![]() ![]() Also they're slimy and leech -like with anvil-shaped heads, which helps people get excited about being afraid of them. ![]() TISI officials stress using gloves, a paper towel or a stick when handling the worms, followed by thorough washing with warm, soapy water and an alcohol rinse or disinfectant. Hammerhead flatworms commonly called hammerhead worms occasionally make their way into the news because they're not native to many places in the world, and they're toxic and aggressive predators. They are often loosely called ' hammerhead worms ' or ' broadhead planarians ' because of the distinctive shape of their head region. If spotted, TISI recommends placing the critter in a Ziploc bag filled with salt and/or vinegar, before then throwing out the sealed bag. Bipalium is a genus of large predatory land planarians. ![]() The pests can be killed using either citrus oil and salt, or sprayed with a combination of citrus oil and vinegar. As residents bring in new plants, soil or mulch for their yards, she said to keep an eye out for these critters. With the latest round of heavy rains and moisture in the Austin area, she said that creates ample opportunity for these soil-dwelling flatworms to emerge as they’re flooded out of their habitats. Hammerhead worms a term that applies to a group of predatory worms with a distinctive flat, hammer-shaped head are often reviled by farmers and gardeners for eating earthworms commonly thought to be good for soil. How do you dispose of hammerhead flatworms? She added a drier summer could lessen population sizes here in Central Texas, but with new plants and crops moving around frequently, that poises a steady population throughout the Austin-San Antonio region down to the coast. “But once we started getting reports from citizens, we found that they’re all throughout the Austin area, the surrounding counties, and they’re being spread by people moving landscape items.” “We knew them to be present in East Texas, which made sense for the hot and humid environment,” she said.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |