Bad Worm In Texas Is Back For Another Round – Here’s How To Kill It

It's toxic and officials say "Don't touch it," but yet in the Great State of Texas, they want you to kill it, what is it? The hammerhead flatworm.

In a new update on the hammerhead flatworm in Texas, we find out that the recent rains have brought it back out and sightings are being reported to the Texas Invasive Species Institute from all over the state.

The hammerhead flatworm is carnivorous and feeds on beneficial things like snails and earthworms, they are very toxic and can make you quite ill if you handle one with your bare hands. Hammerheads contain a dangerous neurotoxin similar to the one found in pufferfish. Simply touching this worm can bring on violent illness. Symptoms can include:

• Headaches
• Body numbness
• Stomach pain
• Vomiting

The word is, if you see one of these anywhere, don't hesitate to kill it. This is an invasive species that has been in Texas for quite some time. The hammerhead flatworm looks just like it sounds, a long tubular sort of flat body, up to 12 inches long, with a head at the end that flattens out more and is much wider than the body, almost spade-like.

According to State Officials, these pests need to be exterminated whenever you see one but again, don't touch them with your bare hands, use gloves. Cutting them into smaller pieces will only create more of them so that's not how you do it.

To kill hammerhead worms you must:

• put the worm into a bucket or baggie with salt or vinegar.
• or very hot water.
• you can squish them, but that's kinda messy.

Trying to keep track of these worms is not an easy task, but you can help science by reporting their location here.

Want to know more about hammerhead worms, like, how they eat and digest their food? Check out this video:

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