Earthworms came to the soil surface after a good rain was to prevent drowning in their water-filled burrows. "This is not true as earthworms breathe through their skins and actually require moisture in the soil to do so. Worms or night crawlers often surface at night to pull fallen leaves down into their burrow. When the leaf softens a little they pull off small bits to munch on. Worms also "swallow" soil as they burrow. Young worms grow rapidly and are ready to reproduce in about one month. Depending on growing conditions, worms may take up to six months to attain full size. More earthworms went into estivation as the drought stress period got longer. Fourteen percent of earthworms died in the three-week drought, significantly more than in the other treatments. Still, the earthworms that survived drought, even for three weeks, were able to recover after rewetting. The entire surface of a worm's body absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. Moisture Worms move by squeezing muscles around their water- filled bodies. They also need water to keep their skin moist for breathing. The worms should start working on a feeding within a few days and finish it within 1 to 2 weeks. If you see large amounts of food, you are probably overfeeding. Under ideal conditions, worms can eat their weight in scraps per day. So if you have 1 pound of worms, you can theoretically feed them 1 pounds of scraps.

Young worms grow rapidly and are ready to reproduce in about one month. Depending on growing conditions, worms may take up to six months to attain full size. Earthworms also need water to keep their skin moist for breathing. The worms should start working on a feeding within a few days and finish it within 1 to 2 weeks. If large amounts of food, are probably overfeeding. Under ideal conditions, worms can eat their weight in scraps per day. Earthworm can survive in dry soils but they are not active. However if the drought is severe, they will die. In dry conditions, they can burrow deep into the soil to 1 metre, tie themselves in a knot, secrete a coating of mucous about themselves which dries and helps prevent water loss. Earthworm usually live in the soil's top few centimetres, but will burrow deeper to find essential moisture if the earth dries out or freezes. Worms are vital in maintaining soil structure and fertility as they aerate the soil, improve drainage and bring nutrients to the surface.