Some people may want to take the feeding opportunity a step further. Those who are paying the price for commercial mealworms and other goodies might find ways to cut back on the budget during a webworm infestation. If your neighbors are willing, you can also collect those pesky worms from their yards as well. While not a recommended method for everyone, it’s easy enough to try, while proceeding with caution into harvesting and setting up a feeding area.

Keep in mind, though, that webworm bodies are covered in long bristly hairs. That may send birds in search of more fleshy tidbits.

Here are a few tips for feeding webworms to your back yard birds.

Be sure the webs have not been treated with chemical pesticides. Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), however, won’t harm the birds. When collecting from neighbors, always ask first to be sure none of the webs have been sprayed.

The best method is to remove a branch with the full web and place it near your bird feeding station. A larger, healthy tree won’t be affected by removal. Do not take branches from very young trees. Break open the web, leaving the leaves and worms in place. You’ll quickly see which birds find these pests attractive. This also helps keep the worms contained. Remember, webworms are “smart survivors” - they expand their nest areas at night when predators aren’t around to attack.

You can also simply break open the webs with a sharp stick at the tree site and let birds and wasps feed on the spot. This is a much easier way to provide access without the worry of transport.

If nesting season and a webworm or tentworm outbreak coincide, you’re in luck. Adult birds are on almost constant patrol for food to take back to their hatchlings.

If you’re planning to try feeding webworms to the neighborhood birds, be aware that you might be raising the risk of a greater infestation in your own yard. The worms pupate, then spend the winter either underground or in pockets behind tree bark. In warmer areas, they may return more than once during the year.

Supervise the feeding station, if possible. You don’t want web worms wandering off in search of new food sources. Once disturbed, they may attempt an escape. Destroy the uneaten worms you’ve collected after a certain period passes. Smashing them first before tossing in the trash is the most effective method of disposal.

As an alternative to more expensive treats, including mealworms, making webworms available is certainly worth an attempt. You won’t have problems harvesting when there’s an infestation as webworms have an appetite for more than 100 tree species.

The tube within a tube “plan,” in its most basic form, means that food goes in one end and exits at the other end. The tube portion means that as the food travels along its tract, it’s contained in a very specialized section of the anatomy. It may pass through several designated chambers as it is digested and broken down. This is opposite of the “sac system,” in which animals eat food, digest it, then excrete it through the same opening.

For annelids, however, the tube within a tube term refers to the fact that their outer body structure is also specifically tube-like. (This is not the same reference made to “tubeworms,” which create tubes around their own bodies.) The “coelom” is the area that separates the inner and outer tube structures.

Earthworms, for instance, have quite a well-developed tube-within-a-tube arrangement. The food goes into the mouth, then on to the pharynx. From there it passes through an esophagus to reach the crop, which is basically a storage bin. Next, food enters the gizzard where a muscular system begins to break up the pieces. These are strong contractions that can grind up anything an earthworm consumes, including dirt granules and leaf matter. Once these portions are manageable, the smaller particles then move into the intestine. A chemical process aids in the digestion once the longer intestinal portion is called into action. Nutrients and other essentials then enter the bloodstream. An earthworm’s intestine is also segmented and features a folded portion of the intestinal wall known as a “typhlosole.” When stretched, the surface space increases its absorbent properties, making for a very efficient chain of events. The unusable remainder of the now-digested food is then excreted.

In the large number of annelid species, components of this tube within a tube arrangement will vary. Some are primitive, while others are often complex. This setup also allows annelids to continue eating, even with undigested food in their systems. Ultimately, it’s efficient and another of nature’s amazing mechanisms.

The life cycles are the same among all miller moth species. Depending on the climate, however, they may have one or more caterpillar emergence seasons annually. This allows for plenty of time to eat away the intended targets in the cutworm stage.

