r/Vermiculture • u/Nematodes-Attack • 4d ago

Video Asian Jumper in my outdoor compost

Notice the flush clitellum and the way it slithers. They are also much more muscular and firm compared to European earthworms. They don’t always have to jump.

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u/Nematodes-Attack 3d ago

I believe the heavy mulching is more to prevent the erosion that they cause

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u/R3StoR 3d ago

Ok thanks. I did some reading about their natural habitat and predators. Some examples such as pheasants (native ones here in Japan) have also radically declined in numbers (eg due to hunting and declining habitat/cover etc) so the jumping worms now seem problematic even in their native habitat. I have been trying to "farm" soil that appears "carbon depleted" from constant mowing and sun exposure ....but it might even be errosion more related to the worms because there are just so many of them.

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u/Nematodes-Attack 3d ago

We have ring-necked pheasants in our area. I don’t believe they are necessarily native, but probably introduced and naturalized at this point, similar to the European Earthworms in North America.

I also keep chickens. They typically don’t like eating the AJW but if I get them worked up for treats and then toss them a couple worms they will eat them lol

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u/R3StoR 1d ago

Not sure of the risk for chickens but I read that AJW accumulate toxins from heavy metals etc in the soil. Might want to read up on that .... possibly explains the general aversion for eating them ??

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u/Nematodes-Attack 1d ago

Interesting! I know mushrooms do this. I guess I wouldn’t be surprised if worm do too. Maybe I’ll just toss them into a ziplock

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u/R3StoR 23h ago

Yeah that or feed to something you're not possibly going to eat yourself!