However, we recently received an email from a reader about a specific worm he found in his compost, and he was wondering what type of worm this might be. Here is the picture we were sent:

In answering our reader’s question, we thought we would also point out a couple of the common worms that are used for composting.

For people who have an official composting area or bin set up (as opposed to just some organic waste lying around), they are more likely than not using red worms, which go by several different names, including redworms (as a single word), brandling worms, tiger worms, and red wigglers. (Of course, they also have a scientific name: Eisenia fetida.) Red worms are preferred for the task of composting because they consume a ton (they can eat more than their body weight in compost every single day) and reproduce quickly. Both result in more unhelpful waste being converted into helpful fertilizer, which is of course the goal of composting.

Another worm associated with the process of composting is the common earthworm (more precisely, Lumbricus rubellus, which is actually one of many different species of earthworms, but that’s neither here nor there). Unlike red worms, earthworms are generally not specifically acquired for one’s compost bin. While they breakdown organic waste and convert it into nutrient-rich fertilizer, just like red worms, they do it at a slower rate. If you come across some accumulation of organic waste that is not part of a compost operation, there is a good chance you’ll find some earthworms, but not red worms, in it. You might also find earthworms in compost bins dominated by red worms, however, as earthworms are more effective at breaking down organic waste that is already partially decomposed.

And what about our reader’s question? Given what’s been said so far, it is likely that our reader simply found one of the two worms described above, most likely the red worm, as the reader seems to have a full-blown composting operation going. His confusion may have arisen from the fact that the worm he found was quite small, but this probably just means that the worm was early in its life cycle. Red worms, after coming out of their eggs (which, interestingly, are actually wrapped up in a cocoon), are a pale yellowish color, but as they mature their bodies take on a brown hue. These traits more or less match the appearance of the worm in the picture our reader sent us, so it seems likely that they came across a developing red worm.

So, if you find a worm in a composting bin, it’s a probably one of the common worms that are found in composting bins, even if it looks slightly different for reasons of age.

There is also a popular worm-composting system known as “Can-O-Worms”. Can-O-Worms is an odorless operation that stands on five legs and is made from 100 percent recycled plastic. It is about 29 inches tall and 20 inches wide.

There is even a movie that is titled “Can of Worms,” which is itself named after a book of the same name. (The book, by the way, was rather successful, as it earned some nominations for accolades like the 2001 Rhode Island Children’s Book Award.) The movie, which was filmed in Vancouver, British Colombia, is a Disney Original Movie that was made for Halloween. It was released in 1999.

Finally, the phrase “can of worms” can refer to nothing more than a literal can of worms. So far, we’ve been talking about the abstract use of “can of worms” and some of the products that use this name, and this can obscure the plain meaning of the words, rather like how a statement like “you’ve hit bottom” can sometimes literally mean that someone has hit the bottom of something, not that they have sunk to the lowest depths of human despair. A can of worms might be used for a fishing trip, or it might be used to feed the many pets that eat worms. A can of worms might be purchased (that’s right, people buy worms for a number of different things), or it might be composed of worms that one has gathered in the wild.

So, the phrase “can of worms” is a part of a common idiom, a popular composting system (when spelled “Can-O-Worms”), and the name of a movie and book, but remember, sometimes a can of worms is just a can of worms.

The material components of worm tea are nothing but worm castings (worm waste) and water. This mixture must be oxygenated, as this increases the amount of good bacteria present in the worm tea (among other things; oxygenation also adds nitrogen, phosphate and a few other chemicals to the worm tea).

Given that worm tea doesn’t consist of much, it makes sense that it’s relatively easy to make. First, fill a bucket about three-quarters full with water. Before adding the worm castings, allow the water to aerate for about two hours, which you’ll be able to do by adding an aquarium air pump to the water. This process will remove any chlorine in the water. Thereafter, add three to five scoops (or handfuls) of worm castings and about an ounce of unsulfured molasses to the water, stir this mixture together, and let it aerate for another 24 hours. (If you’re curious, the molasses is used to feed the bacteria, thus facilitating the creation of good bacteria.)

After you’ve done this, strain the resulting concoction in your bucket. What remains is worm tea. That’s all there is to it!

But, the extremely relevant question remains: what can you use worm tea for? In essence, worm tea is used for gardening and lawn upkeep. Worm tea is loaded with helpful microorganisms and other nutrients that plants and soil need to kill disease and harmful insects, and it’s able to do this without harming your plants. Worm tea is like vitamins for plants – it boosts the plant’s immune system.

