Jumping Worms Are A Thing in Illinois But It’s Not 2020’s Fault

Here's one thing you can't blame on 2020 or the pandemic. Apparently jumping worms are a thing in Illinois. Technically, they have been a thing since at least 2015. These worms have a few different nicknames, including "Asian Jumping Worms" which sounds eerily similar to Asian murder hornets and Asian mosquitos, which you can read about HERE. Some other nicknames are crazy worms, Alabama jumpers, and snake worms, according to Illinois State University.

These little buggers reproduce about ten times more than "normal" worms and can do some real damage to nature, especially soil.

Jumping worms have the potential to change the soil structure, deplete available nutrients, damage plant roots, and alter water-holding capacity of the soil.

Even birds won't touch these little bastards because they are too slimy and taste terrible, according to this Illini report. You know jumping worms must be dang bad to deal with if a bird doesn't want anything to do with them. Heck, some birds will peck away and roadkill and stuff floating in puddles.

The report goes on to mention these trouble-makers not being able to handle our winter weather but that won't stop them from breeding.

The bad news is they produce nearly microscopic cocoons containing eggs that are winter hardy.

I wish we could blame 2020 on revolting creatures but they have been around since 2013, where they were first discovered in Wisconsin. It wasn't until 2015 when it was learned they had may their way into Illinois.

JB Love is ½ of  Q98.5's Lil Zim & JB In The Morning, weekday mornings from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.