Wednesday, June 25

This is just gross. (What is it?)

*Edited: These are soldier fly larva! Common in compost. Beneficial to your compost - I actually found sites that SELL these things. That makes me shudder just to type, but, uh, hey, if you want to place an order... Anyway, they eat houseflies. No harm to humans - don't bite, don't sting. Just heinously ugly. Yay. Yay. Yay.*

We get that it's some kind of grub. Something immature and... nasty. (Go, naturegirl!) But I've never seen anything like this before in my life. John found them. He came in, wanting to know what the worm-like things are in our garden. (Um... worms?) No, they're not worms, Mom, come see. (Um, no. I'm going to go with "worms", thanks. It's hot out there. And I have a book. They're worms. It's a compost bin. It's all good.)


Not to be deterred, John went out with the camera. He brought me the first shot. Too blurry to see anything. (OK, they're Loch Ness Worms. Go. Away. I'm reading.) He went back out, fiddled with his settings and tried again. Meanwhile, I moved to another room, thinking he wouldn't find me. He found me. (Oh. My. God. What are they?!?) Yeah, I know, Mom! Come look! (OK, let's go check them out.)

Feel free to click on that and see how many you can find. I'll wait.


So, anyway, back to the story... Riiiight. Like I'm going to be able to offer more input after having seen them up close? Shyah. No. But I can give you more information. They're up to an inch long. They aren't cylindrical, like earthworms. They're somewhat flattened, flexible in all directions, but moreso front to back (I'm guessing on directions, here) - the sides seem a little siff and ridge-like. They have banding from stem to stern. I think I saw something like them in The Deer Hunter. Or on one entry of Steve, Don't Eat It!

Anyway, they're in our compost bin. There are thousands of them (possibly tens of thousands). We turned the compost after taking this video, and their movement made an avalanche. Fascinating, yes. But still... what is it???

We had to take the video because the still shots just weren't capture the "ewww" - the "holy crap, the whole ground is moving!" of it. We knew you'd be glad we thought of you.




Just tell me they're good for compost. Tell me they won't escape and invade my home when they reach maturity. Or, shoot me straight and tell me I need to have Zorak pick up a little napalm on the way home this afternoon.



Kiss those babies!

~Dy

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think I can safely say that some gas on the compost bin will actually make it better compost, with the added bonus of KILLING QUICKLY whatever that is! For the love of God KILL THEM! I have to go look for bugs to kill in my house now.

mere said...

Those are the larval stage of blast ended skrewts, if I am not mistaken.

Seriously that is just gross. Entertaining, but gross. I'm sure they are serving a purpose in the compost though.

So, you're reading a book? Willing to share what it is? If I guess will I guess right?

Have a great day!
mere

Dy said...

Um. OK, yuck. I showed Zorak. He said he doesn't know, either, but that Cousin Patrick dug them out for fishing the last time they were here. So, that means we've had them for a while... and you can use them for fishing... I'm not sure either of those points offers me much consolation...

Mere, ROFL - ok, we're officially going with blast-ended skrewts! I love it! The boys will love it! If nothing else, it makes them somewhat familiar. (And we still don't touch them, so it's not like the rules change, either!)

Erin - you make me laugh. All those sea critters and these, of all things, heeb you out?

Dy

Needleroozer said...

I'm with Erin, they're heebing me out, too.
Even my bug Boy doesn't know what they are.
Ewww.
LB

momanna98 said...

Um.....EEEEWWWWWWW!

Sheila said...

I have no idea but I was totally skeeved out by that video.

I think they are some sort of grub at least.

I don't think I'llbe visiting your compost bin.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad it was just a video and I wasn't right there in front of it. The fact tha there are gad-zillions is the ewweeeeeee scary part. Uh... if they are used for fishing maybe you can sell them roadside if it is safe to touoch them. Ahhh the wonderful south with the bug populations just on't seem to miss that part of it though. And did anyone else enjoy the sound part of that video like this Abiga/grandma did? Blessings.

Dy said...

Oh, how funny! We normally leave the volume off on the computer, so I didn't even think about the audio on it. Emily's boo-boo is okay, now. :-)

Dy