If you are starting a wormery or looking to supercharge your compost heap, the Red Wiggler (Eisenia fetida) is the undisputed champion of organic recycling.
Unlike deep-burrowing earthworms, Red Wigglers are surface dwellers that thrive in rotting vegetation. This makes them the perfect engine for composting bins, where they tirelessly convert vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, and cardboard into nutrient-rich worm castings.
Why Choose Red Wigglers? These worms are famous for their appetite and resilience.
-
Voracious Eaters: A healthy population can consume up to half their own body weight in waste every single day, rapidly reducing your household rubbish.
-
Beginner Friendly: Hardy and tolerant, Eisenia fetida can handle a range of temperatures and pH levels, making them the safest choice for first-time worm farmers.
-
Rapid Breeders: These worms reproduce quickly. Under the right conditions, your population—and your composting power—will grow naturally over time.
-
Nutrient-Rich Output: They produce fine, granular castings (vermicompost) that are widely considered the best natural fertiliser available.
Best Used For:
-
Home Wormeries: Ideal for stacking tray systems (like the Worm Café or Urbalive) and DIY plastic tub setups.
-
Compost Heaps: Excellent for accelerating the breakdown of the top layers of outdoor compost piles.
Turn your food waste into free fertiliser. Get your wormery started with the most reliable worker in nature.
Pro Tip: Feeding Your Wigglers
Red Wigglers have a sweet tooth! They will thrive on melon rinds, banana skins, and squash.
-
Go Easy On: Citrus fruits (lemons/oranges) and members of the onion family (leeks/garlic). These are highly acidic and can irritate the worms’ sensitive skin if fed in large quantities.
-
Avoid completely: Dairy, meat, and oily foods, as these can attract pests and cause foul odours in your wormery.
