Pure Red Wiggler Composting Worms

Quick Features

• This is NOT a "red worm composting mix" - you will actually receive Eisenia Red Wigglers, and NO Indian Blue Worms.
• Depending on the size of the worms, each pound will typically contain 800-1200 earthworms. Orders will include mostly breeding age adult worms under 6 months old.
• Worms are shipped weekly with FREE SHIPPING!
• Live Delivery is Guaranteed - see details below.
  

What Makes the Red Wiggler so Great?

Not all earthworms are the same. There are an estimated 7,000+ species of earthworms discovered today. Each has its own natural habitat and environmental niche. The natural habitat of the Red Wiggler, or Eisenia Fetida, is what makes it perfect for a worm composting bin.

Their natural environment is towards the top of the soil profile, just the first few inches,  where there is plenty of decomposing organic matter to eat. Being more exposed to environmental factors than other worms that can burrow deeper, they have adapted to eat and reproduce as fast as possible because they don't know how long they'll have until environmental hazards wipe them out. To be in a constant eating and mating frenzy is written into their DNA.

By properly maintaining your home worm bin, you can keep your Red Wigglers in their eating, mating, and pooping frenzy year round. With proper care you can expect your Red Wigglers to eat half their weight in food daily and double their population every 90 days or so.

Besides how quickly they eat, the worm castings they create are nature's own provision for plant nutrition and soil health. Worm Castings have profound impacts on soil structure, water retention, pest and disease resistance, and nutrition even in very small amounts. Additionally, the castings are pH neutral, cannot burn plant roots, and pathogenic organisms cannot survive the worm's digestive system - instead these worm casts are teeming with beneficial microorganisms - commonly reaching over 1 million microbes in a single gram.

Charles Darwin, who had spent his life studying different animals, spent the final years of his life studying earthworms. He understood how amazing earthworms are when, after all of his studies, he stated that "It may be doubted if there are any other animals which have played such an important part in the history of the world as these lowly organized creatures."

Frequently Asked Questions

Shipping Policy and Live Delivery Guarantee

Worm orders are taken Monday-Saturday and are shipped via USPS Priority Mail the following Monday or Tuesday. You will receive an email confirmation with a tracking number when they are shipped.

To ensure live delivery, be sure to be available to bring the worms indoors and into their bin upon arrival. We can guarantee the worms survival while in USPS' possession, but if the package is left outside for more than an hour the live delivery guarantee is voided. You must contact us within 1 hour of delivery with video or photo evidence and then free replacement worms will be sent to you.

Worm shipments may be delayed in instances of especially unfavorable weather.

What's this about Indian Blue Worms?

Many other large vendors sell a red worm composting mix, or contain a disclaimer about not having pure worm species. These vendors sell Indian Blue Worms mixed in with their Red Wigglers, or completely replacing Red Wigglers because they are easier to reproduce and grow. Indian Blue Worms are less favorable than the Red Wiggler for worm composting.

How Many Worms Should I Start With?

This is totally up to you. The less you start with the more money you save, but the slower it'll take to get the ball rolling. The more you start with the more it'll cost, but the quicker things will get going. A good starting place for a beginner is typically a half pound up to 2 pounds.

How Many Worms are in a Pound?

Red Wigglers do not get much bigger than just a few inches. A large Red Wiggler will only weigh as much as .8 grams on the higher end, but somewhere around .45 grams is much more common. This is where the 1,000 per pound (454 grams) estimate comes from. 

How Fast Do Red Wigglers Eat?

There are many variables, but in ideal conditions the Red Wiggler can eat up to half of its body weight in food each day!

How Fast Do Red Wigglers Reproduce?

It is realistic to expect your worm population to double every 90 days. This may be quicker or slower depending on how well the worms are provided for. 

How Many Castings Will the Worms Make?

You can expect about 33% of the solids that worms eat to be converted into worm castings.

Can I Add Red Wigglers to My Garden?

You can do anything you want with your worms, but typically Red Wigglers do best in areas with high amounts of organic matter which is why they excel as composting worms. They are not the same as earth worker worms you might see when you are digging in your soil. For this reason its advisable to use Red Wigglers in a composting environment, but if your soil has lots of organic matter they could do very well there too. 

Check out our guide on using red wigglers in your garden under the "Learn" section.

How Do Red Wigglers Do In Extreme Heat or Cold?

Its best to keep your worms indoors or in a garage where temperatures aren't extreme, but Red Wigglers can survive as low as 35 degrees or as high as 90 degrees. Keep in mind this is the temperature in their bin/soil which will typically be less hot or cold than the ambient temperature. If they must be outside, you can protect from extreme heat by keeping them in the shade and utilizing cold packs, and from extreme cold by keeping them in the sun, and insulating the bin as much as possible.

Additional Questions?

Any additional questions you have about composting with red wigglers, such as how to get started, can be found in the Mighty Worm Guides!