What was going on under my mat

Earthworms in soil are VERY populous eg 10,000 per square metre. They will accumulate in places where it stays damp simply because the alternative is digging further down into the soil.

I cannot tell you with absolute certainty, what type of worm there are other than Phylum Annelida I suspect they are Brandling worms, which have other common names such as Tiger worms or Trout worms. They are widespread in Europe and live on the surface of the soil, moving (for a worm) very fast. If you try holding one they have small hairlike structures on each segment (called setae or chaetae). These little bristles stop it sliding backwards when it moves. That is a fascinating process involving squeezing the segment to a smaller diameter which makes it longer, then digging the bristles in and shortening the segment the sequence gradually moves the animal forwards.

Diesel or Dettol will sort em Jan.

Ray.

So will time…..

I just put the outside light on and there are dozens of them again, they are coming out from under the green carpet, we have a new one to replace this rotten one so when this old one is lifted no doubt there will be hundreds underneath.

I think I will have to shovel these worms up and put them in the front garden as the only worm eaters I have seem to be sparrows, Very rarely see blackbirds, thrushes or other worm eaters in my garden.

Could have been worse

South Africa snake on plane: Deadly cobra in cockpit forces emergency landing South Africa snake on plane: Deadly cobra in cockpit forces emergency landing