Since worm tea has bacteria in it that is alive, it’s best to use it as soon as possible. (If it starts to smell bad, its usefulness has expired, so don’t use it.) In light of this, it’s best to make sure you have time to spray your plants and/or lawn with worm tea soon after you’ve created it. This may influence the time of the day at which you start to make worm tea. If you start making worm tea late at night for some reason, you could be setting yourself up for midnight gardening.

If you don’t have the time to make worm tea, you could always buy some. Amazon offers well-reviewed worm tea here:

Nature’s Big Bud Worm Castings Premium 100% Organic Liquid Plant Food Tea Fertilizer

Well, you clearly aren’t familiar with the many uses of worms! Indeed, worms can be used for a number of different purposes, ranging from compost, as in the case with worms factories, to pet food.

To truly appreciate the utility of worms, a survey of their many uses is in order. Once we convince you that worms can be purchased, we’ll point you to a few places that sell worms online.

(1) Worms are incredibly good at turning everyday, unprocessed compost (like kitchen scraps, rotten food, etc.) into rich compost that can be used for activities like gardening. Red Wigglers are particularly adept at this, but other worms can be used too.

(2) As this first point implies, worms are good at producing nutrient-rich compost, so worms are also used to enhance soil without the help of chemical fertilizers.

(3) Wild birds eat worms; people like to see wild birds. Therefore, people who want to see wild birds might be inclined to buy some worms and lay them out for birds to feast upon. Be sure to only do this in the shade, though, as we all know what happens (and quickly) to worms left in the sun.

(4) As any son who has been on a fishing trip with his dad knows, worms can be used as bait for fish. You might think it extravagant to purchase worms for fishing – after all, how hard is it to turn over a couple of rocks and grab some worms – but if you’re in a hurry and it hasn’t rained recently, it might behoove you to buy some worms on your way to the ocean, lake, or river.

(5) Tons of pets eat worms, and not just obscure pets. Do you ever wonder what people feed their small birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish? Worms! Also, some people raise fish for commercial purposes, and they too will often feed their stock worms.

(6) Last but certainly not least, some people buy worms to incorporate into their cooking! Yes, really!

So, there are six different reasons people might buy worms, and maybe you are now convinced that you too should buy some worms. Where might you go to purchase worms? Here are a few places where you can buy worms online:

Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm
Featured on Oprah, Uncle Jim’s takes their worms seriously. They sell Super Red Worms and Red Wrigglers.

The Worm Farm
The Worm Farm, another good place to buy worms online, sells Redworms, European Nightcrawlers, and Dendras.

EarthWorms 4 Sale
EarthWorms 4 Sale has a relatively large selection, offering Redworms, African Nightcrawlers, European Nightcrawlers, Canadian Nightcrawlers, and Alabama Jumpers.

Worm factories are built like dressers, with the bottom drawer housing the rich, ready-to-use compost.

Here’s how they work: Let’s say you just bought a new worm factory – who wants to deal with a used worm factory? – and, just to make this a more pleasant hypothetical, let’s say you bought the worm factory on sale. First, you would remove the bottom tray and fill it with the compost you accumulate throughout the day – things like leftovers and rotted food. According to some advertisements, worm farms can even process things like junk mail and cardboard.

After the tray is loaded, add several worms to it. The worms will go to work on the waste, slowly converting it into nutrient-rich compost as they digest whatever you threw in there. The worm factory not only produces worm castings (also known as vermicast, worm humus, or worm manure), but also a liquid nutrient called leachate. The leachate is formed by moisture trickling through the worm factory. The liquid collects nutrients as it trickles downward, and the final product is collected in a separate tray.

Once the bottom tray is full and crawling with worms, add another tray of compost to the factory. Once the worms exhaust the original food source in the bottom tray, they will migrate upward, starting the process all over in the tray above. Not only are worms creating more compost this way, they are also removing themselves from the tray that has the ready-to-use compost in it.

There are a variety of different worm-factory models made by a variety of different companies. Which factory you choose will depend on how much organic waste you want to convert into nutrient-rich compost. You may also be influenced by aesthetics: some worm factories are black, some are red; some are tall with many shelves, others are short with only a shelf or two. However, they all serve the same function: to efficiently convert unprocessed compost into nutrient-rich compost for your garden.

