Wednesday 25 June 2008

No Sex Please, We're British

I know I'm turning into a girl with a one track mind, (not to be confused with THE girl of course), so for a change, I thought I'd break away from the subject of rubbish and focus on worms.

Last week I emptied out the "liquid gold" from the wormery and noticed that yet again, there were quite a number of the wiggly things in there, all dead.

Since I got the wormery in February, I must have emptied out almost as many as came with the can'o'worms.

Forever feeling remorseful for the number of dead worms that get scattered in my garden, I thought I should order some new ones to keep the spirit of the wormery alive and wriggling.

Yet, when I poked about in the crumbly rich compost, there were hundreds of the wriggly wiggly creatures. All looking very happy indeed.

I felt relieved, but how were there so many? Somehow, I couldn't stop my thoughts wandering in the direction of how worms breed.

I know it seems a bit rude to barge into their personal lives, but I thought I'd have a poke around with an old stick to try and find some evidence.

But there was nothing fruity going on in wormland. They were just all going about their everyday business, as little single worms do.

I am not surprised really. After all, what worm wants to meet his beloved for a date with some cold peas and rice under the watchful eye of their keeper? Let alone get it on after their romantic interlude.

So there was nothing for it but to ring up the experts, Wiggly Wigglers, and pose the question "How do worms breed?" They made it sound so easy.

Worms as you know are Hermaphrodites, which means that they all have male and female reproductive organs. They breed by sliding through each other's saddle, which is the thick part of the worm. An egg is formed and fertilised as it travels along the worm's body where eventually it drops off its nose. It then takes around 4-6 weeks for the little worms to emerge...

Awww...bless...!

Anyway, I think I've got that right. I know it's the simple version, but for someone like me who never even attempted O'level biology, this is just the right level.

So having dug deeper (excuse the pun) into the issue at hand, I think that's enough sex for me thank you. After all, I am British and will have to hide my blushes when I next visit the worms.

Yes from now on, I think I'll just stick to my rubbish, happy that the worms seem content enough to multiply.

Anyway if you're interested in finding out more about my adventures with worms and waste, I've written a guest post for the Wiggly Blog, which which will be published this week, so please wiggle over for a nosey.

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5 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm off for a cold shower and a lie down after that...

Anonymous said...

Now then....now that my blushes have subsided, I have to ask what is perhaps a really silly question, but am also hoping that others are thinking the same....despite having believed that I understood the principle of worm breeding (and despite having both a GCSE and A level in Biology!) - when you say that the worms breed by sliding through each others saddle - do you mean that it still takes 2 to make a baby worm despite them being hermaphrodite? I can't picture what sliding through each others saddle would look like....please help me understand!!! I couldn't possibly ask my mum & dad and Mr Baba can't explain either....then again the football is on!!

Matron said...

Gosh yes! that's exactly what I learned in my O'Level biology many moons ago.

Almost Mrs Average said...

Hi Despairing - LOL - hope the shower worked ;-D

Hi Baba - welcome back from your hols. And yes, it takes two...
Take a look at this:

rottnapples.blogspot.com/2007/04/
tuesday-april-16-worm-pictures.html

Hi Matron - Thank you for popping and for your support, showing I've not gone mad ;-D

louis said...

Hey,I also learned same but in my A-level biology. Just have a look at my site dentists edinburgh

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