Cover up plants, especially those in frost-prone areas.
Temperatures are expected to drop to near the freezing mark overnight into early Saturday morning.
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Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to ONstorm@ec.gc.ca or post reports on X using #ONStorm.
Hammerhead worms are an invasive species that produce a toxic substance, which can irritate skin and eyes, and be harmful to pets.
This toxic, invasive worm is showing up in Ontario gardens. Here’s what to do if you find one
The hammerhead worm, or shovelhead worm, has been found in parts of the GTA, including Hamilton, Toronto, Milton and Newmarket. As spring melts the snow, these little predators will be slinking in your garden.
A silent assassin could be creeping around your yard, and you don’t even know it.
The , or shovelhead worm, has been found in parts of the GTA, and as spring melts the snow, these little predators will be slinking in your garden.
“Hammerhead worms are an invasive species, that are also toxic, and have been found in Hamilton since 2020,” the said on its website.
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What is a hammerhead worm?
Hammerhead worm is a general term for several different species of flatworms.
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It is commonly known as the wandering broadhead planarian, scientific name Bipalium adventitium, the conservation authority said.
They can grow to five to 10 centimetres long, and can also be multicoloured.
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Their most distinctive feature is their broad, hammer-shaped head, which contains sensory organs and a mouth, the said on its website.
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Like many worms, they are usually found in soil, leaf litter and under logs or rocks.
They aren’t native to Ontario, and it’s believed they came to North America in some plants shipped from Southeast Asia around 1900.
They currently have no predator, so controlling the spread is the best way to maintain them.
The ones found in the Hamilton area are a dark brown with a black streak down the middle.
Why are they toxic?
The worms are carnivores, and usually eat earthworms, snails and insects. They secrete a neurotoxin, which is lethal to their prey, and also helps disintegrate their prey.
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Hammerhead worms can grow up to three feet long and spread a neurotoxin that can lead to a rash on exposed skin.
Sanjay Acharya photo
However, the toxin can also irritate humans’ skin and eyes, and can be harmful to pets’ stomachs if they eat them.
What to do if you find one?
The County of Brant suggests picking them with a shovel or with covered hands and disposing them in soapy water or vinegar and salt in a sealed container or sandwich bag. Once killed you can dispose of them in the container or sandwich bag.
Cutting the worm into pieces won’t work, as they can regenerate from the cut pieces into more fully developed worms.
Other locations to watch for the worm include Kitchener, Windsor, Guelph, Milton, London, Toronto and Newmarket.
“Found under rock by train track, two specimens — approximately 1.5 inches long each. Possibly fragments of a larger worm that has moved on,” @peteryu1 , after finding them in ߲ݴýMarch 18. “Killed with hand sanitizer — seemed to work. Do not use mechanical means to kill (i.e. cutting /smashing).”
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If you do see them, you can also call the province’s invasive species hotline at 1-800-563-7711, or the to report a sighting.
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