What Do Earthworms Eat? A List of Common Food Types

What do earthworms eat? The decaying organic matter and large amounts of soil particles that earthworms ingest are digested and excreted as castings, which are rich in nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Earthworms pile soil to one side or swallow it directly while searching for food, and they also dig their burrows in this way; some earthworms carry swallowed soil up to the surface and excrete it in the form of small soil particles or worm castings.

Earthworms also crawl out of their burrows to feed on fallen plant leaves on the ground.

Earthworms promote the decomposition of plant material, allowing some of its nutrients to seep into the soil; they constantly tunnel through the soil, allowing air to circulate and rainwater to drain away in appropriate amounts. Without earthworms, soil would quickly become hard and lifeless.