttings & bare-rooted plants when possible.

• Buy local and talk to your garden center reps about the jumping worm risk – see what they are doing to minimize exposure.

• Examine potted plants & their roots before you plant. Double rinse roots (strain water before discarding).

• Solarize! Solarize! Solarize! Leave bagged soils & compost in the sun for 2 to 3 days to get the temperature over 105˚F to kill cocoons and worms. Solarize loose soils, mulch & compost in piles between 2 sheets of clear plastic, 6”-8” deep (don’t forget to tuck in the edges). By reducing the adult population, it will help to reduce the number of egg-carrying cocoons in the soil.

If you have jumping worms on your property:

• Report them on iNaturalist.

• Avoid sharing plants, compost, etc. with others.

• Avoid moving plants from bed to bed in your own gardens.

• Minimize movement of horticultural materials, such as soil, leaf litter, compost and mulch.

• Consider tilling the top 2 to 3 inches of garden soils to reduce worm numbers during their juvenile stage (mid-May to mid-June depending on your area).

• Destroy jumping worms when you see them by solarizing or putting them in soapy water.

• To dispose of garden waste (weeds, pulled grass clumps, surface moss, etc.) without spreading worms or cocoons further, a commercial composting facility that uses “hot composting” is your best bet.

Thank you for your efforts to help slow the spread of invasive jumping worms while work is underway to find an effective management solution

Specific to your particular situation and questions; 

1. Are you seeing any change in your soil texture? Try looking around the shrubs for the "coffee ground" or "ground meat" like graininess typical of jumping worm castings. If the soil around the shrubs or ferns is loose and grainy, as opposed to its normal firmness, you may have a worm problem in that area. If found, dig around in in the loose castings searching for worms and removing any found. Look especially carefully on the edges of the loose areas. As a temporary measure, mix in some (solarized) soil, such as bags of so-called "in ground" garden soil sold at garden centers. This would help hold nutrients (including from the castings) and moisture around the roots. If there is no loose, grainy soil, then perhaps the worms haven't gotten that far yet!

2. The question about leaves is a good one. Yes, the worms like the layers of leaves! Check leafy areas for worms now. At this point of the year, the most important thing is to remove worms, before they reproduce. The adults will die when we hit the cold weather, but the cocoons will over-winter. The shrubs may need the protection of the leaf mulch for the winter. But when removing the leaves in the spring, it would make sense to carefully compost and solarize them before spreading them elsewhere in the landscape, so as not to spread any cocoons that may have over-wintered in the leaves.

3. The sensitive ferns' lighter color could be due to varied factors, including time of year, nutrients in the soil, moisture, etc. Check out https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/onoclea-sensibilis/#:~:text=Commonly%20called%20sensitive%20fern%20because,part%20shade%20to%20full%20shade.

4. As for disposal, one of our go-to experts says she generally drops them in soapy water (a squeeze of dish soap with water in a quart yogurt container works) and she always takes a container of water when she goes to the garden these days!

If you have other concerns about soil quality effects after assessing the extent of your worm problem,  UVM Extension does also offer soil testing - see the following link to read about the process and fill out the forms if you choose to do so. This can indicate whether you have important nutrients missing from your soil, and can help you decide whether amendment is necessary. 

https://www.uvm.edu/extension/agricultural-and-environmental-testing-lab

Happy Gardening!

Kristin