"suspicious minds" wrote in message
news

"bigboard" wrote in message
...
suspicious minds wrote:


"bigboard" wrote in message

While they don't strictly speaking have gizzards, they do need
some sort
of
gritty substance to help break up the food they ingest. I use
calcified
seaweed.

Read this then

"In most of the species, the oesophagus is enlarged into a crop
in front
of the gizzard. This latter organ is lined with a smooth thick
chitinous
membrane, and is surrounded by weak longitudinal, but powerful
transverse
muscles. Perrier saw these muscles in energetic action; and, as
he
remarks, the trituration of the food must be chiefly effected by
this
organ, for worms possess no jaws or teeth of any kind. Grains of
sand and
small stones, from the 1/20 to a little more than the 1/10 inch
in
diameter, may generally be found in their gizzards and
intestines. As it
is certain that worms swallow many little stones, independently
of those
swallowed while excavating their burrows, it is probable that
they serve,
like mill-stones, to triturate their food. The gizzard opens into
the
intestine, which runs in a straight course to the vent at the
posterior
end of the body."

THE FORMATION OF VEGETABLE MOULD
THROUGH THE ACTION OF WORMS
WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THEIR HABITS.
by Charles Darwin


[FIRST EDITION, October 10th, 1881.]

CHAPTER I--HABITS OF WORMS.
http://www.webmesh.co.uk/darwinworms1.htm



I hadn't realised the organs were called gizzards. Still, my point
about
their digestion still stands.

Granted, although with due respect I don't think that Franz has
read many
essays on worms.

I have read exactly none on worms qua worms. I have, however, read a
substantial number of essays on the making of worm compost. The
descriptions of the standard worm-composting process do not mention
the necessity of introducing fine sand particles into the wormery.

On another point, worms breed, so as long as conditions are suitable
and
within reason, the worms will multiply according to how much food is
available (as long as they are not overwhelmed)

My worms have multiplied beyond all recognition. (Without the use of
sand to stay alive). Nevertheless, they are demolishing my kitchen
waste at a miserably small rate. They would really have to increase
their appetites tenfold if they are to have any hope of consming the
waste as fast as I feed it to them.

Does any other urgler have any experience of an indoor wormery?

Franz