Smaller Compost Animals Worksheet

Smaller Compost Animals You May See

for the Smaller Compost Animals Science Project

The smaller compost animals that you can spot with a magnifying glass and examine more closely with a microscope generally have three important roles:

they break down larger materials into soil-size particles
they control the bacteria and fungi populations by eating them
they help spread microorganisms through the heap by leaving behind the ones they can't digest and providing "rides" to others

Mites are animals that you might see with a microscope that magnifies an image to appear 100 times as large as it really is. Mites are:

usually 1/32 of an inch or less in length
difficult to spot but very common
related to spiders - they have 8 legs

There are many species of mites. One of the largest mites is the tick. The mites found in compost are usually smaller than ticks. They look like tiny specks of dust until you look through a microscope.

Some mites eat dead plants and fungi, while others prefer other compost animals, including other mites.

Here are a few other compost animals that you might be able to spot:

Name:	Approx. length:	Look like miniature:
Enchytraeids, also called potworms or white worms	1/3 to 2 inches	Earthworms, have body rings
Baby isopods	Less than 1/3 inch	Isopods, but white
Beetle mites	1/32 inch	Beetles
Nematodes	Less than 1/32 inch	Eels - pointed ends, no rings

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