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?

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

RR wrote in message ...
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?
Did they by any chance display a "T" or "spade" shaped 'head' (at one end or
the other...(:-o)!).

Try these sites:
http://www.californiagardens.com/Pla...um_kewense.htm
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/land_planarians.htm


Dusty
San Jose, Ca.


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

"Dusty Bleher" wrote:

RR wrote in message ...
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?
Did they by any chance display a "T" or "spade" shaped 'head' (at one end or
the other...(:-o)!).

Try these sites:
http://www.californiagardens.com/Pla...um_kewense.htm
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/land_planarians.htm


Dusty
San Jose, Ca.

Hi Dusty,

Thanks for the reply.
Even using a magnifying glass these things don't have a "spade" end.
Both ends are lighter in colour than the remainder of the body and
taper to a point.
Also, a description in one of your provided links states "They are
about the diameter of an earthworm.....".
The ones in our garden are smaller than the diameter of Trilene XL, 2
pound test monofilament fishing line.

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

Hmmm. Okay. Sounds like I'm off base.

But, I've handled them. And while they're (a thin) "earth worm" diameter
when in the hand, they do stretch and can get very thin when extended.
Although, at least in my experiences with them, they got about as thin as an
automatic pencil lead, but not as thin as "Triline" or something like
that...

Oh well. It was a stab in the dark. I hope you get the answer you need.
And when you do, please post it here so that I might learn about them as
well...


Later,
Dusty
San Jose

RR wrote in message ...
"Dusty Bleher" wrote:

RR wrote in message ...
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?
Did they by any chance display a "T" or "spade" shaped 'head' (at one end
or
the other...(:-o)!).

Try these sites:
http://www.californiagardens.com/Pla...um_kewense.htm
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/land_planarians.htm


Dusty
San Jose, Ca.

Hi Dusty,

Thanks for the reply.
Even using a magnifying glass these things don't have a "spade" end.
Both ends are lighter in colour than the remainder of the body and
taper to a point.
Also, a description in one of your provided links states "They are
about the diameter of an earthworm.....".
The ones in our garden are smaller than the diameter of Trilene XL, 2
pound test monofilament fishing line.

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

RR said:

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?

Ross.
Southern Ontario, Canada.
New AgCanada Zone 5b
43º17'15" North
80º13'32" West

I've seen these once, after a heavy rain. I think they may be
horsehair worms, a parasitic worm of insects.

http://muextension.missouri.edu/expl...sts/g07710.htm
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entom...ruct/ef613.htm
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

(Pat Kiewicz) wrote:

RR said:

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?

Ross.
Southern Ontario, Canada.
New AgCanada Zone 5b
43º17'15" North
80º13'32" West

I've seen these once, after a heavy rain. I think they may be
horsehair worms, a parasitic worm of insects.

http://muextension.missouri.edu/expl...sts/g07710.htm
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entom...ruct/ef613.htm

Thanks, Pat.
I do believe you've hit the nail squarely on the head. The description
in your links matches these critters to a "T".
Glad to learn that they're beneficial.

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

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.

RR wrote in message ...
....
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?
Yep! Most curious and interesting. Thanks!

Dusty
....