One always reads about the fate of humans to be the food of worms…but i have a question: digging in the garden, i encounter lots of worms in the topsoil. but deeper than 3 foot-I never see them. So, if a body is buried at 6 feet depth, will the worms come and consume it? Or is this beyond the depth at which worms burrow?
Much of the decomposition of a body is caused by the worms already in it.
Well, actually, it’s not so much worms but bacteria and other intestinal flora that are present in humans normally. These will eventually do a pretty complete job of decomposition without any worms at all. I’ve heard descriptions of an exhumed body that was in a still sealed vault – it was quite decomposed, despite being protected from worms or anything else from outside.