Compost Worms, finding your own. Which worms are correct?

[kenbear2725]

are there many red worms in georgia clay? would they survive in clay dirt?

[HTCSWEOD]

@kenbear2725 I think for worms to begin to work in clay, the soil would require some amendments like sand to help with drainage along with some organic compost... that's a tough situation. I had to use raised beds in South Carolina because the soil was just too dense. So, clay as is, simply would prove too difficult for your standard earth worms.

[NinoV551]

Are you afraid to touch the worms?

[HTCSWEOD]

@NinoV551 Do a test... give someone a spatula and have the other use their fingers on a 39 degree day... GO... see who gathers the most worms in the least amount of time. In answer to your question more directly.. no

[kayleeShoe]

I just use any worms I find, and my bin produced a pound of castings in a single month. I'm not sure if this is a good production rate or not, but after adding the castings to our little ivy house plant, new growth sprouted for the first time in months...So maybe everyone should have a few earthworms, too.

[MsCymbalCrash]

If citrus peels are added to the compost, will this discourage the worms? I have read conflicting information about this.

[HTCSWEOD]

@MsCymbalCrash In my experience, citrus... peels or otherwise tends to spoil my worm compost and is apt to draw those little fruit flies quickly. Something also to do with the acid in citrus seems to make that material a least favorite with the worms, but they will eventually get to it as it dries out.

[vitevac]

3:53 that's way to long to be wiggler

[daggermail1999]

If you have a garden take pinestraw, leaves, and grass and mix it with the dirt. you can do the same with vegatable and fruit scraps. after a few weeks dig around there and there will be compost worms.

[TheTrainmanjosh]

either way, I think almost all worms I see are good fish bait

[theracemixer]

You can use any worm. They will differ in the amount the eat but all worms will do the same job. earth worms will eat dirt and give you good casting and the compost worms will eat organic matter and give you casting.

there are some minor diffrenc in term of caring for them (temp) other that that they'll give you casting.

[mrzniceguy]

can you put worms directly in your garden



[HTCSWEOD]

@mrzniceguy Yes, of course... by not using chemicals in your garden... pesticides and so on, you will naturally see an increase in the worm population. Example... after a rainy night, if I go out and stomp on my lawn... you can hear the worms retreating into the soil... I walk across the road and do the same thing... nothing, no sounds, very few worms. Reason? They treat their lawn to reduce weeds and keep it "green" result, dead soil activity. Invite worms by NOT treating with chemicals.

[Grillmaster33]

Your life intrigues me.

[HTCSWEOD]

@Grillmaster33 I get that a lot Grill :)  I just had a field fenced in... the neighbors are a tad worried about what may be going in it.... (';')... I hope you are doing well my friend!

[MsCymbalCrash]

Must it be newspaper? Can it be shredded bank statements, old homework assignments, etc.?

Thank you for the informative video!

[HTCSWEOD]

@MsCymbalCrash the more processed the paper is, the more difficult it would be for the worms to break down/digest. News Print (paper stock) is very primitive in processing and breaks down more easily, that's why I use it.... you "could" let the worms eat your homework and then have an original excuse for your Prof/Teacher :)

[rwally3able]

I pulled some worms from my compost pile and have them in a bin. they are doing great and eating the scraps i put in. last year i purchased 2lbs and they all died last winter. i guess it was to cold in my basement. thanks for the video

[HTCSWEOD]

@rwally3able You're welcome and I'm glad things are working out for you! Yep, compost piles are definitely the place to get them... manure piles all the better!

[Rgreen1301]

just put any old worm i their and it will work fine

[dunebuggie]

Ah, I see. I like watching you scoop them up. It's actually kind of funny with your wife's favorite spatula. haha.

[dunebuggie]

Why don't you just pick them up with your fingers?

[HTCSWEOD]

@dunebuggie In the time it takes me to get just one worm with my slippery fingers, I can get five with a spatula... it's quicker and you don't risk squeezing the worm.... ("> if they are on dirt, it's just as easy simply to grab them... pavement is a different story...

