When I was younger, I remember having to be extremely careful when it was raining to avoid stepping on the hundreds of earthworms that’d decided to expose their squishy pink selves to tires and boots. There were so many! Today (it’s raining here in Ottawa) it occured to me that I see maybe one or two only when it rains.
Anybody have any ideas where all the worms have gone? Long time passing?
Thanks. 
Shoot. I was going to say that. 
I see earthworms when they water the lawn at work. (It hasn’t rained here since… I can’t remember the last time it rained here. Dammit.)
There is an imported predator worm that gobbles up the resident worms and is causing serious concern.
I’d do a google search for you but it ain’t working right now.
Think of it as evolution in action. We have created a generation of worms smart enough not to crawl out onto the rocks when it’s raining. Next thing they’ll be inventing cruise missiles, and where will we be?
In parts of the UK, there are no earthworms as a result of an imported predator called the New Zealand Flatworm, which eats earthworms, but can remain dormant without food for a long time, making it hard for the worms to get re-established.
Last I heard it was mostly confined to areas of Scotland and certain of our native predatory beetles were starting to take it as food.
Wow! That’s a neat trick. How do they make them to do it? Are they unionized?
I’ve noticed this as well. WAG: Could it have anything to do with the material sidewalks are constructed with? When I was a kid, the sidewalks in my neighborhood were constructed of light-colored square segments of cement. There were lots of cracks and nooks. Today, the sidewalks in my neighborhood are dark asphalt. Maybe the earthworms don’t like the warmer asphalt?
Off subject for just a bit…
I suspect I’ve killed off a lot of the earthworms who’d naturally be in my yard when I was forced to spray for web and cut worms. Could I just re-stock my yard by going to the bait shop and grabbing a few cartons of nightcrawlers or redworms? Is there someplace where I could just get some healthy naturally occuring Northern Califonia-type worms?
evilhanz: I used to see the worms on the road (I recall that one day when I was about six, I had to be carried because I was afraid of stepping on the zillions of worms all over the road). I don’t think the composition of asphalt has changed much in the past 15 years.
There might be a natural predator that has risen, or maybe it’s all the friggin pesticides people insist on using. I don’t know, but maybe I’ll call up the Ontario Department of Environment (this should be amusing) and ask them.
Also a serious probelm in scandinavia and currently moving south.
Nasty, nasty little beast.
We have a lot of earthworms here. We also have those damned critters called moles. They,the moles, tunnel just under the turf and tear up the yard in search of a meal of worms.
I’d be glad to gather up several “seed” moles and ship them to you for the unbelieveable low price of…