Red Wiggler Worms
Red worms are nature's ultimate composting worm. Red worms go by many names. They're often called red wigglers, tiger worms, manure worms, composting worms, and the trout worms. In my opinion they are the best composting worms available.
Both first time and experienced worm farmers choose the red worm for many reasons. These hardy composters are easy to care for, reproduce quickly, and of course can eat huge amounts of organic waste.
The red worm’s voracious appetite makes it the champion of the compost bin and are worm casting (worm poop) machines. Red worms are small, generally getting no larger than 5 inches. It is estimated that red worms eat nearly 3 times their weight each week. Red worms have the ability to withstand a wide range of temperature extremes but, typically, red wigglers thrive in temperatures between 65F and 80F (18 C – 27 C).
Red worms are fast breeders and in about 9 weeks after birth red worms are mature. Baby red worms hatch from small lemon shaped cocoons. The cocoons start out yellow and when they turn a dark brown they will be just about ready to hatch. So even your youngest red worms will be breeding within about 2 ½ months and producing their own cocoons. Each cocoon holds an average of three worms. So, if you purchase 1 pound of red worms in about 60 days your population should double. These are just basic guidelines. Many factors influence reproduction of red worms.