[vanhalenman60]

will earthworms work

[HTCSWEOD]

@vanhalenman60 Yes they do... just not as efficiently as the rascally red wigglers...

[paulgem123]

They both look red to me. I just buy mine to make sure. I was going to the bait and buying 24 or so at a time but when I bought 2 pounds approx 2000 then things started to happen.

[truemirror]

that is too funny, you will use your wifes spatula that is used in food, but wont touch the worms with your hands.

[paisleyyama]

Why do you use a spacula?

[HTCSWEOD]

@paisleyyama It was actually pretty cold so my fingers were numb and I was tired of spending so much time trying to grab a worm that slid away from my fingers... I found the spatula scoop up method to be super fast when you want to get a lot of worms in a short amount of time. Also, it was just fun that way! On grass, it is easy, but on pavement, fingers are more of a challenge.

[paisleyyama]

@HTCSWEOD Cold fingers makes sense.

[diablomaker2]

Red wigglers arent that big. Most red wigglers are about 2-4 inches. Depending on where you live, there are many species of nightcrawler. I would sugjest going out during the day, and looking under old wood, stones or other such material. Red wigglers tend to live near the surface.

[HTCSWEOD]

@diablomaker2 those are all good suggestions... this video was posted two years ago... the worms I now have are all fantastic composters... I've found the best to be in horse manure compost piles ("> I've also learned that many worm orders will work, just some more than others. Night crawlers should definitely not be kept in a bin, they need deep access to the earth... thanks for posting!

[yuzurname]

I left a huge comment. And it didn't get posted :( I'm too lazy to retype it but long story short. I'm have trouble distinguishing also. Don't want to pay for wigglers if I don't have to. Have access to horse manure but never saw any worms. My compost has worms naturally occuring but idk if they r wigglers

[HTCSWEOD]

@yuzurname I should have posted my updated method of getting the right worms... since you have horse manure, you are able to do this also... just lay a sheet of OSB on a thin layer of manure... lift if and collect the worms that are on the surface (right against the board. Those worms are absolutely the BEST composters

[yuzurname]

Check out my Florida worm lizard video

[IAmViviLee]

why cant you use regular earth worms?

[HTCSWEOD]

@IAmViviLee Some worms live fine at the surface, others require access to deeper soil 3' deep. Red wigglers handle surface conditions better than others while digesting the organic material. This is why many people search out composting worms by collecting them from surface debris such as horse manure... it's certain those worms can handle the conditions found in a bin composter.

[sinsarcasmo]

RIP HTCSWEOD. He died for using his wify's favorite spatula.

LOL

[sinsarcasmo]

Both worms are excellent for composting!

[TahshaTPitsMe]

What are the friendly bugs we are looking for? Not maggots right??? That's what I've got in mine, Do I have to start all over???

[HTCSWEOD]

@TahshaTPitsMe I'm glad that's not a serious question Tahsha... and just in case it "is".. yes, dump everything... maggots don't exist in non-meat compost (';') oy vey!

[diablomaker2]

@HTCSWEOD Where do you live? There are some species of maggot ( phoenix worms) they are the larve of black soilder flys, beautiful composters and dont carry any dieses. If you live in places where they is heat during most the year, these insects can survive.

[nancyweeal]

Thks for the vid. I didn't know there is a difference btw the earthworms and worms use for compost until now.

[HTCSWEOD]

@nancyweeal hi Nancy, glad to have expanded your understanding of worms :} There is a GREAT book out there titled The Earth Moved... I wish everyone would read it!

[free6006]

That's good I really want to do worm composting for my plants, but I dont know the right worm because in my country there is no worm for sale. However, in my garden it has a lot of worm, so can I use them for composting? Thank you.

[HTCSWEOD]

@free6006 I suggest laying down wet newspapers in your garden... the worms that come to the surface to eat the paper are the ones you should try to use...

