Red (Wiggler) Worms
Red Worms (Eisenia fetida) are the most commonly used (and arguably the most versatile) variety of composting worm. They are generally 2-4 inches in length with a reddish/purple colour, but there appearance and overall physical characteristics can actually vary quite considerably. They can range in colour from a light orange all the way to dark purple, sometimes with stripes, other times without. One characteristic that does seem to be fairly consistent among specimens of this species is the yellow tail tip.
Red Worms are very tolerant of a wide range of temperatures – from the freezing mark all the way to 35 Celsius, so they do very well both indoors and outdoors. According to Edwards (1988)* the optimal breeding temperature for Red Worms is 15-20 C, while the optimal temp for maximum growth and waste processing ability is closer to 25 C.
This species breeds quite readily in worm bins/beds, assuming their basic needs are met. In order to maximize your chances for success we highly recommend setting up your system prior to ordering worms or at least while waiting for them to arrive. This simply involves mixing bedding with ample quantities of food material, moistening then letting it sit in whatever container you are going to be using.
For more information about setting up a worm bin be sure to refer to our ‘How-To‘ section.
Pricing (Tax Included):
Canadian Orders
1 Starter Culture Bag – $20 + shipping
2 Starter Culture Bags – $35 + shipping
3 Starter Culture Bags – $45 + shipping
5 lb or more of Red Worms (worm weight) – $32 per lb + shipping
We also still offer ‘Compost Ecosystem‘ for $10 (less if ordering multiple bags) which contains lots of small worms and cocoons, along with numerous other beneficial (micro- and macro-) organisms.
Note: In order to ensure the fast and safe delivery of our worms we use Xpresspost or Expedited parcel delivery. We are more than happy to ship any orders that will arrive in 1-3 days – if you happen to live outside our shipping zones, we’ll try to help you find a supplier closer to home, or will recommend purchase of our ‘Compost Ecosystem’ Red Worm inoculum mix.
Please contact us with your postal code and the product(s) you are interested in ordering and we’ll be happy to get back to you quickly with a quote.
You are also more than welcome to pick-up your Red Worms in Elmira ON (our location), but pick-ups are by appointment only.
U.S. Orders
Due to a partnership with a U.S. based supplier we are able to offer even lower prices (in US $$) to anyone living in the States. Please contact us for pricing details if you are a U.S. resident interested in purchasing worms (none of our other products are available in the US).
Note: Minimum order for U.S. shipments is 1 lb
* Edwards, C.A. 1988. Breakdown of animal, vegetable and industrial organic wastes by earthworms. In: “Earthworms in waste and environmental management”. Edwards, C.A. & Neuhauser, E.F. (eds). SPB Academic Publishing Co, The Hague, pp. 21-31.
