Worm Wonder By: Daisy Mele

Question/ Reason: How long does it take.5 kilograms of red wiggler worms to digest.5 kilograms of organic waste.

Hypothesis Due to my research I estimated that it will take two days for.5 kilograms of red wiggler worms to digest.5 kilograms of organic waste. I think the worms will be able to digest half their body weight every day equaling.5 kilograms in two days.

The Experiment

Part A- Materials First to start my experiment I will have to build a worm bin. To complete this I will need the following materials- 1 seven liter rubber bin 2 seven liter rubber bin lids Roll of thin screen, plastic or metal 1 kilograms of soil 4 plastic cups 2 kilograms of shredded black and white newsprint Drill with ¼ inch drill bit Water to moisten shredded newsprint..5 kilograms of red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) Organic Waste (fruits, vegetables, peelings, coffee grounds, tea bags, grains, etc.)

Building the Worm Bin Steps to building a worm bin: Drill at least twenty ¼ inch holes on the bottom, sides, and lid on one of the plastic bins. Line the inside of the bin with the holes with a thin screen. In the bin with the holes you will need three small layers about one inch each. 1 st a layer of moist shredded news print. 2 nd a layer of dirt. 3 rd another layer of moist shredded news print. Underneath the last layer of moist shredded newsprint you put the worms and organic waste. On top of the lid without holes place a cup in each corner. Place the first bin on top of the four cups. Store bin in a cool quiet place

Part B- The Variables Controlled Variable- The conditions of the worm bin (Temperature, humidity, moisture levels). Independent Variable (experimental)- Amount of organic waste being fed to the worms. Dependent Variable- How fast the worms digest the organic waste.

Part C- Directions 1.First I need to construct the worm bin. 2.After building the worm bin I let the worms acclimate to their new surroundings for two days before beginning. 3.Collect three pounds of organic waste (.5 kilograms for each experiment). 4.Before beginning let the worms process food from previous meals. 5.Put one pound of organic waste under the top layer of shredded newsprint. 6.Every four hours remove the food, reweigh it, and record the data until the food is completely gone. 7.Collect data on a line and bar graph. 8.Repeat the experiment two more times and compare the data.

Part D- Data On the first day of the experiment I collected exactly.5 kilograms of organic waste. At 8 AM I began my experiment and added.5 kilograms of organic waste under the top layer of shredded moist newspaper. I then waited for tour hours then removed the waste, reweighed how much food was left, recorded the data, and returned the uneaten food to the same area in the bin. I repeated this process every four hours from 8 AM in the morning to 8 PM in the evening. Then I displayed the data on a line and bar graph.

Results Results for experiment 1:  I repeated the exact same experiment twice more. They were each spaced three days apart and each experiment started with a fresh.5 kilograms of organic waste. Results for experiment 2: Results for experiment 3:

Data Charts

Conclusion My data rejects my hypothesis that it would take two days for.5 kilograms of worms to process.5 kilograms of organic waste. My data said that at 12 AM the worms had digested an average of.19 Kg of food, at 4 PM they digested an average of.58 Kg of food, and at 8 PM they digested an average of.42 Kg of organic waste. In my data I concluded that it actually only takes one day for the food to be completely eaten. I was very surprised by the results and to learn that a single worm can digest its body weight in one day. In future experimentations the only thing I would change is to accomplish more tests. Revised Hypothesis:.5 Kilograms of red wiggler worms will be able to digest.5 kilograms of organic waste in one day.

Sources Brindley, Hal. “ How to build a worm bin.” Dodo films Strong, Kristin. “How Much Organic Waste can Composting Worms Eat.” Science Buddies projects/projectideas/envScipo55.shtml?fav=no&isb=c2lkOjEsa WE6RW52U2NpLHA6MSxyaWQ6MTIxMDIxOTc&from=TSW projects/projectideas/envScipo55.shtml?fav=no&isb=c2lkOjEsa WE6RW52U2NpLHA6MSxyaWQ6MTIxMDIxOTc&from=TSW “Making a Worm Farm.”DEQ Louisiana “Composting with Red Worms.” Whatcom. “Earth Worm FAQ.” How to Compost