Wriggly Red Worms

[LoftyLottie]

There are lots of little worms not much thicker than cotton thread under the ice in my bird bath every morning. About half and inch long. I didn't realise they were live creatures until I poured on hot water and they all started wriggling around. Any ideas what they are.

Thanks in advance.

[smudge]

We have some of these wriggling about under the iced water in our bird baths too. 'Orrible little slimey things! My husband removed one & checked it out under the microscope I bought him for Christmas.

Can't remember the 'proper' name he mentioned for them, but will ask him when he comes home from work. In the meantime, here's something interesting about Ice Worms:

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/nrc/cjz/ 2001/00000079/00000010/art00008?crawler=true

[smudge]

*info

[smudge]

BTW, I know the link does show a 'proper' name for them, but that's in Alaska. I'm sure he mentioned a different name for the ones we have in this country, but don't quote me!

[LoftyLottie]

Oh thanks - are we returning to the ice age then. It certainly feels like it.

Mr LL says he sees them all year round when he cleans out the gutters, and I am now thinking new may be 'blood worms' which are not worms at all but larvae. Yuk!! Whatever they are they like the warm water I pour over them.

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2008/04/29/bloodwo rms/

Did they look like this through Mr Smudge's microscope? ;o)

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http: //www.astrographics.com/GalleryPrints/Display/ GP2152.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.astrographics. com/GalleryPrintsIndex/GP2152.html&usg=__S9_7X L_VmhIpcPG7D-K9dEGqIDE=&h=360&w=360&sz=16&hl=e n&start=3&um=1&tbnid=ATOcCfSZhkfu5M:&tbnh=121& tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3DBloodworms%26um%3D 1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4ADBR_enGB280GB281%26sa% 3DN

[LoftyLottie]

Sorry, meant to say that the worms we have look like those in my first link.

[Robinia]

oh my giddy aunt, not more creepies to deal with, we have enough during the summer. I'm almost sure I saw a big mozzy type fly in the garden earlier & it's barely above freezing. I swear they're becoming tougher, I wish I was!

[LoftyLottie]

I have a variety of campanula flowering in my garden at the moment ??? Is has been doing so since June. Everything is really weird!!!

[Robinia]

Yes, I've had some osteospermums, I think they're literally frozen in time!

[smudge]

We've found them in our iced up bird baths before LL & in hot weather too! But they do seem to enjoy the snow, like me!

They definitely resemble blood worms (to me) & that's what I would have called them, but Mr Smudge, being a keen fisherman, mentioned a different name. They are, like yours, (he, he), tinier, red, slimey ones!

To be honest, I didn't mind looking through the m/scope at the mouldy tomato, fly's wing & leg, poor thing, but I can't just look at some things!

His new updated microscope has an inbuilt digi camera & you can take snaps of whatever's on the slides without removing them, then upload them to our pc, which will be amazing!

When he's worked that one out, I will post a piccy on here...

[LoftyLottie]

Robinia, funnily enough I had a pot with osteospernums which are also frozen in time! They have been producing flowers for some three years now right through until about Christmastime. My frozen in time' pot looks as if the new buds will burst into life very soon!! Weird.

I look forward to a super enlarged picture of a dissected red worm then Smudge!!!

[smudge]

Can't wait to see the pic's on screen either LL.

He's well impressed with his BioLux AL 20x-1280x, so hopefully won't have to wait too long!!