Common cutworm varieties include:
-army worm
-black cutworm
-bronzed cutworm
-dingy cutworm
-glassy cutworm
-granulate cutworm
-sandhill cutworm

Depending on the species, they attack plants in varying ways:
-climbing to consume leaves, tender shoots and fruit.
-surface gnawing that fells a plant at or near the base
-underground activity that includes feeding on and destroying the root system.
-wide coverage, especially in the case of army cutworms that decimate the upper portion of plants in a wave.

Growth stages are similar among all cutworms, although variances may occur. Generally, the female lays eggs in the fall, which hatch and hide under debris during the winter. They continue to grow, emerging as good-sized larvae when the weather warms. They move swiftly and can create a great deal of damage overnight in smaller areas. Many will not reach the pupae stage until almost mid-summer, which explains the great amount of destruction. Cutworms are typically single generation in cooler regions and may be in greater abundance following a dry season. In southern states, two-four generations may be occur.

Because cutworms generally feed at night, identification can be difficult until early indications of damage are present. Digging in the general vicinity of plants may produce the worms. They’ll be as small as a half-inch in length up to two inches.

For the home gardener, physical barriers are recommended for above ground species. These include any container that is open on both ends and buried around the plants. Soaking the ground with an insecticidal soap and water solution can also cause the cutworms to rise to the surface. Pesticides for cutworm control include Diazinon and Sevin. These may not be effective on subterranean cutworms. It is also important to identify the specific type of cutworm before taking chemical measures.

Improving the quality of soil over the winter or across two seasons may also reduce cutworm populations. Heavy tilling will bring buried worms to the surface that can be picked off by birds. Removing mulch and all plant materials during winter exposes the soil to sunlight, making it less habitable.

Cutworms of any type are serious pests that require vigilance and early prevention.

We unknowingly consume small insect and animal parts in common foods, such as flour and even jelly. Today, more people are beginning to realize the nutritional benefits of intentionally consuming bugs, insects, and worms - a practice known as entomophagy. Recipes abound, from cookies to breads that incorporate bits and pieces or dried parts ground to make flour. While that may still sound disgusting, think about these critters’ aquatic equivalents, such as fish eggs and snails. Those are high-end delicacies found on many an upscale menu.

Mealworms are recommended for those just beginning to experiment. They’re inexpensive and easy to find at pet or bait shops or through specialty sellers. Mealworms are also easy to raise for those who consume worms on a regular basis.

Treats from around the world include a wide variety of unusual edible worms, larvae, and caterpillars.

In Mexico, street vendors sell bags of worms and are ready to fry them up on the spot. They also include them in tacos as a specialty. The maguey plant is home to red worms (chinicuiles) and white worms (meocuiles), which are actually moth and butterfly larvae, respectively. For those looking for a live alternative, the Devil’s horse, known as “caballito del diablo” is said to be heavenly. These are dragonfly larvae and are also delicious when they’re toasted or fried.

In Africa, the mopane worm makes a frequent appearance on the table. These are actually caterpillars that feed on the leaves of the mopane tree. Instructions to make them better tasting include squeezing the guts out, giving them a saltwater boil, then setting them out to dry.

The common earthworm, most notably the red wiggler, also has many of the same protein-rich benefits along with an abundance of omega 3 oil. They’re better chopped into pieces before frying, however, to remove any grainy bits from their digestive systems.

Beetle larvae from any species are on the menus in many countries, including South America. Longhorn and scarab beetles are particular varieties that get the taste buds going during the larval stage.

In Japan and among some Pacific islands, fly larvae is a specialty, sometimes blended with soy and lemon or lime juice.

You shouldn’t just go out in the neighborhood and start looking for your next snack, however, Many of these creatures are exposed to pesticides, which can have adverse reactions. Also, caterpillars that are colorful tend to have unpleasant side effects.

When preparing store-purchased worms, give them a new home in a bowl filled with corn meal. Leave them for about twenty-four hours while they feed. This will purge any unwanted foods they’ve previously consumed, while developing those buttery, bacony, meaty, woodsy flavors that make them so good. You can also let them go hungry for a day to achieve the same results.

