The Types of Worms Used to Decompose

Red Wigglers

• Vermicomposting is most commonly done with Eisenia foetida, also known as red wigglers or redworms. Using a shallow bin mostly filled with damp paper or earth, food scraps can be placed on top or mixed in slightly, and the worms will do the rest of the decomposition work. It takes about a pound of worms for every pound of scraps, and one person will produce about a pound of scraps a day. For a family, a 2-by-3-foot box holds enough worms to decompose their food waste.

Earthworms

• Earthworms, Eisenia andrei, are not used to aid the decomposition of food scraps as they need their deep tunnels to stay cool in during the day. They do aid the gardener in composting organic material in the garden. With the bacteria that line their guts, earthworms turn leaves and other material into rich black soil perfect for growing.

Anecic Worms

• Lumbricus terrestris lives deep underground in permanent burrows, but plays an important part in the decomposition of plants and propagation of organic materials deep into the ground. It rises to the surface each night to take the dead plant material down into its burrow. Most common in land that is not often disturbed, due to its size, it is a common "nightcrawler" found in bait shops.

White Worms

• Enchytraeids are found in compost piles, where they are rarely noticed as they are small. They help in breaking down organic material into even smaller pieces. They are white, rarely longer than an inch, and are found worldwide, even under glacial ice.