Content
- what earthworms eat
- How to feed earthworms?
- How much does an earthworm eat?
- Prohibited Food for Earthworms
We generally call several animals that don't actually belong to this group of worms a worm. The worms are part of the list of crawling animals better known, belong to the phylum of the Annelids, specifically to the subclass Oligochaetes and the family Lumbricidae, within which there are several species.
These defenseless animals play a fundamental role within the soils of ecosystems, as, by feeding on decaying organic matter, they enrich the substrate with the product of their digestion. On the other hand, when they move into deep areas of the soil, they ventilate and remove them, which undoubtedly favors their fertility with constant nutrient movement.
Earthworms are so important that they were called by the famous philosopher Aristotle the “soil intestines” and were also studied by scientist Charles Darwin. Nowadays, they are often called soil architects for their great contribution to nature and planting areas.
Despite the above, earthworms cannot consume anything, so we invite you to continue reading this PeritoAnimal article to know what worms eat.
what earthworms eat
As we mentioned, earthworms are consumers of organic matter, especially decaying. In this sense, they are very efficient to devour different types of food, either in nature or in places conditioned for them.
As a curious fact about the feeding of earthworms, we can say that these animals are capable of bury your food. For example, when earthworms eat plants or parts of them, such as leaves, they are able to hold them in the thinnest area and carry them with them to the internal galleries they have built underground. Now what exactly do earthworms eat?
Below, we present a list of food that earthworms can eat:
- Fruits (peel and pulp).
- Vegetables (raw or cooked).
- Cooked vegetables).
- Coffee grounds.
- Used tea bags (no labels or synthetic materials, just the inside).
- Crushed egg shells.
- Food remains (it may be in the process of decomposition, but it should be checked which foods should not be consumed).
- Plant leaves (which do not contain insecticides).
- Pieces of paper, cardboard or corks (if any and that do not contain dyes or synthetic materials).
- Ash and sawdust (which do not contain chemicals).
These foods can be consumed by earthworms in the wild or in captivity.
And in this other article you will meet decomposing beings, types and examples.
How to feed earthworms?
In soils present in nature, earthworms consume a wide variety of organic matter from these places, however, both the form of the food and the conditions of the environment are important for them to develop properly and efficiently contribute to the natural soil fertilization.
There is a great diversity of earthworms, two of the best known are lumbricus terrestris (common earthworm) and Eisenia foetida (Californian red earthworm), which are generally intended for the production of fertile compost. If you've decided to keep worms at home for the purpose of obtaining useful organic matter for your plants, such as California worms, you may be wondering how to feed them. So after meeting what worms eat, below we present some important aspects to be taken into account when feeding them:
- Only provide foods that are recommended for these animals.
- Check if the food is ready. room temperature.
- cut into small pieces each food, do not add large or whole portions.
- Make sure the food is scattered throughout space where the worms are.
- do not bury food don't even remove them, the worms will do it.
- Remember to always check the amount of food visible on the surface, so when you're almost gone, add more.
How much does an earthworm eat?
We can say that, although earthworms take a long time to consume the available food, they are voracious, as they can eat large amounts of matter. In this regard, an earthworm is able to eat its own weight in a 24-hour period..
Estimates indicate that, in a land of about 4 thousand square meters, with sufficient presence of earthworms, more than 10 tons of earth can pass through your digestive systems within a year. Let's not forget that when consuming food, they also incorporate into the earth what was mixed with it.
A little more than 50% of the food that passes through the digestive system of earthworms will be transformed into compost, which will contain nitrogenous products from the metabolism of these animals, in addition to elements such as potassium and phosphorus that will pass to the soil surface, contributing to the enriched material that forms. For this reason, it is not surprising that people who have enough land are grateful to live with these animals and are interested in feeding the worms to guarantee them and thus, natural fertilizer.
Prohibited Food for Earthworms
Studies have revealed that not all foods can be fed to earthworms, in fact, some types of foods can affect their levels of reproduction and growth.. In addition, certain foods alter the chemical composition of the soil, bringing harmful consequences to earthworms.
Although in nature they can consume decaying animal remains, in conditioned spaces for these animals it is better not to include this type of food, as its presence can attract other animals, such as insects, which alter the conditions of the built environment. There are also other types of food that can negatively alter the space where earthworms thrive.
Let's meet the prohibited food if you have worms:
- Oil and fat.
- Citrus fruits (orange, pineapple, tomato).
- Onion.
- Bones and spines.
- Wood pieces.
- Seeds.
- Plant remains with very hard leaves or bark.
- Savory products.
- Products with vinegar.
- Synthetic materials (plastics).
Earthworms are completely harmless and peaceful animals, which are deposited in a space with the right conditions and the proper food. will only bring benefits. These animals respond to various stimuli, for example, they feel footsteps on the ground, which makes them bury themselves quickly if they are close to the surface. Currently, they maintain certain characteristics of their aquatic origins, so humidity is a fundamental aspect for them.
Now that you know what earthworms eat and you already know how much an earthworm eats a day, you might be interested in this article on types of annelids - names, examples and characteristics.
If you want to read more articles similar to What do earthworms eat?, we recommend that you enter our Balanced Diets section.