Amazon offers a well-reviewed Worm Farm for sale here:

Worm Factory 360 WF360G Worm Composter – Green

The program’s office is located here:

Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center
12602 SE Evergreen Highway
Vancouver, WA 98683

And you can find there website here:

Master Composter Recycler Program

Back to red worms. Below you will find several places to buy red worms near Vancouver and around Washington:

Pistils Nursery
3811 N. Mississippi Avenue
Portland Oregon
503.288.4889

Northwest Redworms
806 NE 202 Avenue
Camas, WA 98607
360.513.7251

Native Designs
Dennis Dilday
Everett, WA
425.259.5932
Email: DDilday239@aol.com

Creekside Gardens
155 Nix road
Chehalis, WA 98532
360.748.6158

Cascade Sales, Inc.
3316 E. Smith Rd.
Bellingham, WA 98226
360.592.5970
360.592.0948 Fax

While there are plenty of places to find red worms for sale near Vancouver, WA, you can also purchase red worms online through dozens of retailers. You can buy worms from sites such as Planet Natural, which sells 500 red worms for $18.95, shipping included or Uncle Jim’s worm Farm, which sells 500 red worms for $16.95 + $7.95 for shipping.

Never dig up worms around your home. These types of worms are not good for composting. They cannot survive on vegetable waste and they need to tunnel through dirt to survive. You really do need red worms to create a successful composting system. Red worms is also spelled “redworms” and the scientific name is Eisenia foetida and Lumbricus rubellus. Eisenia foetida is also known as red wiggler, and Lumbricus rubellus is also called brandling or manure worm.

If you prefer to go digging on your own, try a horse stable. Here, you can collect worms from horse manure or you can ask a farmer to allow you to search his manure pile for worms.

About Red Worms

Red worms are epigeic earthworms. This means that they belong to the ecological group of worms that are litter feeders, litter dwellers, pigmented, and small in size. Epigeic worms live in the top 12 inches of soil and they do not burrow. Red worms feed on organic decaying matter – they have been breaking down organic waste to make natural fertilizer for millions of years, and they are non-migratory. Although red worms are non-migratory, they are adaptable to many environments.

Red worms have many “uses.” They are used for composting and for fish bait. Red worms are used to recycle food scraps by vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is a method of composting food scraps by adding red worms to them in a specially prepared bin or box. In just one day, red worms can consume organic material equivalent to their body weight to produce castings equal to 75% of their body weight. Red worms can convert organic materials into high quality humus, which will provide gardens with earthworm castings, which is considered a complete (and powerful) natural fertilizer.

The great thing about red worms with regard to composting is that you will never run out of them. Red worms are very productive breeders. They lay one egg capsule every seven days or so and each capsule hatches an average of three to four earthworms. Hatched earthworms typically grow into breeders in roughly three months. The way to keep the red worms productive is to keep them healthy and happy. If you have a roomy bin (a 5-gallon bucket or other container), the best type of “bedding” such as peat moss, water for moisture, and organic materials such as fruit and vegetable peels, your red worms will be well-fed, comfortable, and productive.

General maintenance is also important to the health of your red worms for composting. This means there are several do’s and don’ts of raising red worms. These include:

·Don’t keep your worm bin in direct sunlight.
·Do keep your worms ideal locations such as the basement, a closet or under the kitchen sink.
·Do lightly toss the bedding every week or two, allowing the bedding at the bottom of the bin to be on the top. This process will allow sufficient oxygen to be throughout the bedding. Remember, red worms absorb oxygen through their bodies.
·Do lightly spray red worm bedding that appears to be getting dry.

Red worms as fish bait

Trout, crappie, perch, and bluegill prefer red worms. These are just a few of the types of fish that prefer small baits. Red worms are quite easy to use as bait as they can ‘survive’ a wide range of temperatures ranging from 38 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Once on the hook, the red worm becomes quite active. Red worms can last a long time under water, unlike many other different types of earthworms.

To purchase red worms, visit any pet store or fish & bait store. You can also order live red worms through a number of online retailers. Simply use your favorite search engine to find a suitable red worm seller. Use the search phrase “buy red worms.”

To create the perfect worm compost you gather the following items:

•Raw fruits and vegetables
•A shallow container (24″ X 18″ X 8″ should suffice) with a lid
•Moist Leaves
•Worms, preferably red worms such as Eisenia foetida or Lumbricus rubellus

Red worms can be purchased from a number of online retailers or at most plant and/or pet stores. To get started, wash out the container or bin that you are using. If you have a wooden bin, line the bottom of it with sturdy plastic such as a heavy trash bag or shower curtain. Mix the organic materials together and add the worms. It takes roughly 3-5 months for the worms to eat through the materials. At this time, you will notice very little materials and a large amount of compost. Once this happens, it’s time to harvest.

