Wonders of Wildlife: Red Wiggler | AWF (2024)

FAQs

Where can I find red wigglers in the wild? ›

Red Wiggler Worms

Also known as manure worms, this species often live in manure. If this is off-putting, look for them in decaying garden-grown fruit. Red wigglers usually live close to the soil's surface in gardens and lawns, so you probably won't have a challenging time catching them.

Red wigglers breath through their moist skin:

They have slimy mucus (slimy substance produced by some organisms) that keeps the skin moist and allows air to dissolve on the skin. If they dry out, they suffocate (stop breathing) and die.

This is what they calculated: Roughly 1000 mature composting worms equal one pound.

The breeding cycle is approximately 27 days from mating to laying eggs. Worms can double in population every 60 days.

It depends on the size of your garden and the desired outcome. As a general guideline, adding 1 pound of red wigglers per square foot of the garden bed is recommended. This translates to roughly 1,000-2,000 worms for a 4×8 foot raised bed.

Red wiggler worms tolerate a temperature range of 40°F to 90°F, but they do best between 55°F and 77°F. Peak composting and reproduction occur between 71 and 89°F. Below 50°F, the worms feed less and become less active. Red wiggler worms are about 75% to 90% water by weight.

Fun Facts • Red wigglers can eat half their body weight in food scraps a day. Worms have five hearts. Worms have both male and female reproductive organs, but still need another worm to reproduce. One mature worm can give birth to about 100 worms a year.

So, red wiggler worms' life cycle starts as eggs and, naturally, ends after death. Their average life span may be as long as 4 to 5 years. But this may also depend on a few more factors, such as whether you are containing them in unfavorable or favorable conditions or, well, using them as fish bait.

What are Red Wiggler Worms Favorite Foods? Red wigglers favorite foods include most raw/uncooked fruits and vegetables: Bananas, grapes, melon, pears, berries, peaches, apples, and avocado (but not the pit or rinds) Pumpkin, squash, sweet potato.

Without reading it, basically they'll live together fine since they are in the same species of worm. Only con with mixing is if you're a worm farmer wanting to sell one select specie. Reds better at composting, night crawlers at aerating soil.

How many red wigglers can live in a 5 gallon bucket? ›

5 gallon buckets have a small surface area and can hold ~1,000 red wigglers.

Choose your food source, such as cornmeal or something similar, and soak it in water until it becomes a paste. This paste will serve as a concentrated meal for your red wigglers. Create a trench down the middle of your worm bin, ensuring it's deep enough to hold the paste.

Aeration & moisture content: Nurturing and breeding worms requires careful aeration and the right levels of moisture content. Keep the bedding moist but not waterlogged – damp bedding is the way to go. An ideal humidity of 70%-90% will ensure the healthiest environment for your red worms.

Worm Appropriate Foods

Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, garlic, mushrooms, onions, and scallions should be used in moderation. These foods can cause unpleasant odors.

Red wigglers only burrow 3-8 inches deep and more horizontally; unlike earthworms who burrow deeper. Red wigglers like temperatures between 55-75 degrees F. An adult red wiggler worm is 2-3 inches long and is dark red. Red wigglers reach maturity after 90 days.

This variety will adapt to the worm box environment, but they are really a soil earthworm. Their natural habitat is in soils which contain a lot of organic matter. Redworms are on the market under many different common names.

All common compost worms are non-native (eg. red wigglers, Alabama Jumpers, Hybrid wigglers, African Nightcrawlers). More information about earthworms, their effects on our forests, and what you can do to stop the spread can be found at Great Lakes Worm Watch.

Unlike common earthworms that borrow deep into the soil red worms thrive in the first several inches of topsoil directly beneath decomposing vegetative organic matter. It really doesn't matter what the matter is red worms love it. Decaying leaves, grasses, wood, and animal manure are all favorites of red worms.