Are Hammerhead Worms Bad for Your Yard?

By Mike Igi | June 7, 2022

What’s shaped like a shark, has toxins, and regenerates when cut in half? If you said hammerhead worms, you’d be correct! 

These creepy creatures have a head that looks like a half-moon and a flatworm body. They eat many garden bugs that live in the soil and can hurt your yard indirectly if they live in your ground. 

Our helpful guide looks at everything you need to know about this unpleasant worm and what you can do to get rid of it. 

Types of Worms 

Worms are a common part of any garden. They help break down the soil and are essential to the health of your yard. Although there are thousands of types of worms, some are more common than others. 

Compost Worm

You can find these worms in manure piles or rotting leaves. They eat organic matter and help compost it. 

Earth Worker Worms 

You’ll see these worms if you dig up the soil in your garden. They love to eat leaves and look for food at night. 

Anecic Earthworms

These earthworms leave mounds of dirt at their tunnel entrances. They bring soil into their burrows and eat it there. What they digest puts essential nutrients back into the ground. 

Hammerhead Worm 

Hammerhead worms are unlike other earthworms. They grow up to fifteen inches long and are usually brown, green, gray, or gold. 

These worms live in high humid areas like tropical locations. You’ll often see these at night or after very heavy rain. 

They are carnivores and kill using a toxin. Hammerhead worms stun their favorite meal, earthworms, and then eat them. This toxin can cause mild irritations of the skin if you contact it. 

Are Hammerhead Worms Bad for Your Yard

If you have these worms in your yard, they may harm it indirectly. The tunneling of these worms won’t damage the yard, but the hammerhead worm’s appetite may. 

Earthworms help keep soil healthy, so hammerhead worms can harm the earth when they eat all these worms. A lack of earthworms will also keep your plants from growing healthy and strong. 

You can tell if you have hammerhead worms if you slime trails or red or black eggs. These worms also hide under rocks and logs or other damp places. 

Hammerhead Worm Pest Control

If you have a hammerhead worm problem, you can take steps to get rid of them. You can seal the worms in a plastic bag and throw the bag away. Salt will also dry the worm out and effectively kill it. 

If your worm problem is significant, it’s time to call a lawn pest service in. Professionals like the ones at Holmes Lawn & Pest can help you take care of the problem. 

Keep Your Yard Beautiful by Getting Rid of Hammerhead Worms 

If you want to prevent hammerhead worms from getting into your soil, stick with potted plants and sod. These worms don’t move fast, so you should be able to get rid of them if you see them. 

Did you find our article helpful? If so, you’ll love our other home blogs! Check them out today!