| Earlier we’ve talked about the differences | | | | around on the hook since they can survive in water |
| between compost bins and compost tumblers, and | | | | for several days at a time. |
| let you, our wonderful composting audience, decide | | | | Night crawlers which are popular amongst fishermen |
| for yourselves on what you thought would work | | | | can also be used as composting worms. With the |
| better for your needs. Well, let’s put our | | | | same performance level as red worms, they’re |
| differences aside and talk about worm composting, | | | | not really considered your number one composting |
| also known in the composting world as vermiculture | | | | worm. One reason may be that even though they |
| or vermicomposting. There’s really not much to | | | | thrive in cool, shady areas, they don’t seem to |
| it, we use worms, right? Right, but not just any | | | | fare too well if there’s too much moisture; in |
| worms; red wiggler worms or night crawlers are the | | | | fact, once they hit water they’ll pretty much |
| preferred types of worms to use. Why not | | | | just die. Unusually enough, fisherman seem to like |
| earthworms, you ask? Well, I’ll explain that in a | | | | using night crawlers as bait probably because |
| second, but let me first tell you why red wigglers and | | | | they’re pretty big and fat. |
| night crawlers are so beneficial to the composting | | | | Using earthworms such as the kind that show up |
| process. | | | | when it starts raining is not recommended. |
| Red wiggler worms, also known as red worms and | | | | Earthworms are great burrowers and excellent soil |
| by their scientific name of Eisenia fetida, are | | | | aerators, but they won’t digest the organic |
| recognized as the best kind of composting worm. | | | | matter and leave behind worm castings, which is |
| Thriving in darkness and swearing off light, red | | | | what you want. Your best bet is to stick with red |
| worms are hardy workers and can eat half of their | | | | wiggler worms. Though not necessary, mixing red |
| own weight. Additionally, they have hearty appetites | | | | wigglers with night crawlers is okay, but you’re |
| and can live off of food scraps such as banana peels | | | | fine with sticking to one or the other. |
| and chicken mash (a yummy mix of cornmeal and | | | | Vermicomposting can be a fun activity for families, |
| chicken meat, this is usually used only if you plan to | | | | classrooms, or even just solo. Just be sure to feed |
| raise your red worms as fish bait). Red worms also | | | | your worms and watch them as they do the work |
| live well in damp places, and as fish bait, will wiggle | | | | for you. |