Cooking in some form is always best to eliminate any risks of parasites. Keep them alive until you’re ready to bake or pop them into hot oil. Worm bodies tend to decompose quickly once they’re no longer living. Happy eating!

The lists of bad pests vary, but here are a few invaders that are easy to identify and require elimination.

The Bad Pests

Ants. All so common and typically harmless. That’s with the exception of fireants in some parts of the country, of course. If a worm farm is at the right temperature, ants can take up residence and lay eggs with abandon. As adults, they also consume nutrients that deplete the supply worms need for healthy functioning. Larger ant populations can destroy a bin. It’s important to follow the trail and eliminate the entire group.

Birds. Of course, they’re attracted to earthworms, so it’s essential to have a wire cover on any bin.

Centipedes. While somewhat similar to millipedes in appearance, they feed on living materials, including worms. Removal is necessary, but relatively simple. Finding one or two may mean you’ve corralled the entire offending population in your worm bed as they tend to be very territorial.

Fruit flies. More annoying than they are damaging. However, it’s best to prevent fly infestations by freezing fruits before adding them to a worm bin.

Maggots. In a worm farm, these are typically the larvae of the soldier fly. As adults, they do not transmit disease, but can be a great annoyance due to their size and slower movements. The maggot stage is generally unpleasant to look at and most owners suggest that their presence is short-lived. On the other hand, they are also good composters.

Pseudoscorpions. These are indeed predators that enjoy attacking a bin and going after the smaller worms. They also prey on nematodes and other beneficial creatures.

Slugs. These are also consumers of living things and if left to control your worm farm, will eventually venture out to damage plants. They love a truly moist environment, which means you can let the bin dry out a bit without harming the worms.

Snails. Treat them the same as slugs - they should be eliminated.

Other marauders include larger animals that can do quite a bit of damage to the soil, destroying worms in the process. Raccoons, moles, rodents, and squirrels are all diggers that can disrupt a happy, healthy worm home.

The Good Guests

These critters serve to help keep a worm bed aerated and cause no harm to the original intended inhabitants. They work alongside red worms all with the same goal: consuming organic materials and nutrients in the soil, digesting and then eliminating to produce the desired product.

Beetles. Most beetles are friends of the worm bin as they prey on bad pests, including slugs. Some beetle species also enjoy rotting carcasses and veggies.

Millipedes. These harmless creatures are capable of consuming and breaking down larger pieces of organic material. That’s something the common earthworm can’t do, so millipedes perform a good service in the vermicomposting bed.

Mites. These are a common resident of worm bins, although some experts suggest they feed on living worms. That may not be the case, as they appear to prefer dead matter, including deceased red worms. These are not the same variety that infest indoor/outdoor plants. They can, at times, overpopulate at the surface and require removal.

Nematodes. Microscopic in size, these exist in the millions in any compost or worm bin. Depending on the species, they are not typically a detriment to worm farms.

Pot worms. This small segmented worm thrives in the hundreds and thousands and is visibly identifiable by its quarter-inch long body. Feeding alongside red worms appears to cause no problem although it can easily outnumber the intended residents.

Roly-Polies. Also called “pill” bugs and known for their ability to roll into a tight ball. They’re beneficial in a worm bin.

Sow bugs. These will inevitably show up in a worm farm or compost heat. They’re harmless, mainly feeding on leaf litter and decomposing debris. However, in higher concentrations, or when the ground is drenched, they will easily find their way indoors, scooting across the floors of a home. No harm done, but annoying. Sow bugs are related to roly-polies, but cannot curl into a ball.

Springtails. An abundance of springtails is highly likely in a worm bin. They feed on dead matter and contribute to composting. Springtails cannot survive outside this environment and cause no harm to worms.

Many people worry that these massive populations will cause a home invasion. Typically, they won’t. All these critters love a moist and humid environment. It’s not tempting for them to leave in search of better conditions.

