Earthworms are revered for the way they nourish healthy soils, and scientific evidence validates the affection gardeners feel for these industrious invertebrates. Nevertheless, research has shown that our soil-dwelling friends may be less benevolent as the climate crisis escalates and grants them access to recently defrosted northern soils.
Historically, earthworms were viewed alongside slugs and snails as garden pests and thought to eat flower and vegetable roots from beneath the soil surface. They were killed and removed from gardens until more informed naturalists like Charles Darwin made observations that showed their worth.
