Red worms, Red wigglers, Compost Worms, Fishing Worms, Tiger Worms, or whatever you want to
call them they are the most popular composting worms.
The red worms are very easy to raise and need very little care.
The red wigglers feed on decaying organic matter usually within the top 6 to 8 inches.
Red worms break this organic matter down into worm castings a natural fertilizer that has nutrients
readily available to the plant.
Red wigglers can adapt to many environments.
1 pound of red worms per square foot (12inches x 12 inches)and a minimum of 4 inches deep.
1 pound of red wigglers will eat 1/2 pound of food per day or 3.5 per week.
Red worms love cardboard, newspaper,composted horse manure, peat moss and coir (coconut fiber
) they all make a great bedding for your red wigglers.
Temperature
Red worms tolerate a wide range of temperatures, however, the ideal temperature is between 55 –
77 degrees F.
Bedding with a temperature above 84 degrees F. is harmful, sometimes fatal, to red wigglers
populations.
The temperature should be measured inside the box, because the temperature in the moist bedding
is usually lower than the outside air.
Red worms should be protected from freezing temperatures. Temperatures below 50 degrees F.
slow down worm activity.
Moisture:
When squeezed in your fist you only want a drop or two between your fingers to come out.
pH level:
Red wigglers do best if the pH is around 7.0, however, they can tolerate levels from 4.2 to 8.0 or
higher.
Lime (calcium carbonate) may be mixed with the bedding material to correct acidity or to maintain a
more favorable pH. Pulverized egg shells also correct acidity. (Warning! Use only limestone and
never hydrated lime. The wrong kind of lime will kill the red worms.
The Sex Life of a Red Worm
Hermaphroditic:
Red worms have both sexes, but mating is still necessary. If the red wiggler has a swollen band,
called the clitellum, at about one third between head and tail, this means that the worm is sexually
mature.
Red worms mate in their bedding at different levels, sometimes even on the surface. They may mate
at any time of the year. They are attracted to each other (maybe for their beautiful body face, or
other irresistible qualities.) They find each other and lie with their heads in opposite direction,
bodies closely joined.
They produce a secretion and secrete this through their clitella, a mucus that forms a band around
each of them. Sperm from each red wiggler move down a groove into receiving pouches of the
other red wiggler. The sperm enters in a storage sac.
Some time after the red worms have separated, the clitellum secretes another substance called
albumin. This material forms a cocoon in which the eggs are fertilized and baby worms hatch.
Red worms in favorable conditions will lay one egg per week with 3 to 4 babies per egg.
Red worm cocoons are round shaped and small. They change color during their development, first
white, becoming yellow, later brown. When new red worms are ready to emerge, the cocoons are
turning red. It takes at least three weeks for the red wigglers to develop in the cocoon.
Temperature and other conditions are factors in the development of the hatchlings. Although a
cocoon might hold as many as 20 eggs, usually only 3 or 4 red worms will emerge. The young
hatchlings are whitish with a pink tinge showing their blood vessels.
"Worm Factory"
The new red worm factories on the market make a ideal home for red worms. They have trays you
stack on top of each other. This red worm bin are an upward migration red worm bin for home use.
Comes with spout on bottom of the collection tray to drain and use the "Compost Tea".
Plastic bins
You can also use plastic bins for red worms home. Be sure to drill some holes in the bottom for the
liquid to drain out if it gets to wet.
Harvesting castings and changing bedding:
After weeks of adding food wastes the bedding goes down. This is a combination of red wigglers
activity and the microorganism activities. Decomposition and composting are taking place. The color
of bedding becomes darker. The favorable environment for the red worms decreases. The large
amounts of castings might become harmful to the red worms. Castings of one worm are toxic to
another worm.
When to change the bedding depends on the bedding used, the quantity of the red wigglers in the
box, temperature and moisture conditions. Two to three months is a good guess for keeping the
same bedding, if the red worm boxes are correctly maintained.
Let the "Red Worms" do the sorting:
If you prefer only to add some new fresh bedding, carefully move the old bedding to one side of the
box. Add the fresh bedding in the open space and start feeding in the new bedding.
Divide and dump technique:
To divide the red worms from the old bedding, dump the contents of the red worms box on a sheet
of plastic or a table. The red wigglers will go down in the pile if you expose them to light. After a
short time remove the top layer of the bedding up to the point you encounter your red worms. Wait
a short time, and continue removing the bedding. You will end up with lots of red worms in a small
pile. If too many red wigglers are left, some could be supplied for starting another box.
"Fishing worms":
"Red Worms" ," Red wigglers" are great fish bait for pan fish. Old timers say that the yellowish juice
the red worm excretes has a odor that attract the fish. Make sure you order bait size red wigglers
not bedrun. You will get a lot of different size red wigglers from very small to bait size red wigglers
when ordering bedrun.
Red Worm Information
Go to our HOME PAGE for articles on worm composting, fishing with
live worms and great deals on fishing worms, red worms, worm
castings, giant mealworms and Gusanito Factory of Worms.
Southern Bait Worms