In addition, bacteria, fungi and molds are critical to the process of breaking down matter. In various forms, these organisms contribute to the overall conditions of a functioning bin. They are also good indicators of when there is an imbalance; an overgrowth says too much food is present for the worms to handle. In normal amounts, these organisms also become food for red worms.

Their common name comes from the fact they inhabit the soil in container plants. In fact, many expert gardeners believe the soil is not “normal” without the presence of pot worms. For those who maintain earthworm farms, there is some unnecessary worry that overpopulation will choke out their investment. That is typically not the case as pot worms and a host of other creatures, including those that cannot be seen except under a magnifying glass or microscope, reside peaceably with earthworms, and often in greater numbers. A majority of worm farmers have reported no reduction in the health of their farmed worms when this species is present.

When a pot worm invasion occurs, they can number as many as 250,000 in a ten-square-foot area. Their quarter-inch long bodies are visible to the naked eye and are sometimes mistaken for the larvae of other worm species. These are adults, however, and can literally appear to be in the millions by comparison to a typical earthworm bed.

Pot worms feed on the same type of litter as earthworms. They are efficient at aerating soil and breaking down just about any organic materials. This species prefers an acid environment that is moist. If too dry, they will die. Even though pot worms are attracted to soils that are higher in acid, that does not mean the dirt needs amending.

The easiest way to reduce pot worm populations is with bread and milk. They will flock to a piece of soaked bread and can be lifted out and destroyed in large batches.

Just as pot worms won’t harm other living worm species, they do no damage to living plants either. Their diet is strictly bacteria and fungus, which are digestible, and organic matter, which their systems cannot process. They are also known to prey on nematodes.

Pot worms are also popular as fish food and sometimes raised just for that purpose. Some simply refer to them as “white” worms as they resemble tiny white threads residing in water and on land.

The practice of willingly consuming worms and insects is called entomophagy. The truth is that most of us prefer to stick to foods that are more conventional. The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) does indeed have stringent testing in place for all our foods. However, those guidelines also include some leeway in the percentage of “natural contaminants” that can slip by. These so-called contaminants can be from any creature, including rodents.

FDA officials believe that the minute particles are better for humans than increasing the amount of pesticides it takes to eliminate them. Several studies suggest that we consume from 1-2 pounds of insect parts and other debris in a normal lifetime. In other words, try not to think about maggots in your orange juice or a hair or two of a rat in your crunchy peanut butter. Those are “allowed” levels according to federal regulations.

If you’re ready to start consuming insects on purpose, here are a few tips.

You can purchase mealworms and crickets from pet suppliers, but they may not have the right taste. Their diet needs to be adjusted to include oats and other natural ingredients. In a few days, they’ll be perfect.

Always rinse worms and insects in a colander. For crickets, dump them in and place a wire mesh screen on top to keep them from escaping. After washing well, place in a baggie and freeze for a few minutes. Re-rinse and they’re ready to be consumed or roasted.

Mealworms are a favorite and recommended for those just beginning to discover the protein benefits. They can be eaten alive, roasted, sauteed, or fried. Some prefer to remove the heads, but it’s not necessary.

While many types of bugs and other creatures are harmless, a few in particular can cause problems. The collective group known as warehouse beetles can cause some discomfort if ingested. They have abdominal hairs that act as an irritant. The maggot stage of the cheese skipper, a type of fly, can also cause serious distress including intestinal lesions.

The bottom line is that finding evidence of worms or moths in a box of raisins or in a bag of flour probably will cause no harm. You may want to toss the raisins, but it’s also possible to sift the flour and it will be perfectly usable. The same goes for pasta products. When cooking, the worms (larvae) or other pests will float to the top and can be scooped out. Not necessarily appetizing, but definitely not life threatening.

Approximately 650 leech species exist and, of those, about 15 are used in medicine. Hirudo medicinalis is the European medical leech and is used in a multitude of procedures. While the thought of a worm stuffing its body with your blood might be a bit disturbing, leeches have unique mechanisms for doing more good than harm. As cousins to the earthworm, these little “suckers” are saving severed extremities, speeding healing after reconstructive surgery, and even preventing strokes.

