Organic waste usually has a high moisture content. If the lid is kept on, dry conditions are unlikely to occur. Add water only if the wormery appears dry. Compost worms are hermaphrodites, which means they have both female and male sex organs. Nevertheless, compost worms usually still need to mate with each other to reproduce. Compost worms breed fast and can double their population every 60-90 days, depending on temperature. Albanell, E.; Plaixats, J.; Cabrero, T. (1988). "Chemical changes during vermicomposting ( Eisenia fetida) of sheep manure mixed with cotton industrial wastes". Biology and Fertility of Soils. 6 (3). doi: 10.1007/BF00260823. ISSN 0178-2762. S2CID 21470644. Plytycz, Barbara; Bigaj, Janusz; Panz, Tomasz; Grzmil, Paweł (2018-09-21). "Asymmetrical hybridization and gene flow between Eisenia andrei and E. fetida lumbricid earthworms". PLOS ONE. 13 (9): e0204469. Bibcode: 2018PLoSO..1304469P. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204469. PMC 6150523. PMID 30240427. A wormery should be kept in a shed or a sheltered area of the garden where it gets neither too cold in the winter nor too hot in the summer

E. fetida worms are native to Europe, but have been introduced (both intentionally and unintentionally) to every other continent except Antarctica. When roughly handled, a redworm exudes a pungent liquid, thus the specific name fetida meaning " foul-smelling". This is presumably an antipredator adaptation. [13] Close-up of E. fetida with visible bristles Related species [ edit ] Remember: Fruit and vegetable scraps that contain seeds can be included but the seeds may germinate in the wormery. What to avoid: If the waste is not being eaten, feeding should be stopped for a few days until the worms start to work through the top layer of the composting material Dairy products, fat, grease, meat, fish and bones as these are likely to attract unwanted pests and fliesIf thinking about keeping wormeries in the kitchen, utility room or on the balcony, consider that when neglected they can sometimes produce odours The best place to find a readily available supply of redworms is a well-established compost heap. The warm, rotting vegetation provides a healthy home for the worms which will soon breed and thrive in that sort of environment. You may have to reduce how much waste you add in colder weather. As the temperature decreases, the worms slow down and their activity stops when it falls below 10°C. Alternatively, if the weather is warm and dry, spread the contents of the wormery thinly over a polythene sheet. Cover the centre of the compost with layer of wet newspaper. As the compost dries, the worms will move towards the cool, moist compost under the newspaper from where they can be collected. Once emptied, and the worms separated, the wormery can be filled with a new layer of bedding, the worms returned.

Pérez-Losada, Marcos; Eiroa, Julio; Mato, Salustiano; Domínguez, Jorge (August 2005). "Phylogenetic species delimitation of the earthworms Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826) and Eisenia andrei Bouché, 1972 (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences". Pedobiologia. 49 (4): 317–324. doi: 10.1016/j.pedobi.2005.02.004. Domínguez, Jorge; Velando, Alberto; Aira, Manuel; Monroy, Fernando (2003-01-01). "Uniparental reproduction of Eisenia fetida and E. andrei (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae): evidence of self-insemination: The 7th international symposium on earthworm ecology · Cardiff · Wales · 2002". Pedobiologia. 47 (5): 530–534. doi: 10.1078/0031-4056-00224. ISSN 0031-4056.Any raw vegetables, except for onions, shallots, leeks and garlic that are best used in small amounts or cooked first The worms tend to congregate in the area just below the top layer of food waste. Simply remove the top 20cm (8in) layer and use it to restart the wormery again. Chopped up worms also make a superb fish-attracting additive for your groundbait mix. Bream especially will be attracted to a pile of groundbait laced with many small worm pieces, with their juices escaping into the water. Fishing with chopped worms