So You Want to Start a Worm Bin, Part 2

We've discussed what type of worm bins are available ready-made or to build.  Now is the time to discuss the worms.

While many "new" worms are being made available for composting purposes, I'd stick with Eisenia fetida, aka red wigglers, which have worked quite well for me and my composting endeavors. Eisenia fetida are top-soil dwellers, naturally living in the top 18-inches of soil, munching on leaf litter, which is convenient as apartment worm bins are not likely to be more than 18 inches in depth. Like worm bins, you can purchase your worms or round up your own.

While there are many places in different areas that sell worms, I highly recommend Flowerfield Enterprises in MI as I bought my first and only worm purchase from them. Those worms have proliferated quite nicely. The worms arrived (after a 6-week backorder*) in perfect health and a variety of ages were present in the pound of worms I'd requested. I preferred those Flowerfield worms as

1. Mary Appelhof, the original Worm Woman who wrote the book Worms Eat My Garbage in the '70's, started Flowerfield Enterprises.
2. The company being based in Michigan was a definite go for me as I'm a Michigander and the MI economy was piss-poor at that time and still is.
3. Prices 2-3 years ago showed that Flowerfield offered the least expensive worms when shipping was included, even to me out here in Southern California.

If you have a lawn, I would try this trick to determine whether you have to buy worms at all. Round up your own worms by placing a damp piece of cardboard on the lawn overnight. Before sun-up, check your cardboard for worms. If you wait too long, they'll just go right back into the soil as they are light sensitive. Any worms on the cardboard will likely be red wigglers as they are junkies for cardboard and/or cardboard glue. Of course, this will require slightly more effort than simply typing in your name, address and CC digits into your computer, but it's cheap and a quick way to get worms.

*Backorder was likely due to the fact that I'd ordered worms during a heat wave.  Flowerfield only ships worms when temperatures are safe for the worms.  Gotta love that! And any respectable worm caretaker would do the same.