Worm Party!

Gloomtastic!

Last night, about midnight, I was walking through our back garden with the light of my phone as a torch. The lawn, that I had just cut a few hours earlier, was literally covered in earthworms. As soon as the light shone on the worms, they disappeared back into the ground. Pretty sure it hadn't rained all day/night.

I've never seen anything like this before. I Googled it and nothing came up. Is it a mating thing?

Gloomtastic!

They’re out again tonight. Got a couple of pictures

fryup

covid party?

but seriously you must have very fertile soil?

upupup

Did anyone open a can?

New Home

I wonder, would they have come up to "absorb" the dew.

They were probably on a night shift, ready to go before the early bird arrives for work.

Kaybaykwah

That is a sign of very healthy grass. Those worms are essential to aeration and transporting nutrients.

Reggie.

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Last night, about midnight, I was walking through our back garden with the light of my phone as a torch. The lawn, that I had just cut a few hours earlier, was literally covered in earthworms. As soon as the light shone on the worms, they disappeared back into the ground. Pretty sure it hadn't rained all day/night.

I've never seen anything like this before. I Googled it and nothing came up. Is it a mating thing?

Earthworms come up at night to feed and to breed. They pull the likes of leaves and stuff underground

Markcheese

Do you use a mulching deck ? ( Just curious )

Gloomtastic!

Markcheese wrote: »

Do you use a mulching deck ? ( Just curious )

I was mulching the grass last year. I’ve built a compost bin since.

Not sure if it’s relevant but we’ve now got chickens free ranging on the grass.

Alun

I did some Googling of this when the first post was made. Most hits were from US sites which talked about particular varieties of earthworm which they called nightcrawlers, which seems an appropriate name! I don't know how that translates to here, i.e. if all earthworms do this, or just certain ones.

Gloomtastic!

Alun wrote: »

I did some Googling of this when the first post was made. Most hits were from US sites which talked about particular varieties of earthworm which they called nightcrawlers, which seems an appropriate name! I don't know how that translates to here, i.e. if all earthworms do this, or just certain ones.

So I’m right in thinking it is unusual? It was still going on last week when I was out there.

Reggie.

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

So I’m right in thinking it is unusual? It was still going on last week when I was out there.

It's normal behaviour. Happens most nights after rain