Last Updated on September 12, 2020 by Natalie
Rainy days aren’t very common in our region of Mexico, so we appreciate them. Rainy days are celebrated the way kids should celebrate rainy days. Filled with rain dances, puddle jumping, and general enjoyment. We love the days that have rain. What does this have to do with worms?
Table of Contents
Worms and Rainy Days
Walking Challenge
I recently started a 21 Day One Mile Walk Challenge. It’s my own invention, because it has been a struggle to get outside. I tried to get a few friends on board, but it’s mostly just me and one friend who walks when he can. Technically, I’ve already failed in my quest to walk one mile every single day. I’ve made up the lost mileage, but I keep skipping my Saturday walks for some reason. However, one day recently, I forced myself into my pink poncho and walked one mile in the pouring rain. You know, like I advocate doing! Yes, I got soaked where I wasn’t covered by the poncho, but I really enjoyed having the neighborhood to myself while I walked.
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Observations On My Rainy Day Walk
My rainy day walk was as fast as I could go and I still got wet. Even with my quick pace, I noticed there were so many worms out and about. I wasn’t surprised as I know that earthworms often come out while it rains.
The problem is that I live in a concrete jungle. My neighborhood is a lovely city neighborhood, but there is a lot of cement and asphalt. Once the rain stops, I knew that a lot of worms wouldn’t have time to return to the soil because they’d dry out too quickly. It’s a good thing about the climate in Queretaro when you want your clothes to dry fast, but for the worms, also a bad thing. In the past, I’ve seen a lot of dried up worms on the sidewalks.
The Rainy Day Worm Rescue
So the kids and I went on the Rainy Day Worm Rescue after the rain stopped. We had to wait for our lunch break, but that allowed time for some worms to get back to the soil. We walked to the areas where I’d seen the most worms and picked up all that we could find that were still alive.
This activity delighted my children (ages 7 and 8) and they loved looking for the worms and then picking them up and putting them into our plastic container. We brought them home and gently put them on the soil in our garden. The kids watched them for awhile, as they worked on digging into the dirt. It also led to a lovely discussion about facts about worms.
The worms in their new digs.
Why Do Earthworms Go Out in the Rain?
It’s theorized that earthworms go out in the rain for a couple of reasons. They can move greater distances faster on top of the soil. The rain allows them to retain the moisture they need to survive. The second possible reason is to escape moles – and the rain vibrations may sound like moles, which send the worms to the surface.
10 Cool Earthworm Facts
- Worms can live in puddles for several days
- If a worm’s skin dries out, the worm will die
- Worms breath through their skin, by absorbing oxygen through their pores
- They’ve existed for 600 million years
- Worms are cold blooded
- Worms can sense light and will become paralyzed if exposed to it for too long (around 1 hour)
- They don’t eat live plants
- Earthworms are covered in small hairs or bristles, called setae
- In one acre of land, there can be one million earthworms
- Worms can live up to 10 years, though due to predators, usually only live between 1-2 years
Appreciating the puddles.
Enjoying the Rain
Puddle jumping, dancing and playing in the rain, and helping out worms are all great activities to get outside when the weather is imperfect. Or is the rain just a different kind of awesome? The worms can’t easily come out during the day unless it’s raining, so it’s definitely perfect weather for them!
Have you participated in a rainy day worm rescue? The best feedback comes from parents. Please leave a comment with your thoughts. Thank you!
