Too Many Worms?

Fascinating post this morning in The Boston Globe's Green Blog about the possibility that the unceasing rain we've had this summer has caused an overgrowth of earthworms in the soil.  I didn't realize there could be such a thing, nor did I know this fun fact about how earthworms are not native to the U.S., much less New England.  Beth Daley writes in the post:

"Virtually all of the worms north and west of New Jersey were wiped out during the ice age that ended about 10,000 years ago.

European earthworms -- or their cocoons -- first hitched rides to the New World on the root balls of colonists' plants or in dirt that was used as ballast in ships to steady them on the long journey across the Atlantic Ocean. In the 1800s, much of the region's vast forests were cut down for farmland, and worms -- clinging to plants or even plows' wheels -- were introduced to more areas of New England."

My garden has been such a mess this season, but I can't say I've noticed any more earthworms than usual in the soil.  My worms are safely eating my kitchen scraps in my basement composter, multiplying like crazy but, contained as they are, unable to do any harm to my garden plants by over-eating and over-casting.

Has anyone had a "too many worms" experience this season?

Comments

[John]

We've had a TON of worms on the driveway trying to escape from drowning in the dirt, but I don't notice a glut in the soil itself.

BTW, I thought the original earthworms left Europe for North America to escape religious persecution by the Anglican Church. Or was that the Pilgrims...