What Do Earthworms Eat?

July 9, 2026

Many children think earthworms eat dirt because they spend almost their entire lives underground. While earthworms do swallow soil, they are not actually eating the dirt itself. Instead, they are searching for tiny bits of food mixed throughout the soil.

The next time your child finds an earthworm, ask: "What do you think it's looking for down there?" You may be surprised by their answer.

What Do Earthworms Really Eat?

Earthworms are nature's recyclers.

Their favorite foods include:

Dead leaves
Old grass
Decaying roots
Rotting flowers
Fungi
Tiny organisms living in the soil
Other decaying plant material called organic matter

Organic matter is anything that was once alive and is now breaking down. Every autumn, when leaves fall to the ground, earthworms begin one of nature's biggest clean up jobs.

Instead of letting dead leaves pile up year after year, earthworms slowly recycle them into healthy soil.

Do Earthworms Eat Dirt?

Not exactly. As earthworms tunnel through the soil, they swallow both food and soil together. The soil itself is not their food. Instead, it contains tiny pieces of decaying plants, fungi, bacteria, and other organic matter that provide nutrients. The remaining soil passes through the earthworm's body and is released back into the ground as worm castings. Worm castings are rich in nutrients that help plants grow.

Do Earthworms Eat Living Plants?

Healthy earthworms do not chew on healthy living plants. Worms prefer plants that have already died and begun to decompose. This is one reason gardeners are happy to find earthworms in their gardens. Rather than damaging plants, earthworms help recycle dead plant material into nutrients that living plants can use.

How Do Earthworms Eat Without Teeth?

Earthworms have no teeth. They don't chew decaying plants; they just swallow small pieces of food. Inside their digestive system is a powerful muscular organ called the gizzard.

The gizzard works much like our teeth. Tiny grains of sand and soil inside the gizzard grind the food into smaller pieces, making it easier to digest. Without the gizzard, earthworms would not be able to break down tough pieces of dead leaves and other plant material.

Why Are Earthworms Called Nature's Recyclers?

Imagine if every dead leaf that fell from a tree stayed on the ground forever. Over time, forests would become buried under layers of dead leaves and plants. Earthworms help prevent that. As they eat decaying plant material, they break it down into nutrients that return to the soil. Those nutrients help grow new trees, flowers, grasses, and shrubs. Every earthworm is helping recycle yesterday's leaves into tomorrow's forest.

What to Notice Together

The next time you find an earthworm, look around before looking at the worm.

Ask your child:

Can you find something an earthworm might eat?

Look for:

Brown leaves
Old grass
Rotting wood
Fallen flower petals
Damp soil
Compost

Then ask: "Which of these do you think the earthworm would choose first?"

There are no wrong guesses. This simple activity encourages children to observe the entire habitat instead of focusing on just one animal.

Try This at Home

Collect a few natural items during your next walk.

(A green leaf. A brown leaf. A flower petal. A small twig)

Ask your child: "Which of these do you think an earthworm would eat?"

Talk about why some things become food while others do not.

Then, the next time you visit the same spot a few months later, notice what has changed.

Some of those leaves may already be disappearing back into the soil.

Connecting It All Together

When children discover that an earthworm is eating yesterday's leaves to help tomorrow's trees grow, they begin to understand that everything in nature is connected. Children begin to understand that a fallen leaf is food for earthworms and earthworms improve the soil. Healthy soil grows healthy plants and healthy plants provide food and shelter for many other animals.

Continue the Adventure Outdoors

Reading about what earthworms eat is a wonderful beginning. Watching an earthworm disappear beneath a layer of leaves, noticing the decaying plants around it, and discovering how the forest recycles itself creates a much deeper understanding.

At Little Hikers Long Island, children explore the forests of West Hills County Park, observe local plants and animals in their natural habitats, ask questions, and make discoveries through hands on experiences.

Every walk is an opportunity to slow down, look closely, and uncover the incredible stories happening beneath our feet. If you would like to continue exploring the nature of Long Island together, we would love to have you join us on the trail.

About Little Hikers Long Island

Little Hikers Long Island is a fully outdoor parent and child nature program at West Hills County Park in Huntington, New York. Through hands-on exploration, families learn about the local plants, insects, animals, and seasonal changes found right here on Long Island. Children learn to observe closely, ask thoughtful questions, compare what they see, and build a lasting relationship with the natural world around them.

Our goal is to help children become careful observers, confident explorers, and future stewards of the places they call home, because children protect what they understand.

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