The answer to whether worms eat strawberries is a qualified yes, but it depends entirely on the type of worm and the condition of the fruit. Common soil-dwelling earthworms will consume strawberries, but only once the fruit has begun to rot and decay. These invertebrates are not designed to eat fresh, healthy plant material; instead, they serve a specific function in the ecosystem by processing organic waste.
The Worm Diet: Decomposers and Detritivores
Worms, including the familiar earthworm, are classified as detritivores, meaning their diet consists primarily of decaying organic matter, or detritus. Unlike herbivores, they do not graze on living plants and cannot easily consume fresh fruits or vegetables. Lacking teeth, a worm’s mouth can only ingest material that is soft and small enough to be drawn in.
The true work of breaking down food is done not by the worm itself, but by microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. These microbes colonize the decaying plant matter, starting the process of decomposition by breaking down tough components like cellulose. The worm then consumes both the pre-digested material and the microorganisms themselves, effectively harvesting the nutrients. This reliance on microbial breakdown explains why the fruit must be soft and mushy before a worm can consume it.
Feeding Strawberries to Composting Worms
For those practicing vermicomposting, strawberries and other fruit scraps are acceptable food sources, but they require careful management. Composting worms, such as Red Wigglers (Eisenia fetida), are highly efficient at processing food waste. To accelerate the process, it is helpful to cut or blend the fruit into small pieces, which increases the surface area for microbial action and makes it easier for the worms to ingest.
Introducing the fruit after freezing and thawing can also help, as this process ruptures the plant’s cell walls, further softening the material. Strawberries have a high water content and can be slightly acidic, which necessitates moderation when feeding them to a worm bin. Too much acidic food at once can lower the bin’s overall pH, potentially stressing the worms and creating an environment where harmful bacteria thrive.
To counteract this potential acidity, composters frequently add pulverized eggshells or a small amount of garden lime to the bin. These calcium-rich materials act as a buffer, helping to maintain a neutral environment that is optimal for the worms and their microbial partners. A good practice is to bury the fruit scraps beneath the bedding material to prevent fruit flies and ensure the worms have time to process the food.
Worms and Growing Strawberries in the Garden
In an outdoor garden setting, earthworms are highly beneficial and are not considered pests to growing strawberries. These soil engineers improve soil structure by tunneling, which increases aeration and water infiltration around the plant roots. They also cycle nutrients by depositing rich castings, which are highly beneficial to the strawberry plants.
If a gardener observes damage to healthy, intact fruit, the culprit is almost certainly not an earthworm. True strawberry pests that eat fruit include slugs, snails, earwigs, or the larvae of certain insects like the spotted wing drosophila. Earthworms will only consume the fruit if it is already lying on the damp soil and has begun to rot, indicating that the damage was initiated by something else.