Thank you for reaching out to the UVM Extension Master Gardener Helpline with your jumping worm questions. These are great questions because we know that jumping worms (Amynthas agrestis, Amynthas tokioensis and Metaphire hilgendorfi) are introduced species that can be inadvertently spread through gardening tools, tire wheels, shoe treads, etc. Unfortunately, no viable control methods have yet been identified, so limiting their spread is really important.

To clean your gardening tools (plus shoes, etc.), a good practice is to remove the soil/debris while you are in the garden before moving to the next bed. A stiff bristled brush, as you mentioned, should do the trick. You could also have a bucket of (soapy) water to further clean tools. What you are looking to do is keep any cocoons from spreading – they are about the size of a mustard seed and are brown, so very difficult to visually detect.

No need for ammonia water solution; in fact, let’s keep that out of the garden. Here is an article to explain why: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2023-08-04-household-ammonia-cleaner-homemade-fertilizer

Thanks for doing your part to slowing the spread of jumping worms! We have a nice factsheet on jumping worms at: https://www.uvm.edu/d10-files/documents/2025-09/JW-factsheet.pdf that provides additional best practices.

Please reach out if you have any other questions at all.

I hope this helps.

Thank you for reaching out to the UVM Extension Master Gardener Helpline with your jumping worm questions. These are great questions because we know that jumping worms (Amynthas agrestis, Amynthas tokioensis and Metaphire hilgendorfi) are introduced species that can be inadvertently spread through gardening tools, tire wheels, shoe treads, etc. Unfortunately, no viable control methods have yet been identified, so limiting their spread is really important.

To clean your gardening tools (plus shoes, etc.), a good practice is to remove the soil/debris while you are in the garden before moving to the next bed. A stiff bristled brush, as you mentioned, should do the trick. You could also have a bucket of (soapy) water to further clean tools. What you are looking to do is keep any cocoons from spreading – they are about the size of a mustard seed and are brown, so very difficult to visually detect.

No need for ammonia water solution; in fact, let’s keep that out of the garden. Here is an article to explain why: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2023-08-04-household-ammonia-cleaner-homemade-fertilizer

Thanks for doing your part to slowing the spread of jumping worms! We have a nice factsheet on jumping worms at: https://www.uvm.edu/d10-files/documents/2025-09/JW-factsheet.pdf that provides additional best practices.

Please reach out if you have any other questions at all.

I hope this helps.