Himachali Kumahroos

     During Monsoon, red-brown worms with numerous tiny legs are common in soil. I remember, they were frequent in groups outside the kaccha houses (Mud houses). Now, these gangs are rare and hard to find after concrete development. Another reason could be soil pollution by the accumulation of agrochemicals. But still, we can meet them in the loose moist soil of crop fields or organic gardens. These creatures live in shallow soil and moist places specifically. They cannot survive in humid-less habitats. In the Pahari dialect, we used to call them ‘Kumahroos’. The reason could be anything but if I recall stories of my predecessors, they mentioned that these worms have intensive habitat in the areas where villagers working with clay soil and make earthen pots.

Village community whose profession is pottery, working with clay is ‘Kumar community’. These are hard-working people have a direct connection with soil which is their soul of living. In Sanskrit ‘Kumhar’ is Kumbhakar which mean earthen pots maker. Pottery is a unique creation and potters believed themselves as children of Lord Brahma. Creator of the Universe blessed them with the oldest human art i.e.,-pottery - to create something from the soil.

In surroundings of their houses and in their workplaces, these monsoon worms are found commonly. This is according to Pahari folktale which explains the way Kumahroos got their name. But no any scientific connection with the name genesis. So that’s how folks generate the local name which becomes famous and accepted by next-generation until they get facts.

Millipedes

Alright! I can tell the universal recognition of this creature. These innocent worms belong to phylum ‘Arthropoda’ having class ‘Diplopoda’– who have two pairs of legs on each fused-segments of the body. Well! They are called Millipedes (Milli-Millions, Pedes-Legs). Country people also called them ‘thousand-leggers’. Here its name is associated with myth as none of the millipedes have been explored with 1000 legs so far. Millipedes have numbers of species approximately 80000 and some of them are unidentified. Here I am talking about garden millipedes. They are not insects, so never relate them as ‘Kidda-makoda. That’s what we call an insect in Pahari.

    These tiny harmless worms are very timid and hide themselves forming circular-ring of their body against any external stimulus or danger. They do some Kind of coiling like mosquito coil where they hide their head at its centre. They seldom attack or respond in danger. Moreover, they are beneficial to garden soil by feeding on dead decayed plant matter and in return provide nutrients to the soil. Milli-compost is in vogue for gardeners practicing organic farming.

So don’t try to kill or drove them if they are engaged in digging garden soil. As they live in moist-damp soil where dead matters present, therefore least attack on garden vegetable or crop. They love to hog dead leaves of decayed litter. But if garden moisture dries with no dead material at all, only then they could approach your crop for their survival. If their count is more and you are noticing crop losses. Then this non-insect pest has to be removed with some control measures. Some of the physical control measures we can use to stop this creature to become horrid-pest. Foremost is to avoid their entry in the garden by removing moist debris and seal the crevices or more open cracks on the land surface. Maintain the well-drainage system in the field. For chemical control, spray can be done and found to be beneficial when millipedes are in groups (Use chemicals only when situation is out of control).

    Study of Millipedes along with Centipedes is known as Myriapodology (Myriapods: Sub-phylum for both). Centipedes are different as bit-bigger and longer than millipedes, belong to class Chilopoda. They are also elongated, can coil, but have one pair of legs in each segment which counts 100 legs. I hope you have seen both of them during the rainy season.

I don’t know the other local name of millipedes in other parts of the country. Share the name in the comment box, if you are familiar with this amazing worm.