harvesting compost worms
Many people think that they can dig up worms from their yard and start composting with them. While it is true that the ordinary garden worm does enrich the soil, it is not a “composting worm”.
Red wiggler worms, or Eisenia fetida, are the standard composting worm. These guys live in the top layer of soil where organic matter is rotting. They eat the bacteria and fungi that are produced by such rotting vegetation.
Red wigglers can eat up to their own body weight in “food” a day. And, oddly enough, compost produced by worms is richer in nutrients than that produced by bacteria and fungi.
Other worms used for composting include: European Nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis) and Alabama Jumpers (Pheretima hawayanus). I haven’t utilized these other species, so I can’t give too much information about them.
Red Wigglers need warmer temperatures to survive and thrive. Since they are surface dwellers, they cannot tolerate freezing. Unlike nightcrawlers, they do not live in burrows, and cannot protect themselves well from the cold. Red wigglers do their thing best at temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Like all earthworms, they like it dark and moist. It’s amazing how fast these worms will move to get away from light.
It’s probably easiest to keep red wigglers in the house in a bin, or in the garden and feed them via a tower. Either way, having an army of red wigglers will produce rich, biologically active compost for your garden, houseplants, or lawn.
