Posted in Composting Worms

White Worms (Whiteworms) in Compost

A reader wrote to us a while back about some white worms she is finding in her composter (that is, a device used for composting). The white worms appear to be multiplying, and she is worried about the red worms that are part of her composting operation. We believe that the white worms our reader found are actually, well, Whiteworms. “Whiteworms” is the common name given to the worms that go by the scientific name Enchytraeus buchholzi. (Whiteworms – sometimes spelled as “White Worms” – are also called “Grindal worms.”) The reader was wondering if the Whiteworms she found are harmful to her red worms, and she is also wondering if she can get rid of them without harming her red worms.