Kinds of Worms

Apparently there are millions of kinds of worms. Of those millions of species, about 7000 species are earthworms. And of those, only a few species of earthworms are composting worms that are good for vermicompost. Here’s some info about the various kinds of worms.

Eisenia fetida


These are the best worms for vermicompost. They are often referred to as red wigglers, redworms, brandling worms, or tiger worms. They don’t actually live in soil the way most other earthworms do. They live on the surface of the soil under layers of decaying organic matter. They can consume huge amounts of organic matter, they do not require soil, and they can tolerate some disturbance, which is what makes them ideal for composting. These kinds of worms that live on the surface of the soil are called epigeic.

Aporrectodea caliginosa


These are common earthworms. They live in shallow lateral burrows in the soil that run parallel to the surface. They are not suitable for composting because they must live in the soil and must eat mineral soil, but they are good for gardens because they help aerate the soil and bring organic nutrients into the soil. These kinds of worms that live in shallow lateral burrows in the soil are called endogeic.

Lumbricus terrestris


These are the amazing Nightcrawlers. They live in deep burrows in the soil. They come up to the surface at night to drag decaying organic matter down into their burrows. They are not suitable for composting because they must live in deep soil, and they dislike disturbance, but they are good for gardens because they bring organic matter deep into the soil and provide aeration and drainage. These kinds of worms that live in deep burrows in the soil are called anecic.

Space Slug


These worms live on asteroids in a galaxy far, far away. They eat mostly spaceships. The photo shows the Millennium Falcon spaceship barely escaping a space slug. They are not suitable for composting, except when the compostable material consists primarily of spaceships. These kinds of worms that live in asteroids are called fictional.

Sandworm



These worms are native to the planet Arrakis. They are about a mile long with a mouth 100 yards wide, and they favor dry, desert-like conditions. They are not suitable for composting because of their large size, and the fact that they do not survive on our planet, but they do make an excellent form of transportation. These kinds of worms that live on distant planets are called fantasy.

What do Worms Think About?

In my Master Composter class, I've been learning about vermicomposting, which is the practice of using worms to compost kitchen scraps. Certain kinds of earthworms can live in a small bin and can eat half their weight in kitchen scraps a day. A pound of worms can eat up to a half pound of kitchen waste each day. They produce a very rich, nutrient-packed compost that is great for plants.

These are the kinds of worms that would ordinarily be found in nature living under piles of cow poop, or in deep layers of fallen leaves --- they need a very rich organic environment. They live for about one year in the wild, or maybe as many as four years in a bin. They have both male and female sex organs, so they can reproduce sexually or asexually. And according to one of my class instructors, they have a brain.

A brain! So what do worms think about? My guess is that that they are fairly introspective and spend a lot of time in self-examination --- worms are their own harshest critics.

"Man, I am pathetic! I'm nearly a year old, and I'm still living in the same bin where I hatched! I'm going nowhere! I've got to get out of this place. Just look at me. I eat nothing but garbage and spend most of my time reproducing asexually. There's got to be more to life than this!"

I feel like reassuring him, "Awwwwww, little worm! You do very important work! You process half your own weight in kitchen waste each day, keeping it out of the landfill and turning something worthless into valuable fertilizer for plants! You help to save our natural resources. And you should be happy with your bin! If you were in the wild, you would probably be living in a cow pie, eating crap for lunch instead of nice delicious banana peals and gourmet coffee grounds. And don't be in such a rush, worm! They say the early bird gets the worm, so what's the point in being the early worm? And, yeah, you do spend a lot of time reproducing asexually, but you've got both sets of sexual organs, so why the hell not? You're being too hard on yourself, worm!"

I hope he feels better about himself.