Horror in the polytunnel

[ancee]

Stupid-but-actual-question alert! What is a flatworm? Are they in the UK? Worms in my garden are cylindrical! Never seen a flat one... well...does squashed count as flat?

[muck lover]

I hadn't realized that those things were here in such numbers

Unfortunately this year I’m finding these almost daily under pots which are sitting on raised polytunnel beds. Last year I did find a few but this years had. I’m just checking every day or two and destroying those I find. I would be amazed if you didn’t have them too Bacchus.

[Snoop Puss]

Looks like one way to slow their spread is not to tip soil out of pots onto the garden or veg patch. Not without checking first for worms and eggs.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=975

[Aberdeenplotter]

Stupid-but-actual-question alert! What is a flatworm? Are they in the UK? Worms in my garden are cylindrical! Never seen a flat one... well...does squashed count as flat?

Ancee, do a Google search on "New Zealand flatworm". That will tell you the horror story. These things can change shape and go from 2-3 inches long and quarter of an inch wide to 10 inches long and as thin as a needle. I'm almost certain there may be at least one thread in the archives of this forum with pics posted.

[muck lover]

If I see a ten inch long one I’m emigrating.
But not to New Zealand

[Bluenowhere]

If I see a ten inch long one I’m emigrating.
But not to New Zealand

Indeed.

The funny thing is that these nightmarish sounding things came from NZ as when I worked over there a few years back they took anything from that had been in contact with the ground from you at customs and scrubbed it really, really thoroughly with disinfectant no mater how clean it already was but then they exported these things around the world!

[Bacchus]

Unfortunately this year I’m finding these almost daily under pots which are sitting on raised polytunnel beds. Last year I did find a few but this years had. I’m just checking every day or two and destroying those I find. I would be amazed if you didn’t have them too Bacchus.

I've never actually seen one here - though I'm surrounded by farmers who like to spread 2 inches of slurry on everything so it's possible they (along with all other creatures) have been burned to bits.

[Bacchus]

A very timely article in todays Belfast Tele

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...-36746939.html

[muck lover]

That’s interesting. Seems to me the only thing I can do is keep looking under pots and destroying the NZ flatworms I find.
And whilst on The subject of alien invaders I have a few grey squirrels severely testing my love of nature. They ate tulips I had in pots.
Saw a crossbow for sale recently....

[muck lover]

Here’s one of these worms from this morning.
I’m not sure I’m really having a negative effect on the population of these things but I suppose I’m not doing them any good either.
Horrible aren’t they?

[lottie dolly]

thanks for that,they are very distinctive,it's good to see pics taken by peeps,as it shows it as it realy is.

[Baldy]

Just about managed to keep my breakfast down - thanks for that

[veggiechicken]

Does anyone know whether chooks eat flatworms please? (and I don't mean this old chook!).
My girls love worms but don't like slugs as they're too sticky, unless they're tiny slugs, same with snails - only the little ones.
Just wondering whether flatties could be useful in this way?

[muck lover]

Aw VC I hadn’t thought of it like that.
I am self sufficient in flatworms!! Feeling loads better about them.
Interesting your girls won’t eat big slugs. How do they feel about woodlice? I’m getting chickens probably this summer.
Feed sorted!

[veggiechicken]

Are the Flatties sticky and slimy? If so they probably wouldn't be palatable. If my girls sample a sticky slug, they'll wipe their beaks on a log or summat to get the slime off.
Woodlice are a delicacy.