frankfurter squirter

Be careful not to mistake these earthworms for tasty party food, says MARTYN ROBINSON

Compost heaps are lively places where food scraps and prunings are recycled into something the plants can use again. A scoop of compost will reveal stacks of different organisms breaking down the organic matter or feeding on one another. Surprisingly, most of these were brought here from other countries – even the worms.

Most native earthworms can’t live in suburban gardens, as the soil is too alkaline or too rich, and compost heaps are even worse. However, at least one native species, Didimogaster sylvaticus, does well in some suburban situations, and happily munches compost with the best of them. Common names include frankfurter worm, squirter worm and, inevitably, frankfurter squirter. Some populations squirt fluid when threatened. If the fluid gets in your eyes it will sting like blazes but apparently causes no damage. As their other common names indicate, they are about the same size and colour as party frankfurts.

Found along the eastern Australian coast in wetter forest areas, rotting logs, clogged drains and compost heaps near bushland, they often hang out on top of the ground, under cover, rather than in the ground, because of their bulk. I tried them in a worm farm once, and had to drill out the drainage holes between the trays to the diameter of a little finger, otherwise the worms couldn’t cross between the layers. They did quite well until the numbers of exotic compost worms built up and swamped them – then they either died out or wriggled out. They do better in compost heaps that are in contact with the ground, as they can retreat if the other worms get too numerous.

So keep your eyes open for frankfurter squirters in your compost, but remember – no matter how close the resemblance to frankfurters, don’t be tempted to squirt mustard on them or you might get squirted in the eyes!

Martyn gardens mainly on Sydney’s Northern Beaches