Earth Worms

Does anyone know anything about the disease or parasite that killed all the worms a few years ago?


I remember reading about it being something to do with a new-zealand flat worm that ate all ours but I don't know if its still a threat...I have very few earth worms in my soil in the Vienne and the compost is very slow to mature..is this why? Are our worms recovering and how do we encourage them..I already have 3 compost heaps!

Thanks Wendy and Fay. I found a picture of the new-zealand flatworm…and according to Wikipedia its not been spotted in France yet, so as I’m already organic I shall try buying some tiger worms and adding them to the compost heap. I found the french/latin names its ‘Ver de terre’ and ‘lombriciens’. Apparently we can get them in fishing shops, as in the UK.

Found this Jo, I remember them talking about it on Gardeners’ Question Time: A recent threat to earthworm populations in the UK is the New Zealand Flatworm (Artiposthia triangulata), which feeds upon the earthworm, but in this country has no natural predator itself. At present sightings of the NZFW have been mainly localised, but this is no reason for complacency as it has spread extensively since its introduction in 1960 through contaminated soil and plant pots. Any sightings of the flatworm should be reported to the Scottish Crop Research Institute, who are monitoring its spread.