Earthworms are the slippery, slithery creatures that can be found in healthy garden soil that has had a lot of manure and compost added to it. They are great for the soil because, as they burrow through it, they digest the larger pieces so that when it comes out the other end it is much richer and provides food for the plants. Worms can eat their weight in soil in just one day.
Worms don’t have eyes but can sense light which they hate so they will burrow quite deep into the soil, which you can see them do when you dig one up in the garden. If you accidentally cut a worm in half when digging, the half with the head will survive so long as it still has the fatter pink part called the saddle still attached.
Worms breath through their skin but if it dries out, it will die. However, whilst they need moisture to survive, too much moisture will kill them. Have you ever noticed worms on the footpath after heavy rain? This happens because the soil gets flooded and the worms come to the surface in search of less soggy conditions.
Worms are hermaphrodites which means that each worm has both male and female reproductive parts but they still mate with other worms although they have to bump into each other to find one to mate with.
WORM FARMS
Keeping a worm farm at home lets you recycle food scraps and organic matter into valuable worm compost, called vermicompost. Worms eat the food scraps which then pass through their body and become compost. This vermicompost is great for plants because it is so high in nutrients.
CLICK HERE to find out how to Make a Worm Farm