Do Worms Eat Grass?
Yes – worms eat grass, it’s good for both them and the grass! If you’ve noticed worms in your grass, don’t fear – this is essential for your plant survival. If you have pet worms (to each their own!) – It’s also great for your little critters to eat through grass.
Read on to learn more about this mutually beneficial relationship.
Grass Nutritional Information:
In actuality, grass (especially wild grass) does have nutrients – it has vitamins A, C, and some B vitamins, as well as several minerals. However, it also contains something called lignin, and a lot of it. Humans can process lignin in small qualities, but grass contains so much that it usually passes through without giving any nutrients. Meanwhile, other animals like cows, with their famed multiple stomachs, are able to eat grass and thrive on it.
Is Grass Good for Worms?
Although many animals can thrive on diets consisting largely of grass (see a full list of animals that eat grass here), for many animals including hamsters and humans, grass isn’t a viable source of sustenance.
Meanwhile, grass and grass clippings give worms nutrients they need to thrive.
Are Worms Good for Grass?
Yes! Worms move through and compost grass, making soil more nutrient dense and hospitable for your plants to thrive. Having worms in your garden is a free way to compost your grass and other food particles.
Can Worms Damage Grass?
It’s unlikely but yes, worms can damage grass if left in a concentrated area. If they eat through all the nutrients in an area, they can create a ‘mound’ that has too much nutrition for that area – essentially the area of grass overdoses on a good thing. You may notice a random dry patch of grass in this case.
If this happens, there’s an easy fix. Simply rake over the affected area so the nutrients are more evenly divided within that area. The worms will move along in their pursuit of grass and food particles to nearby spots of soil.
Recap: Do Worms Eat Grass?
- Yes, worms eat grass.
- It’s good for both the worms and the grass!
- It’s rare but worms can damage grass if they are too concentrated in one area. Simply rake the affected soil area to spread around nutrients in this case.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What do worms eat?
Worms have a varied diet that mostly includes organic food matter, manure, dirt, leaves, and grass. People often feed worms rotting vegetables and fruits (for example, the outside of a banana), egg shells, and tea and coffee remains so that they can have high quality compost for free.
Worms should not be fed meat, dairy products, or glass/plastics/anything durable that is not organic.
Do worms like dirt?
Yes – worms like dirt and often eat it.
What types of worms are in grass?
If you’ve seen a worm in grass, it’s most likely an earthworm, the one that everyone knows about. There are many other types of worms (for example, the type that humans can get infected with), but for these purposes, the worm in your grass is an earthworm.
Do worms eat grass clippings?
Yes! Worms eat grass clippings and it’s often a major staple of their diet.
What do nightcrawler worms eat?
Nightcrawler is another name for an earthworm – and they eat organic matter (food and vegetables are great), egg shells, coffee grinds, tea leaves, dirt, grass, and leaves.
What types of worms eat grass?
The earthworm eats grass – other names for an earthworm include: “dew-worm”, “rainworm”, “nightcrawler”, and “angleworm”.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me!
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