Why Do Earthworms Come Out After a Rain?
Most people think that earthworms come out of the ground after a rain because their burrows are flooded with water.
But earthworms aren't afraid of water; they can live completely submerged in water for many months, and in fact, die if their skin becomes dried out.
What worms are actually afraid of is waterlogged soil, for it contains a substance called carbonic acid, which forms when water combines with certain chemicals in the soil.
Carbonic acid enters the worm's body through openings in its skin and acts like a drug on the worm, eventually even killing it. So it's carbonic acid and not water that sends earthworms scurrying out of the ground after a rainstorm.
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So Why...
So why did I just see many earthworms energetically moving around on our sidewalks and patio DURING a heavy downpour? Nothing I've found online explains this.
So Why...
That is the reason. They don't mind the rain itself but the carbonic acid that forms with the soil. Therefore they don't need to get out of the rain just the soil and that acid. Side walks don't have the proper elements to form carbonic acid so they are safe (excepting booted feet of course). Acids reacting with H20 don't take very long so as soon as the rain penetrates the topsoil it would be a problem.
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