[free6006]

@HTCSWEOD Thank you for your suggestion. I will try to do that way.

[modernwarfare456]

y dont u pick'em up with ur fingers

[HTCSWEOD]

@modernwarfare456 it's faster (on cold mornings) and more fun with a flipper!

[lyndaraven]

I noticed you don't have gnats in your compost bind. What do you do to stop from getting gnats and fruit flys?

[HTCSWEOD]

@lyndaraven I don't add a lot of citrus material and also, when I do add new items, I always cover what I've added with a fresh layer of shredded news paper. Not leaving new material exposed on top is key to keeping flying critters in check.

[carbite81]

well i live in ky, and what I know as a red wiggler you can put the worm in ur hand and it is a strong worm and it will fight more to get away than an earth worm. and they nearly dance in ur hand. earth worm are always mostly lazy. i do alot of fishing and yes red wigglers are the best for fishing to. bass love them they WIGGLE alot.

[HTCSWEOD]

Very true... and the red wigglers also keep moving even when immersed in water for an extended period of time... earth worms and night crawlers slow way doooowwwwnnnn...  thanks for your comment!

[HTCSWEOD]

You are absolutely right dokkiro... horse manure piles have been the best source for hearty red wigglers! It's been a year since I posted this video and my worm bin is thriving! Thanks for sharing your experience...

[OS253]

Thank you for teaching us the difference between regular worms and composting worms. I had no idea there's so many types. I thought all worms are the same except if they're roundworms or tapeworms which are parasitic worms.

[HTCSWEOD]

you are most welcome!

[dokkiro]

Ohh BTW there is one proven method to get those warms specifically. Wet cardboard boxes on the wet ground red wiggler warm magnets near manures.

[dokkiro]

You have much better luck collecting them near horses and cows where a lots of manure around. They are really not that cold tolerant living near decomposing heat close to the surface. They will die below freezing dormant below 55f. I bought my first pound for 20$(about 1000 count mid to large size). But they are contaminated now with bugs and other unwanted things competing with warms because I introduced captured warms as you are doing on this video. I think I better start over.

[ChrisBrewster]

You can pick them up with your hands. They won't bite...

[HTCSWEOD]

everyone says that... when it's cold and your hands are numb, spatulas certainly speed things up... no problem handling them, just takes longer and results in more smushed worms (';')

[steve11610]

can u send me some worms?

because i need them for my plants!!!!

oh and can u make a video how to find worms and where to find worm and when to find worms because i do not know where to find them?

[HTCSWEOD]

Hi Steve. I don't sell worms, but there are lots of places online that do... search for red wigglers and they are sold by the pound normally. If you want to look for compost worms yourself, try manure piles... horse farms or cow farms are best... best of luck to you.

[armanflint]

I used to have a neighbor who would water his lawn down in the morning... then use a cattle prod to shock the ground. When he did this, hundreds of worms would come up from underground and he would toss them in a bucket and go fishing.

I have a cold composting pile. Last year I found an earthworm while turning the pile. It was about three feet long and about the diameter of penny... I thought it was a snake at first and I sort of froze in place until I could confirm that it was a worm.

[HTCSWEOD]

What part of the country do you live in? There IS a species of earth worm that gets HUGE, but they are very rare and can sound way deep into the earth... In the Northwestern United States, they are a source of study and some never see one.

[armanflint]

I'm in Kansas (Of all places to be stuck...) The compost pile has been a pile that has been accumulating for the past 10 - 15 years. I was moving the pile to sift out sticks and large particles and about two feet into the pile I unearthed the big worm. The pile was covered with a lot of sticks and brush and this keeps the cats from making a deposit and the rain from making the pile too wet. The water table of the soil is 12 feet, and the soil is high clay content. The pile is about 12/15 cu ft.

