What Do Worms Eat?
In answering the question “what do worms eat?” it is essential to note that it will vary depending exactly where they live. Some worms live near the surface, while others live much farther underground. Obviously, their location will give them access to different foods and therefore call for a different diet. Throughout this article we will answer the question of what do worms eat for outside worms as well domestic ones.
Worms that are located on the surface, often consume grass, even grass that has previously died. Furthermore, leaves from trees that have fallen onto the ground are also free game for surface level warms. Multiple organisms reside on the leaves and contribute to the diet of the worms. On the other hand, the worms that reside deeper down in the dirt feed off of the dirt itself. There are actually fungi, algae, and even bacteria within the dirt that meets their dietary needs. Worms excrete the foods they consume (or dirt) in what is known as worm casts. Believe it or not, these excretions are very beneficial for your plants and provide a surplus of nutrients to assist their growth process. However, worms also get their fair share of fruits and vegetables. Worms consume anything left in the soil that is organic, including leftover parts of your plants. Worms also like to eat your pet’s feces in small amounts.
Note that worms do not have teeth, which means anything they eat is broken down easily by the moisture produced within the worm’s mouth or by the gizzard. After passing through these areas, the intestines continue to break down the food to assist with proper digestion. The worm remains strong as well as moist by the consumed food as it enters their blood stream. This moisture is essential for a worm’s survival since a dried out worm will die.
Most people ask the question of what do worms eat when they are attempting to keep a worm as a pet. Therefore, the remainder of this article will examine foods from your house that can be used to feed worms.
When looking through your kitchen, you are sure to find a surplus of items that any worm would love to consume. Worms thrive off of vegetables, including potato peelings. Worms will consume whatever veggies your family does not eat during dinner. Believe it or not, worms also like coffee grounds and tea bags. Yes, feel free to dispose of your excess coffee in the container in which you are housing your worms. Although this may sound disgusting, worms will feed off of your hair if given to them in small portions. Now you have a great purpose for the hair you remove from your brush. Obviously as mentioned above, you can use grass, dead leaves, and soil from your garden as worm food. Remember to use their excretions to fertilize your plants, allowing you to get the best of both worlds.
However, do not feed your worms peelings from acidy fruits, meat, bones, waxed paper, or dairy products. Feeding your worm these items will not only make the container they are being kept in smell, but will also increase the likelihood of attracting unwanted insects.
In conclusion, worms eat just about anything you would imagine. Furthermore, plants and worms do a great job of coexisting with the worms feeding off the leftover plant parts while producing fertilizer ideal for your plant’s growth. If you are attempting to feed a pet worm, answering the question what do worms eat is very simple; you cannot ever go wrong with feeding them veggies, including the peelings, as well as coffee beans and teabags.
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