I think I have Zealand flat worms plz help..!

Hello I was digging in one of my beds today and found a strange type of worm. It was about 6 inches down in the soil. The creature is about 3 inches long and about 1cm wide.

Is it possible I am mistaking it for something else. I do not want these in my garden I have lots of worms and I feed them all the time.

I done some reading on the net and someone said that they bought nematodes to kill leather jackets and it killed the flat worms. Does anyone know if this can work or not and where i can get them in the UK...

thank you

k)

 

Hi Purplemer,It does indeed look like you have found some New Zealand flatworms in your garden but as i have never seen one myself in real life so to speak can only go by information i have found on the internet.

Here is a link that i have found with photos and information of what you should do with the ones you have found.Not sure where you are living,but it seems they have been around for quiet a few years and are now spreading far and wide.I have read in the past that if any are found it is best to put them in a bucket of salted water to kill them off but in the link it says to send them to the addresses in a live state.Good Luck with getting rid of them especially if they are killing off our native worms...
http://flatworm.csl.gov.uk/

PS,I have just read your profile and you live in the Western Isles{lovely part of the world}and Scotland has had the problem for many years...

 

thank you for that i will post that nasty little cretin in the post... and find out if it is..

 

They are seriously yucky. Hope I never find one, and commiserations to you, hope you get them sorted out.