[armanflint]

I'll set up my camera and tripod this year before I move the pile and see if the big one is still lurking around ... Maybe worms are like salmon, or maybe they like hanging out in some of the same places. I've seen worms about a foot long before, but this was the first time I had ever seen one that startled me.

Thanks for the Comment and rating on my video! I'll reciprocate.

[HTCSWEOD]

I suggest you get a book titled the Earth Moved... the various species are described in that... the chances of seeing a giant worm species twice would be extremely rare.... I believe they can go fifteen feet or more down into the ground and seeing them anywhere near the surface is like seeing big foot! (';')

[Aber911]

they both compost just red wigglers do it faster

[HTCSWEOD]

True.. and some species survive the closed environment of the compost bin better...

[Lortagreb]

Why don't you just pick up the worms with your fingers? It's a lot easier...

[HTCSWEOD]

for me, when it's been raining and my fingers are frozen... it's quicker with the flipper.... (';')

[Carneysmachine78]

Thank you for sharing this. It is very informative.

[HTCSWEOD]

Thank you, I do appreciate your comment!

[crazykawafool]

wut do u do with the worms?

[HTCSWEOD]

I use them to recycle compost-able material and use the castings around my hybrid tea roses... it's just another way to make better use of trash...

[MrMMABoy]

he thinks its cool to have worms xd

[HankQuinIan]

I use worms to break down the remains of my murder victims.

[chingchong54]

they are both reguler dirt worms they will do fine in your bin but they wont reproduce

you need red wigglers to realy do the job

you will not find red wigglers living in dirt

if you want red wigglers your going to have to go online

[HTCSWEOD]

It's curious that you say they won't reproduce... this bin has been going for many months now and they are reproducing prolifically and I have worms of all sizes and stages of growth. I agree that red wigglers are best, but these are replacing themselves in great number. Thanks for commenting.

[thethirst4knowledge]

my birdy loves worms.. but it hasnt rained here in a long long time... its getting harder and harder to find her any :(

[HTCSWEOD]

I hope you get some rain soon... and that your bird find's she needs (">

[shadowhog777]

CHICKEEEENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­

[SlacktiveAction]

END THE WORM SEGREGATION!

What is the harm in letting a few scrappy dirt worms enjoy yer tasty food scraps? Sure the fat reds will eat lots but the reds WITH the dirt worms will eat even more.

[HTCSWEOD]

Some worms can't handle the enclosed environment of the bin. So, the night crawlers are left out or they would just end up not making it without the ability to go deep into the ground. That's all... best worms are found in manure piles.. thanks for your call for de-segregation of the worms.

[iblowdanks]

pick that worm up

[HTCSWEOD]

Ok.... try this out...

go out after a rain on a 40 deg. F morning

give two kids cups to put their worms in.

give one a spatula for "scooping"

let the other use only his/her wet fingers...

see who gets the most worms in the shortest amount of time.

spatula wins every time! (';')

[iblowdanks]

i just did that this morning i walked around the block and got like 50 all with meh fingas

[suiteangel45]

Uh but how do you get them and where do you get them .

Ex. You go out and caught a worm when its raining.

Another example people making noises and worms come out but which is the best place or time to catch red wigglers???

[HTCSWEOD]

They are sold online by the pound, just do a google search for red wigglers or compost worms. If you try to collect them yourself, it takes weeks to get them in any real quantity for composting. They are also sold simply as "compost worms"...  lots of sources via the internet.

[suiteangel45]

but which is the best worm to keep in soil,shredded paper,few drops of water,vegestable like banana peel and dead plants?

[HTCSWEOD]

Red Wigglers are simply the very best... you can get them at bait stores or online suppliers...

[NOBIGBUTTS4me]

The 2 worms ur looking at are night crawlers and earth worms. Now, which one sounds like the more 'robust' worm? EARTH WORM of course! The Red Worm is bigger and makes for the best fishing worm because (UNlike the 'wimpy' night crawler) it only takes 1 on the hook and can live under water for a lonnnng time. Earth worms are good fishing too! And dude!...lol u can TOUCH the worm (for Gods sake lol)....it's not gonna 'bite'! lol Also, the bigger the worm, the better for your garden/compost.