The leech, a type of segmented worm, is a complex creature with suckers on both front and rear ends. Its multiple “brains” or nerve bundles lie at the center of the body. Leeches can reach lengths of eighteen inches, but Hirudo medicinalis generally grows to about four inches. The mouth, or anterior, end collects the blood by sawing into the skin with tiny teeth. The rear, or anterior, sucker latches on as an anchor.

Feeding time is about 20-30 minutes. The leech can draw in up to ten times its body weight in blood. Once it is full, the leech detaches and can take several months to digest its meal. In medical environments, leeches are used only once and then discarded. Some individuals say there is a small sensation of pain; in a few cases as strong as an insect bite. However, leech saliva carries a natural anesthetic that deadens the skin as it bites and most people feel nothing at all.

While the medicinal leech transmits many compounds in its saliva, it is the anticoagulant hirudin that provides the greatest benefit. When clotting is a danger, a leech - or several of them working as tag teams - will inject hirudin at specific feeding points. During this process, the leech can suck up pooling blood around a wound or surgical scar and keep healthy blood flowing through the vessels.

Medicinal leeches come from private facilities where some are fed a diet of pig’s blood as they grow. Then, they are allowed to return to a hungry state and cooled down to prolong life. Unfortunately, these environments cannot be made sterile and the worms do carry a bacterium known as Aeromonas hydrophila. In the leech’s body, this acts as a digestive enzyme and keeps the blood from putrefying. A small number of cases report individuals contracting the bacteria, which can raise the risk of infection at the wound site. Patients receive an antibiotic prior to treatment to prevent this transmission.

Research continues into the benefits of replicating hirudin. Collecting the anticoagulant from leeches would be tedious as each worm produces very small amounts, prohibiting mass distribution.

Bloodletting is no longer recommended for headaches and other such complaints. Indeed, leeches are no longer a resource for maintaining a balance of the “humors” as they were in the days of Hippocrates. Experts now accept, however, that these sucking worms can perform vital services when other medical treatments fail.

Refrigerator storage is the method of choice for wax worms. A door shelf is preferable, as the ideal temp for keeping them dormant is 50-55 degrees F. Before shipping, wax worm breeders treat them to prevent the larvae from cocooning. Remove the container lid temporarily and be sure to ventilate to eliminate moisture condensation. As long as they remain in hibernation, wax worms remain usable for three or more weeks. Keep them in the original container with the included shavings. Wax worms require no food.

If wax worms turn black, they are either in poor health or already dead. Check contents on a daily basis and discard any that are discolored. Once warmed to room temperature (about ten minutes), wax worms are ready to serve.

Always follow breeder instructions as not all recommend refrigeration. The wax worms may arrive in an early larval stage and require more feeding time to grow. The containers will typically include a medium that they will consume. When they begin attempting to crawl to the top of the container, they are probably ready to enter the pupa stage.

Some owners choose to breed their own wax worms. It’s fairly simple to do and kits are available that make the process even easier. At warmer temperatures, up to about 80 degrees F., wax worms will pupate and in a few days turn into moths. The moths lay eggs, the eggs hatch and the young larvae begin to feed on a honey-based feeding brick. Home formulas consist of honey, cereal, and glycerine. At this point, some of the larvae can be harvested for the fridge, cooled down, and preserved. Others will continue the life cycle.

If you choose to let them cocoon, give them a hiding space from which to hang. Take two small pieces of wood and drive nails into each end leaving space between the two pieces. Place it inside the container and the wax worms will attach and begin to spin a cocoon.

The pupae and adult moths are also attractive as prey food, especially lizards that bask on higher limbs. Wax worms are considered pests, however, and are especially damaging to honeycombs. A wild release of the adults is not recommended.

Always consult with animal experts to be sure wax worms are an option for feeding. Some reptiles and amphibians, in particular, are too small to digest them properly. Bait shops and pet retailers typically stock wax worms and they’re also available through many specialty Internet sites.