I wrote:

They look like long, very thin, hair-like worms. Stretched out to full
length they are about 7 to 10 cm (2.75 to 4 inches) long. Diameter is
like a thick human hair, or sewing thread. Mostly black but with very
light coloured ends. Following a short, heavy rain this morning there
were dozens of these critters on the surface of the garden, many of
them around the young cabbage plants.
Although they may have been there, in all our years of gardening,
we've never noticed anything like this before.
Any ideas?


And, the winner is:
Pat in MI, who provided the following links which describe "my"
critters perfectly. They're Horsehair Worms, aka Gordian Worms.
http://muextension.missouri.edu/expl...sts/g07710.htm
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entom...ruct/ef613.htm
Very pleased to know they are beneficial.
Did you see this Dusty?

Ross.
Southern Ontario, Canada.
New AgCanada Zone 5b
43º17'15" North
80º13'32" West
To email, remove the obvious from my address.