Harvesting means, do not add any food to the bin for two weeks. When two weeks has passed, simply move all of the worm bin contents to one side of the bin and remove any large pieces of undecomposed materials. Add fresh materials – leaves, fruits and vegetables, to the empty side of the bin. Over the next two weeks or so, the worms will begin to move to the side where the new materials are located, leaving their compost behind. All that is needed at this point is to remove the old compost and replace it with fresh materials. Cover the new side of the composting bin to encourage the worms to migrate to the new side.

When you are ready to use your fresh worm compost, you can use several methods of extraction, but one method in particular seems to be the most effective. Dump the entire contents of the bin onto a large sheet of plastic and make several piles. Once exposed to the light, the worms will quickly bury themselves in the bottom of the compost within 2-3 minutes. After a few minutes, remove the top layer of compost, leaving the worms on the bottom. Once you have removed all of the worm compost, simply collect the worms and return them to the composting bin.

Worm castings are ready to use immediately or if you choose, you can store it for later use. Worm compost can be added directly into your potting soil or mixed in with your garden soil as a soil amendment. If you notice a worm or two in the compost, don’t be alarmed. This is normal. Worm compost use is not limited to outdoor gardening. You can also use worm compost in the tops of your indoor plants. Don’t worry, the odor is not offensive.

Maggots, on the other hand, will eat any type of rotting meat, including the rotting or diseased flesh of animals and humans. However, maggots will not eat anything that is alive. Maggots appetites’ are ravenous, so they will eat dead flesh very quickly. But rather than eat live flesh, once the dead flesh is gone, the maggots will eat one another.

Maggots have a number of uses in the medical world. “Maggot Therapy,” has been used in the medical world since ancient times. Also called “larval therapy” and “Maggot Debridement Therapy” (MDT), maggot therapy uses live, disinfected maggots to eat the dead tissue on non-healing skin or the soft tissue of humans and animals. The maggots do not touch the live tissue. During the process of eating away dead tissue, the maggots discharge powerful antibiotics, which help treat the wound.

If you would like to test the speed and efficiency of a maggot when consuming dead animal flesh, try placing a small dead rodent in a vented container along with a handful of maggots. Maggots thrive in this stage in warm, dark, moist conditions, but they can live just about anywhere until they morph into flies, preferably wherever there is an abundance of rotting material. However, plant maggots do exist, in which case, the animals will only feed on fruits and leaves.

If you are planning an experiment with maggots, it is important to keep in mind that maggot infestations can be quite dangerous. Maggots can burrow into the skin and the intestines and cause damage to vital organs. They can also cause lesions. If you have an infestation and you are trying to get rid of the maggots, spraying with insecticide, dousing them with hydrochloric acid or pouring salt over them just won’t work. Maggots are smart, tough, and they are born with ferocious appetites for rotting material.

Maggots have to feed from several days up to several weeks, which is why they are not too eager to leave their birthplace. After they are done feeding (and only when they are done feeding), they will migrate to a dry place, typically outdoors, to hatch into the adult fly, beetle, or moth. So the only way to get rid of them sooner is to kill them.

The first thing you should do to get rid of maggots is get rid of their food source. This means clear all trash, dead animals or other rotting material from the area where you see them. One of the best poisons for maggots is permethrin. Permethrin kills maggots and any other insects on contact. This synthetic chemical is a neurotoxin that works by disabling the neuron membranes. It is important to note that permethrin is dangerous to household pets such as fish and cats. Other ways to get rid of maggots include:

-Pouring boiling hot water over the maggots
-Feeding them to fish
-Using powdered poisons formulated specifically for maggots

To prevent maggots, tie up all garbage tightly. Never leave meats or other foods out in the open for too long, especially when it’s warm. Flies and maggots love warm weather. All it takes is one fly to lay hundreds of eggs and in 8-20 hours you could have a full-blown infestation in your home or trashcan.

When feeding red worms, it only takes a few bits of fruit and vegetable scraps for the worms to get their fill. Remember, these tiny creatures can fit in the palm of your hand, so can you imagine feeding a large apple to a tiny worm and expecting it to eat it in one sitting. In fact, it will take anywhere from 3-5 months for the worms to eat through a few tiny bits of organic material.

How to Make Your Own Worm Composter

Some worm composters are “small scale” while others may be “large scale.” A small scale worm composter may be homemade or purchased from a retailer. Small-scale worm composters may be made of wood, plastic, metal or Styrofoam. The preferred choices, however, are plastic or wood. Small-scale worm composters should always have holes in them to allow air to flow through and for draining purposes. A small scale worm composter is usually covered with a lid to prevent the worms from escaping.

