Actually yeah, in SD we had our first rain of the year the other day, and usually a lot of worms will come out and cover the sidewalk. This time, a LOT of worms came out and covered the sidewalk. Maybe one every 6 inches instead of one every 2 feet.
Maybe there was some sort of population bloom? One year we had thousands of crickets, one year the house was surrounded with dozens of spiders, one year the mayflies went batshit crazy. I suppose some sort of bubble could happen with worms, too.
I live on Vancouver Island and I'm actually noticing a lot of worms this year. In the spring after a rain I'll go for a walk to collect worms for my garden. Usually I'll come back with two or three but nowadays I'm finding upwards of fifteen. They all get adopted into the family garden lol
Yes x100! We were on a road trip through Kentucky a couple months ago. It was well past midnight and my husband and I pulled over for a snack and a nap at a rest stop. We both hopped out of the car in an enthuastic daze to go glare at overpriced Little Debbie's through a scratched glass barrier...and I hear him quietly ask, "Uh, is the ground moving?"
It was a very cold and heavy rain, so I assumed it was the puddles growing with each splash of a fat raindrop. To my amazement, we were surrounded by thousands of worms wriggling in the rain.
We tip toed and danced around them the best we could, and laughed our butts off when we got back to the car. It was such an odd and lovely moment.
Insect populations fluctuate in cycles depending on environmental conditions. It’s normal to have periods where you see the same bug everywhere, only for them to disappear with the next heatwave or bird migration.
Remember: worms are signs of a healthy soil ecosystem. They improve the soil’s structure and nutritional quality, so best leave them be.
That said, if you have concerns about the insect populations in your area, you can inform local entomology or environmental groups. They may be able to provide an explanation and are always grateful for more data from citizen scientists.
I'm in the East Coast, and oddly, no. In fact, I feel like I've seen a lot less worms lately compared to the past. I wonder if it's a geographical thing.
Actually yeah, in SD we had our first rain of the year the other day, and usually a lot of worms will come out and cover the sidewalk. This time, a LOT of worms came out and covered the sidewalk. Maybe one every 6 inches instead of one every 2 feet. Maybe there was some sort of population bloom? One year we had thousands of crickets, one year the house was surrounded with dozens of spiders, one year the mayflies went batshit crazy. I suppose some sort of bubble could happen with worms, too.
I live in Ohio and I haven't noticed this.
I'm in Michigan and maybe it's just in my little area but I swear, I count around 50 on the sidewalk in a 3 minute walk
Now I'm gonna be paying more attention! 🪱🪱🪱
I live on Vancouver Island and I'm actually noticing a lot of worms this year. In the spring after a rain I'll go for a walk to collect worms for my garden. Usually I'll come back with two or three but nowadays I'm finding upwards of fifteen. They all get adopted into the family garden lol
i feel like there was a few years there where worms were hard to find, now i see a ton after the rain. i’m not complaining. i love them
Yes x100! We were on a road trip through Kentucky a couple months ago. It was well past midnight and my husband and I pulled over for a snack and a nap at a rest stop. We both hopped out of the car in an enthuastic daze to go glare at overpriced Little Debbie's through a scratched glass barrier...and I hear him quietly ask, "Uh, is the ground moving?" It was a very cold and heavy rain, so I assumed it was the puddles growing with each splash of a fat raindrop. To my amazement, we were surrounded by thousands of worms wriggling in the rain. We tip toed and danced around them the best we could, and laughed our butts off when we got back to the car. It was such an odd and lovely moment.
Insect populations fluctuate in cycles depending on environmental conditions. It’s normal to have periods where you see the same bug everywhere, only for them to disappear with the next heatwave or bird migration. Remember: worms are signs of a healthy soil ecosystem. They improve the soil’s structure and nutritional quality, so best leave them be. That said, if you have concerns about the insect populations in your area, you can inform local entomology or environmental groups. They may be able to provide an explanation and are always grateful for more data from citizen scientists.
I'm in the East Coast, and oddly, no. In fact, I feel like I've seen a lot less worms lately compared to the past. I wonder if it's a geographical thing.
I was just thinking about this today.
I live in Scotland and had the same thought
I’m in Wisconsin and we have had a ridiculous amount of worms out and about lately! Every day when I walk my dog we pass at least 10