The mighty worm

Every three or four months, Abbruscato's worm population doubles. But worms hibernate in winter. Eggs won't hatch until the soil is 55 to 60 degrees F, he says. The eggs look like little white pearls in the soil. When they hatch, they leave a brown shell behind.

Abbruscato loves to experiment with the worms' food choices. They definitely have preferences, he says. "They will eat any organic material," he says. That includes cotton jeans, shirts, and even "my wife's old nightgown. They went through that in about four days."

He holds up what's left of a pair of jeans - just the Levi's tag and the zipper. The worms like to eat the bacteria and decomposing material. "With the jeans, they are eating the bacteria that eats the jeans," Abbruscato says. When they eat the bacteria, they end up eating the jeans, too.

In some places, however, worms are seen as a problem. Forests from Minnesota to Rhode Island are battling a worm invasion. Worm-free since the Ice Ages, these remote forests have been getting on just fine without worms.

With the arrival of worms in the past few decades, some forest floors have been cleared. The worms have eaten all the leaves and decomposing vegetation underneath them called "duff." Many seeds germinate in the duff. Without it, some seeds won't grow, and some animals lose their habitat. Water runs off the empty forest floor quickly, changing the drainage of the forest. The humble worm is changing the ecosystem, wiping out some native plant species.

This sudden invasion could have happened only with human help. The offending worms are probably the offspring of fishing bait discarded at the end of the day.

Scientists are working on ways to regenerate these forests. Car tires can transport worm eggs, so road building is being halted in sensitive areas. Native plants are being grown and replanted in the forests.

We are finally realizing just how mighty the humble earthworm can be.

Most earthworms are a few inches long, but some of the world's biggest worms can grow up to 22 feet - longer than an SUV! Here are several examples:

United States

The Oregon Worm grows two to three feet long, and it gives off the smell of lilies when handled. It burrows five feet deep and is rarely seen. In fact, there have been no official sightings since the 1980s.

The Giant Palouse was found in Washington State. It grows up to two feet long - about the length of a baseball bat. It hasn't been spotted since 1978. Population growth and development may be to blame.

Australia

The Giant Gippsland can grow to three feet, but it can stretch up to 10 feet. It's rarely seen, but Australian farmers can hear gurgling sounds coming from the ground as it moves through the earth.

New Zealand

The North Auckland Worm grows 4-1/2 feet long and gives off light at night. It's so bright you can read by its light.

South Africa

The South African Giant Earthworm grows to be up to 22 feet and is the largest earthworm known. The record-setting specimen was found beside a road in William's Town, South Africa, in 1967. The worms normally grow to only about six feet. (Did I say "only"?)

• Some earthworms can survive two miles below the surface, where temperatures can reach 160 degrees F.

• Some worms can digest pollution. Scientists are figuring out if the worms could be used as toxic-soil detectors, the way canaries were used as poisonous-air detectors in mines.

• The slime or mucus made by an earthworm helps to keep its skin moist so it can breathe. It also helps it move smoothly through its burrow.

• A snakelike indigo-blue worm with white and yellow markings lives in the Philippines. It crawls on the forest floor.

• Earthworms are nature's power bars. They make a great snack for animals and are a key part of the food chain.

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