Large scale worm composters large sized worm composters. Besides size, a major difference between large scale and a small-scale worm composter is large scale composters are typically uncovered. The worms do not try to escape mainly because large-scale composters contain an overabundance of organic matter for worms to feed on. They won’t try to escape because they don’t have to go searching for food.

To make your own small scale worm composter you will need several items including:

•Raw fruits and vegetables
•A shallow container (24″ X 18″ X 8″ should suffice) with a lid
•Moist Leaves
•Worms, preferably red worms such as Eisenia foetida or Lumbricus rubellus

Red worms can be purchased from a number of online retailers or at most plant and/or pet stores. When you are ready to build your bin, wash out the bin or container you plan to use. If you have a wooden bin, line the bottom of it with sturdy plastic such as a heavy trash bag or shower curtain. Mix the organic materials together and add the worms. It takes roughly 3-5 months for the worms to eat through the materials. At this time, you will notice very little materials and a hefty amount of compost. Once this happens, it’s time to harvest.

Harvesting means, do not add any food to the bin for two weeks. When two weeks has passed, simply move all of the worm bin contents to one side of the bin and remove any large pieces of undecomposed materials. Add fresh materials – leaves, fruits and vegetables, to the empty side of the bin. Over the next two weeks or so, the worms will begin to move to the side where the new materials are located, leaving their compost behind. All that is needed at this point is to remove the old compost and replace it with fresh materials. Cover the new side of the worm composter to encourage the worms to migrate to the new side.

When you are ready to use your fresh worm compost, you can use several methods of extraction, but one method in particular seems to be the most effective. Dump the entire contents of the worm composter onto a large sheet of plastic and make several piles. Once exposed to the light, the worms will quickly bury themselves in the bottom of the compost within 2-3 minutes. After a few minutes, remove the top layer of compost, leaving the worms on the bottom. Once you have removed all of the red worm compost, simply collect the worms and return them to the composter.

Red worm composting material is ready to use immediately or you can store it for later use. Worm compost can be added directly into your potting soil or mixed in with your garden soil as a soil amendment. If you notice a worm or two in the compost, don’t be alarmed. This is fairly common. If the worm is still alive, simply return it to the bin if you are ready to create a new batch of red worm compost.

Although there are many, one of the most popular types of fishing worm is an epigeic earthworm called the red worm. Red worms are also called: Red Wigglers, Red Wiggler, Brandlings, Earthworms, Earth Worms, Redworms, Manure Worms, Trout Worms, Compost Worms, and Tiger Worms. Red worms are excellent for catching trout, crappie, perch, and bluegill. These are just a few of the types of fish that prefer small baits. Red worms are quite easy to use as bait as they can survive a wide range of temperatures ranging from 38 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Once on the hook, the red worm becomes quite active. Red worms can last a long time under water, unlike many other types of earthworms.

Not only are they used for fish bait, red worms are also used for vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is a method of composting food scraps by adding red worms to them in a specially prepared bin or box. In just one day, red worms can consume organic material equivalent to their body weight to produce castings equal to 75 percent of their body weight. Red worms can convert organic materials into high quality humus, which will provide gardens with earthworm castings, which is considered a complete (and powerful) natural fertilizer.

If you want to use red worms for fishing or vermicomposting, you can actually raise them yourself in several easy steps. The great thing about using red worms for composting is you will never run out of them and they are kept alive. Red worms are very productive breeders. They lay one egg capsule every seven days or so and each capsule hatches an average of three to four earthworms. Hatched earthworms typically grow into breeders in roughly three months. The way to keep the red worms productive is to keep them healthy and happy. If you have a roomy bin (a 5-gallon bucket or other container), the best type of “bedding” such as peat moss, water for moisture, and organic materials such as fruit and vegetable peels, your red worms will be well-fed, comfortable, and productive.

General maintenance is also important to the health of your red worms for composting. This means that there are several do’s and don’ts of raising red worms. These include:

·Don’t keep your worm bin in direct sunlight.
·Do keep your worms ideal locations such as the basement, a closet or under the kitchen sink.
·Do lightly toss the bedding every week or two, allowing the bedding at the bottom of the bin to be on the top. This process will allow sufficient oxygen to be throughout the bedding. Remember, red worms absorb oxygen through their bodies.
·Do lightly spray red worm bedding that appears to be getting dry.

To purchase red worms, visit any pet store or fish & bait store. You can also order live red worms through a number of online retailers. Simply use your favorite search engine to find a suitable red worm seller. Use the search phrase “buy red worms.”