The hammerhead worm, an invasive pest native to Southwest Asia, has been spotted in Fentress County.
The hammerhead worm is a flatworm with a shovel-like head. Fentress County Ag Extension Agent John Gunter said hammerhead worms prey on earthworms. Gunter said earthworms are needed to help regulate the dirt.
“We have the potential to have problems with aeration in our soil if we don’t have earthworms,” Gunter said. “Obviously, we have the potential to have problems in terms of breaking down organic matter in that soil if we don’t have earthworms. So [hammerhead worms] are very voracious eaters.”
Gunter said paths from earthworms help water and nutrients get to plant roots. Gunter said if there are no earthworms, crops and other plants may suffer.
Gunter said the first hammerhead worm report in Tennessee came after worms were spotted in Franklin several years ago. The Fentress County worm was about 16 inches long, nearly double the species’ average length.
Gunter said it is concerning that the worms have spread so rapidly. He said he was surprised that hammerhead worms were able to survive the Upper Cumberland’s winter since it is more harsh than other parts of the state.
Gunter said the worms likely hitch hiked to the United States. He said the worms were likely brought over in a large dirt shipment from overseas, and adapted to their new environment.
Gunter said the worms are difficult to control because they have no known predators in the region. In addition, Gunter said cutting hammerhead worms is a bad idea.
“If you cut it in half, instead of having one hammerhead worm, you’ve now got two hammerhead worms, which is crazy to think about.” Gunter said. “If you cut it in four sections, you’ve got four or five hammerhead worms. So each body part, each segment can regenerate, and that’s the scary thing about it.”
Gunter said the worms can be stopped with salt and vinegar, which dehydrate them. He cautioned people about grabbing the worms with their bare hands.
“It does have an irritant that will make you itch,” Gunter said. “It will cause problems with your skin, some not really bad and some people, it may really bother. Also, they have a small measure of tetrodotoxin, which is the same thing we see in puffer fish, which is extremely harmful and extremely hazardous to humans.”
Gunter said the amount of tetrodotoxin in hammerhead worms is not enough to cause severe danger to humans or pets.
Gunter said hammerhead can be found under rocks, rotting logs, or any moist, warm areas. Gunter said people should remove those areas to prevent them from coming. Gunter said people might also want to check plants they buy to ensure they do not accidentially introduce hammerhead worms to their soil.
