Compost Community
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Fun facts about compost worms

Worm biology

Breeding:
  • Worms are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reproductive organs
  • Worms reach breeding age at 2-3 months old
  • Worm lay eggs rather than have live babies. Each egg capsule contains 2-22 babies, with an average of 4 babies emerging from each capsule
  • Worms can double their population in 6-8 weeks - so it takes up to 6 months to reach a population of 4,000 suitable for the average family
  • Worms will limit their population to the space they have and the food resources available


Feeding:
  • 1,000 healthy adult worms weighs approximately 250 grams - therefore each adult worm weighs an average of 0.25 grams.
  • Worms can eat half their own body weight daily
  • If worms are underfed, they will stop breeding as instinct tells them there are not enough resources to sustain them
Red wriggler worm
Tiger worm
Compost worm

Compost worm breeds

There are three main types of composting worms: 

1.    Tiger worms (Eisenia fetida) 
2.    Red Wrigglers (Lumbricus rubellus) 
3.    Indian Blue Worms (Perionyx excavatus)

There are 3,500 species of worms throughout the world, and all have different characteristics and environmental requirements. Compost worms are 'high density' surface dwellers, residing in rich humus in the top 20-60cm of soil. They do not survive in nutrient poor environments - think of them like city dwellers living the lifestyle - lots of rich food, and apartment-style living. 

Native Earth Worms

Native earth worms on the other hand are deep diggers, living in poorer depths of the soil. They do not tolerate a rich environment and are more sparsely distributed. Think of them more like your rural farmers working the land for long term gain. 

This is why the earth worms you find in your garden do not do well in worm farms, and compost worms do not necessarily do well out in the environment. It would be like an episode of "A Farmer Wants A Wife" taking a worm out of its habitat and comfort zone and expecting it to thrive in a completely unfamiliar environment. 
Fun fact animated placeholder
The largest worm in Australia is the giant Gippsland worm (Megascolides australis).
Picture

Member Councils

Glen Eira council logo
Knox Compost Community
Manningham Compost Community
Maribyrnong Compost Community
City of Monash
Merri-bek compost rebates
Mornington Peninsula Shire

Chooktopia logo - Sustainability starts with soil


(c) Chooktopia 2024
​
​Compost Community is a program by Chooktopia (Ninti Earth Pty Ltd) in partnership with local councils.
Phone 03 97766559 or 0418 879 667 10am-5pm Mon-Fri; SMS other times 
Bunurong Country Langwarrin 3910 by appointment only. 

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  • Home
    • Join
  • Order
    • Glen Eira
    • Greater Dandenong
    • Knox >
      • Knox Caddy Liners
    • Manningham
    • Maribyrnong
    • Merri-bek >
      • Apartments
    • Monash >
      • Monash Apartments
    • Mornington Peninsula
    • Everywhere else >
      • Rest of Victoria >
        • City of Casey
        • Cardinia Shire
      • Rest of Australia
    • Accessories
    • Spare parts
  • Learn
    • Food Waste
    • Choosing a compost system
    • Worm farming >
      • Guide to Worm Farming
      • Fun facts
      • Surviving Heat Waves
    • Composting >
      • Introduction to Composting
      • Feeding your compost
      • Compost Maintenance
      • Harvesting and using Compost
      • Troubleshooting Compost Problems
      • Composting FAQs
    • Bokashi
    • Chooks
    • Pet poo
    • Troubleshooting
    • FAQs
  • Toolbox
    • Common questions
    • Community >
      • Compost hotspots
      • Chat
      • Sharewaste
      • Community gardens
      • Baseline data
    • Downloads >
      • Kids' activities
    • Videos
    • Blog
    • Back to Earth
  • About us
    • How it works
    • Terms and Policies
    • Our Products >
      • Our Worm Farms >
        • Subpod Care
      • Our Bokashi bins
      • Our Compost bins >
        • Tumblers
        • Compost bins
      • Our Accessories
    • Councils
    • Contact us
  • Events