eli5: Why do worms get out on the asphalt when it’s raining?
In: 3592
Related question: is it just me or are there fewer worms out on the street than when you were little?
I am always trying to save the worms and put them back in the dirt because they end up all dried on the sidewalk. When we had a pool I’d have to dish so many worms out of the pool on rainy days trying to save them.
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One theory is that when it’s rainy it’s prime time for a worm to find a mate. Worms can only move on wet surfaces and it is easier for them to find a mate while on the surface because they move faster compared to being underground and they are more likely to bump into each other. This is supported by the fact that only some of the worm population will surface during the rain and the vast majority of them are adults.
So the worm on the asphalt in the rain could just be a horny worm looking for mate.
I have a follow-up question!
I’ve lived in Ontario and in BC. In ON, when it gets ‘wormy’ out, it smells wormy. I can tell they’re out even before I see them. In BC, it does not smell wormy. If its dark, I could be stepping on them and I wouldn’t know! Yes, I have a phobia. But why does it smell in ON and not in BC???
There’s a good Wild Kratts episode where they talk about it. Something with being easier to move and the sun won’t bake them unless they get caught out once it becomes sunny and dries out.
I have the same question but for snails, in my college campus theyre everywhere when it rains
If you put a tuning fork or a pitchfork into the ground make it vibrate they will come up I always assumed worms came up when it rained because of the rain hitting the ground making a (vibrational) resonance frequency that made them try to escape the ground!
Haha, I get looks all the time outside of where I work.. I end up having to save dozens on my walk to my vehicle.
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