Jumping worm ID: do they really surface first during a mustard pour?
I recently confirmed jumping worms on my property. Today I did a mustard and water pour and dozens of worms came up. I'm not stopping to check clitellum on every one, so I'm using a rule of thumb: wild wiggling means toss vinegar, sluggish means bucket (to put back later), unsure means vinegar.
My assumption is that because jumping worms live closer to the surface, they are likely emerge first after I pour on the mustard mix. This seemed confirmed because the first ones to wriggle up do seem to thrash hardest.
Two questions:
- Is it actually true that jumping worms tend to surface first in a mustard pour?
- Do regular earthworms also writhe wildly when exposed to mustard water, or is aggressive wiggling a decent indicator on its own?
Curious if anyone has tested this more rigorously and can offer advice on this method.
u/jpmom — 3 days ago