A fifth-grade school enrichment program 4-H Vermicomposting A fifth-grade school enrichment program

Lesson 4: Other Creatures in Worm Bin Objectives Find out what other creatures are in worm bin Find out the relationships between what you find and the worms Review Describe external anatomy of worms Share how to prepare and maintain bedding in worm bin

Review: Label External Anatomy Features Segments Clitellum Anus Mouth Setae

Review: Bedding No glossy paper! Bedding can be shredded newspaper, paper, bags, or cardboard Keep bedding material in worm bin moist. A worm’s body is __% to __% water Soak bedding, then squeeze out most water

Other Creatures in Worm Bin Worms are not the only decomposers in worm bins Many creatures found in soil and decaying food live there These creatures are consumers, like worms, because they eat organic matter in the bin

White Worms (Enchytraeids) These thin, segmented worms are so small (1/4 inch to one inch long) that they are often mistaken for baby redworms, which are pinkish and somewhat see-through White worms feed on organic matter, such as decaying vegetation and food scraps

Mites (Acarina) These round, eight-legged creatures are so tiny they are hard to see. They are usually white, brown, or bright red, and appear in clusters. (No, this is not a life-size picture of a mite!)

Fruit Flies (Drosophilae) Closeup view of a fruit fly’s compound eye! These tiny flies feed on ripening or fermenting fruit

Springtails (Collembola) These tiny (1/16 of an inch) white creatures spring away in different directions if you try to touch them. You will often see several hundred in the worm bin, looking like grains of salt.

Sow Bugs (Isopods) These creatures have gray or brown ½ inch bodies that look like tiny armadillos with series of flattened plates on their bodies Although these pictures make the sow bug and armadillo look the same size, the armadillo is MUCH larger!