As you plant your garden this year, beware of invasive Asian jumping worms that are spreading across the U.S.

An invasive species called the Asian jumping worm is spreading across the United States and Canada, damaging plants, animals and forests in its wake.

"The species is harming ecosystems. The jumping worms can devour organic matter more rapidly than their counterparts, robbing forests of the layer critical for seedlings and wildflowers. In areas of heavy infestation, native plants, soil invertebrates, salamanders, birds and other animals may decline, scientists warn," Andre Claudio reports for Route Fifty.

The worms were first seen in Wisconsin around 2013, but these days "can be found from Long Island, New York to Ontario, Canada," Claudio reports. "Besides New York, they have been spotted in Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio."

They look a lot like the nightcrawlers you might use for fish bait, and in fact, scientist believe that's why they were first brought here, but you can tell them apart. The easiest way is by the clitellum, the thick band about two-thirds of the way down the worm's body. In a regular earthworm the clitellum is pink or reddish and slightly raised, but an Asian jumping worm's clitellum is lighter and flush with the body.

Scientists are still working on how to best control the worms, but in the meantime, there are a few things you can do to help slow the spread, such as: only buy compost, mulch or other organic matter that's been heated to at least 104°F, since jumping-worm egg casings can't survive that temperature, Claudio reports. The University of New Hampshire's Extension Service has even more tips, including this one: Report any you see to your local Extension office.