Comments on: Predatory Flatworm – Bipalium kewense

By: Janis-Marie DT

Janis-Marie DT — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:34:14 +0000

After 30 years of living and gardening in the same place, this year I’ve begun to find both kinds of land planarians in my garden – Bipalium kewense (long, brown with 2 stripes) and Bipalium adventitium (shorter, yellowish, one stripe). They hide under moist planters, pots, bricks. So I began using their hideouts as “traps”, places I check to find them so I can then kill them. To kill them, I drop the planarians into a lidded plastic container (yogurt cup) that has 1/4″ of diatomaceous earth in the bottom. I secure the lid. It works! I go out and hunt them after I irrigate, after rains, and in the morning. I check my “traps” and am regularly finding planarians. Physical / mechanical control is effective. By killing the adults, they cannot reproduce or increase populations. This way I’m protecting my earthworms.

By: Anishka B.

Anishka B. — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:11:05 +0000

I am from Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas and I saw one of these creatures for the first time in my life this morning on my back porch step. When I first glimpsed it I thought It was a centipede. But then I saw that it was sort of round with a shovel shaped head, about two inches long. I called my husband to kill it because I didn’t know what it was but he flicked it further into the back yard instead. I really wanted to know what this creature was so I googled shovelhead worm and your site came up. After reading about it my husband said if he had known he would have never let it stay alive. Even though I have never seen a round worm either there may be some in the back yard because it is filled with dirt and soil. I can’t believe that they can grow even longer! Although I hope to never see another one again while I’m alive, if I do see one I will definitely KILL it myself…if I have to.

By: Rich

Rich — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:09:20 +0000

I think the fish in my 90g would enjoy munching on those things, but I think I’ll pass on having them in my worm bin. They’re all over the Continental US now from what I just read…

http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/land_planarians.htm

By: VALERIE

VALERIE — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:40:19 +0000

THANK GOODNESS…I THOUGHT IT WAS A CESTODA TAPEWORM. I AM IN CALIFORNIA AND WAS COMPLETELY FREAKING OUT. THEY SEEM TO BE LIVING UNDER MY SLATE STONE IN THE PORCH. GROSS…

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:09:09 +0000

and im from south carolina by the way so guess they are everywhere

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:08:09 +0000

wow glad they are not poisinous i was looking for earth worms and picked up one of these ugly little things, and boy are they beyond slimey!!!!!

By: christin lopez

christin lopez — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 22:00:54 +0000

I live in santa rosa, ca about 50 miles north of san francisco. I found one in my yard this morning under a black garbage bag full of yard debris. I took pics of the relatively small flat worm with a spade shaped head and then identified it on this site. Once I found out how harmful it was to earthworms I went back out and captured it in a jar. I suppose I’ll have to kill it but have yet to do so. It was about 3 inches long, fleshy color with a dark stripe down the top center of its body. Looked like some kind of parasitic tapeworm. Yuck!

By: heather

heather — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:36:09 +0000

found one on the apts sidewalk in roseville, ca. thought it was an alien. then found out its a monster!

By: Jennifer B

Jennifer B — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:19:44 +0000

I found one this morning in Columbia, SC after torrential downpours last night. I think it may have been nearly a foot long. Ugly fella. I didn’t capture it and after reading about it I’m regretting it. I’ve never seen one before and I hope to never see one again. If I do, it’s a goner!

Thanks for the information!

By: GGordon

GGordon — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:35:47 +0000

I just found one in my Atlanta driveway.
Never seen one in 55 years here.
Thanks to the web, I have IDed it and know to get rid of it.