Red Wiggler Earthworm

Eisenia fetida

The red wiggler earthworm, Eisenia fetida, is the composting worm sold as redworm, tiger worm, manure worm, or brandling worm. Unlike deep-burrowing garden nightcrawlers, it lives near the surface in rich decaying matter such as manure, leaf litter, and compost heaps. The body is slender, reddish, and often banded, with a yellowish tail end; when disturbed it can release a sharp-smelling defensive fluid, which explains the name fetida. Worm sellers sometimes mix or confuse it with the closely related Eisenia andrei, which performs similarly in bins.

People keep red wigglers for vermicomposting, fishing bait, poultry treats, soil education, and small-scale castings production. A working bin is usually shallow, moist, and airy, with bedding such as shredded paper or aged leaves and a steady supply of vegetable scraps or manure that has cooled. They process food fastest in mild temperatures and suffer in heat, freezing conditions, or sour, waterlogged bedding. Good management means feeding lightly until the colony expands, protecting worms from ants and flies, and harvesting castings without dumping nonnative worms outdoors where they could alter local leaf-litter communities.