“Please help me identify this ‘worm?’” requests this reader in her submission regarding the pink and brown worm-like organism pictured below. “I live in McKinney, TX and found this guy on a paver in our front garden/flower beds. Unfortunately it was too far gone to save, but I wasn’t even sure I should try! I need to know in case I find another one like it. Is it a good guy or bad guy? Background info: Our property has a lot of millipedes and a few which could be centipedes. (I haven’t bothered about them.) We see very few earthworms and are even considering purchasing some. We do not use general insecticides and never use professional companies. Our natural soil is clay. We’ve added soil for planting and good mulch on top. Your help is appreciated.”

Firstly, we want to say that we appreciate the amount of context our reader has provided, as well as the excellent photo and video: these things all help us identify the organism at hand. Our reader’s choice to avoid using insecticides and professional companies earns our respect, as the use of such chemicals (which many companies also use) usually does more harm than good, as they are incredibly toxic to humans and other animals as well.

Secondly, we think our reader is correct in identifying this as a worm, and despite not many earthworms being present on her property, we think this is probably an earthworm: potentially an immature one. We definitely do not think it is one of the millipedes or centipedes that has been roaming around the property. We do not think our reader needs to worry about this worm either way, especially if it is the only one she found. And if it is an earthworm, then perhaps the presence of this one is a good sign of things to come, especially since our reader was considering introducing earthworms to her property anyway. That said, we also want to note that earthworms are not safe to eat as they can carry pathogens and disease, so if our reader has any pets, she should be wary of them munching on these worms.

In conclusion, we think that the pink and brown worm our reader found on a paver is an earthworm, probably an immature one given its small size and undefined clitellum. We hope this article proves helpful and we wish our reader the very best!

Summary

Article Name

Pink and Brown Worm Found by Flower Bed is an Earthworm

Description

"Please help me identify this ‘worm?’" requests this reader in her submission regarding the pink and brown worm-like organism pictured below. "I live in McKinney, TX and found this guy on a paver in our front garden/flower beds. Unfortunately it was too far gone to save, but I wasn’t even sure I should try! I need to know in case I find another one like it. Is it a good guy or bad guy? Background info: Our property has a lot of millipedes and a few which could be centipedes. (I haven’t bothered about them.) We see very few earthworms and are even considering purchasing some. We do not use general insecticides and never use professional companies. Our natural soil is clay. We’ve added soil for planting and good mulch on top. Your help is appreciated."

Author

Worm Researcher Anton