[HTCSWEOD]

thanks! I know I can "touch" them... it's just hard to get them off the pavement with my fingers.. the spatula gets them up in a jiffy!

Not afraid of a n y t h i n g

[pokemonloverlol101]

Hey but can't you just use any reagular worn or it has to be a certian type?

[HTCSWEOD]

That's a good question... earth worms all eat dead plant material, but some can't stand the surface (mulch) environment and will simply die off. And some species of worms consume more paper and cast offs than others do, so this is why red wigglers are so talked about. I have been using the type shown on this video and they are really doing well... never got any true "red wigglers" If you lay sheets of newspaper on the ground and collect the worms that eat it from below (">

[pokemonloverlol101]

Thanks. And im starting im worm composter today and im using these very small worms that i find im my family's palm tree and there were small worms and i used them in my worm composter do you know what they might be? And if there good for worm Composter?

[HTCSWEOD]

I don't know what sort of worms you'd find in a palm tree? If there is a horse ranch, or other large animal keeper near you, your best bet is to collect worms from their fertilizer pile(s), these are the most productive worms and they live well in composters (closed environments)... sorry I can't identify the ones you mentioned.

[pokemonloverlol101]

ok But thanks my grandparents neighor own a horse i just ask if i could collect worms in there fertizaler

[HTCSWEOD]

Oh Man!!! ok, thanks for that information... have horses just a few hundred yards away... will scope it out. If I find those rascals there, I'll post another vid about them. Take care!

[homesNgardens08]

Just what I was looking for. Many thanks!

[HTCSWEOD]

You are most welcome... (">

[qualqui]

Wow, very interestin', the other day we bought a tea rose plant and when transplanting to a pot, i noticed three little earthworms, but now i know, thanx to you, they aren't earthworms, they're red wigglers,.....red wigglers being smaller than earthworms,....learn something new every day, thanx HTCSWEOD!=)

[HTCSWEOD]

You're welcome!

[destroyahdes]

Nice. That looks like fun collecting worms. I see the difference you mean. Don't know too much about worms other than what I learned in biology and that garter snakes like to eat them.

[HTCSWEOD]

Thanks Des...

It is fun collecting worms, weather from the pavement or garden under weeds... I think they all do some good in the bin, but the red ones definitely go from top to bottom with great efficiency. I find them pasted all over banana peels and things like that. Thanks for commenting!

[RUDunn85]

I don't get the whole spatula thing why can't you pick them up by hand

[HTCSWEOD]

Ever grab a worm in the rain on asphalt? Takes a long time... and you can smush the little worms... scoop and flip is quick when you aren't making a video about it. Besides it's fun to use tools! Scoop... flip... gotcha.. next

[macballa13]

Hi I Have 2 worm bins and I have purchased red wigglers in the past to put into my compost bins. Red wigglers are a lot smaller than earth worms. they are like dwarfs when comparing. I would just collect any and all worms and put them in your bin. the ones that don't like the bin will crawl out and away from the bin. The ones that like the conditions will stay. Hope this helps

[HTCSWEOD]

Thanks for that information... every little bit helps.

[HomesteadProvocateur]

I stick both in my bin, but I concentrate on the red wigglers. What if you get one of those big ole fat worms, I stick those in my garden beds, I just can't let em get away, I've officially got a worm infatuation. Hahaha!

[HTCSWEOD]

I just knew YOU couldn't discriminate against anything, including your worms! I used to collect them both, but often found the pale ones lumped together in the castings and rarely noticed them permeating the paper and food scraps... that's why I just let them wriggle along their way. Thanks so much for your comment! So, do you think those are indeed "red wigglers?"

[narukemon]

Excellent!!!

[MadBadVoodo]

Five Stars!!

[HTCSWEOD]

Thanks MadBad!