"I" is for Invertebrates

Invertebrates are animals that do not have a backbone. They wriggle, crawl, and slide their way through the compost pile. Invertebrates break down organic matter by chewing and grinding. Slugs, snails, spiders, worms, beetles, mites, ants, springtails and sow bugs are some important members of the invertebrate work force.

Each invertebrate plays a different role in the compost pile. For example, not only do sow bugs eat decaying leaves, they also carry bacteria and fungi around the pile on their rounded backs. They're sort of like taxi drivers! Snails and slugs chew rotting material into pieces small enough for other decomposers to eat, and millipedes and beetles feed directly on decaying plants and animals. Worms have a different role to play. As worms wriggle and dig through the compost pile, they aerate, or add air to the pile. This air helps keep the FBI alive.