I have to admit—I love our worms. I enjoy checking on them, feeding them and trying to understand what makes them happy. Here at Berkeley Hort we have a combination of two types, Red Wigglers (Eisenia fetida) and European Nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis). The Red Wigglers are smaller and darker red. The European Nightcrawlers are larger and lighter in color. The two types get along just fine in our worm bins.
We feed our worms all types of fruits and vegetables. They do not like citrus or things in the allium genus (onions, garlic and such), but so far in our experience their favorite food is melon with avocado as a close second. The added benefit of avocadoes is that the worms like to hide and mate in the avocado skins. I often pick up an avocado skin and find lots of worm eggs along with many worms all snuggled together. The worm eggs start off whitish and turn a darker brown/red as they get closer to hatching.
BHN has worms for sale! Due to the perishable nature of the worms, we don’t keep a large supply on the shelf for sale. You might find a few on the shelf, but if you don’t, feel free to request them at the sales counter. We will package a fresh batch for you and call you when they are ready. We only ask that you pick them up within a few days.
What you will find in your batch of worms: Both Red Wigglers and European Nightcrawlers, some worm castings, worm eggs, occasionally a little worm food (i.e. melon seeds), a few potworms (Enchytraeids, which are small white worms related to the red wigglers) and a little coconut coir to keep the worms cool.
If you want to learn more, check out the book The Earth Moved: On the remarkable achievements of Earthworms by Amy Stewart. Amy talks about the impact of the earthworm on our ecosystem.
Happy Worm Farming,
–Jeanne