Spring has sprung in Ontario, and with temperatures soaring into the high teens this week, there are some warm-weather creepy-crawlies now emerging that people may want to familiarize themselves with.
The wandering broadhead planarian (Bipalium adventitium), or hammerhead worm, was first sighted in Ontario in 2017, and the potentially dangerous invasive species of large carnivorous landworm has been regularly spotted in the years since.
And pet owners with gardens should take special note of this threat that could be lurking closer than expected.
Native to Asia and deemed invasive in North America, hammerhead worms get their nickname from their distinctive T-shaped heads and dark red stripe running down the length of their squirming, slimy bodies.
And, like the similarly named hammerhead shark, these worms are efficient predators with voracious appetites.
Oh, and they can grow to be three feet long.
The species of B. adventitium that has been confirmed as present in Ontario packs a potent punch for any animals that mistake them for a slimy snack. Tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin found in some of the world’s most deadly animals, like the pufferfish and blue-ringed octopus, poses serious danger to pets and even humans.
Hammerhead worms, being an invasive but also potentially deadly species, should be exterminated with the utmost ruthlessness, but exercise extreme caution while doing so.
When reports of hammerheads first started stirring up attention in Ontario back in 2022, Rebecca Morton of Toronto-based Armour Pest Control told blogTO that there are some easy and environmentally-friendly methods of dispatching these invaders.
“If seen, it’s critical to catch them without contacting bare skin and kill them with salt, vinegar, or neem oil, then dispose of them in a sealed container,” said Morton.
