A California gardener's unsettling discovery of a hammerhead worm is turning heads online.
Here's what to know
Commenters in a Reddit thread quickly identified the hammerhead worm. The homeowner realized these worms are "really invasive and you can't kill them by smashing or cutting. Eats the good garden worms."
Hammerhead worms are flatworms known for preying on earthworms, which play an important role in food gardens. In fact, earthworms are among the most helpful animals in a garden, and anything that reduces their numbers can hurt plant health and soil structure. For people growing food at home, that can directly affect harvests.
As people reshape landscapes and live more closely alongside displaced species, strange human-wildlife encounters can become more common.
What can be done?
Instead of chopping the worm apart, one commenter recommended placing it in a bag of salt.
Others urged the gardener to document the sighting.
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"You should also report where they are with EDDMaps or your local university. These things are actually so horrible!!!" one person shared.
Reporting helps track where certain species are spreading. It can also help protect gardens and nearby ecosystems without leaving people to guess at the best response alone.
Where can I learn more?
Similar reports have surfaced in gardens and yards in California and beyond.
• In San Diego, a gardener found hammerhead flatworms and was told not to cut them.
• In one yard, a homeowner found a toxic hammerhead worm and learned never to cut it up.
• A man was horrified when an unkillable hammerhead worm emerged from a flower pot.
• In the Northeast, a gardener's yard encounter showed why you shouldn't handle hammerhead worms with bare hands.
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