On the train, little boy is very excited, we conducted a video (format is not supported on the LP), mother is equally curious- little boy mentions he wants to do this project, and is so daring to remove lid and hold worm in hand
Dead worms?
Roomate expresses interest in worms
The Worms:
Week One: Everyone was super fascinated by the worms wherever I went, I took them on the train, to my work (I was working at a vegan restaurant and was accused of animal cruelty), even my roommates! They were extremely active, crawling all over- SUPER NOISY. I slept with them by my bead and was awoken thinking rats were in my room
Week 2: Carrots gone, Styrofoam has slowly begun to change appearance- the holes have formed, worms still active, I have been moving them around the house- Kind of nervous from my roommates reactions- but one in Particular has begun to do in depth research on meal worms. One cat in the house tries to hit them and open the box. They are growing a bad oder
Week 3: Worm has begun to escape, Suspect the cat is eating them- There are less worms, Styrofoam is more porous in appearance, Roommates have expressed concern over malnutrition and mistreatment of worms. Oder has worsened- smells like cheese
Week 4: Haven’t checked on them much, but my roommate is obsessed and shows everyone the worms, started to cover holes with candles, they eat through- a few escape daily- smell has grown worse when I lift off the lid
Week 5: Worms escaping often, roommates are slightly disapproving, Usual response was: I am getting a new screen they can not chew through, worms are very agile still- have eaten a lot of Styrofoam-
Week 6: Transferred worms to a glass fishbowl, they look like they are happier(?), although I worry about suffocation. They are unable to climb up because of the curved walls. Looks like many worms have escaped, there are noticeably less- maybe 6? No smell because of new home
Week ?:
It is May 19, worms are suspected DEAD? I fed them kale last week, and they have been moving progressively slower since March. Not a single worm has turned into a beetle and all the Styrofoam is GONE
Overall: the worms experiment was an experiment. I felt a little conflicted regarding the ethical treatment of worms, and sometimes a little disappointed in myself that my roommates expressed much more interest than I, especially since they were my “pets”. I learned they died today, which has dampened my spirits- I am wondering how and why they died, they seemed to have been in poor health for about a month or two, moving very slow- looking much fatter- maybe they were suffering from constipation or indigestion? I’m not sure how I feel, I didn’t show them much attention, which I have remorse over- I kind of put them in a corner of the house (it is a very nice corner with a lot of light and plants) and avoided looking at them- but one of my roomates was very keen to the lifestyle- informed me of their daily habits- when they were most active- Styrofoam consumption- and they even were interested in their lifespan and looking forward to seeing them transform into a beetle
In the end, it makes me think of life and death, and they were always going to die- was I exploiting them? They succeeded in eating all the Styrofoam but were they happy? Is there another way we can safely breakdown Styrofoam?
