You can get the worms from a pet supply store, bait store, or online. It is recommended that you begin with approximately 1000 worms, but you can start with less than that. My bin got started from left over fishing worms Each time my hubby would take my nephew fishing they bought worms. Well, my youngest son adopted a couple of cans of worms, and after him keeping them alive indoors in a coffee can for a couple of months, I decided to make a homeschool project out of it and built a bin. Prices will vary. Just make sure that you get red wigglers. Your best bet would probably be to get them from a pet store or bait shop. The online ones seemed rather high to me (thirty some dollars). Bait stores carry them.

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You could try here Sarah.

http://www.reptilefood.com/reptilefood/default.asp

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John - Zone 6

Yesterday I got my red worms I was so excited. I put them in their container, but now I am a little concerned. I found one of the nightcrawlers and I poked it. It didn't move. So I poked it agian, still nothing. So then I got a straw (I was afraid oils on the hands bad for the little guy) and gently moved him. Still nothing. Eventually he tucked his little head a little deeper into the bedding, but he didn't even pull his whole body under. I'm afraid that he's dying. Why would he be dying? I haven't done any deep investigating to see if all of them are dead or if, for some reason, this guy just likes to lie there when being poked. I did, however, see one nightcrawler bolt away when I lifted up the piece of cardboard covering the bedding. My set up is pretty much exactly like stated here except that I set it up a few days ahead of time (just in case it got hot) and I've added some shredded cardboard and coffee grounds. I'm pretty sure that it is still damp, but not wet, in there. Are worms cannibalistic--will they eat fellow worms if dead? Should I take out this dead guy, in case he's sick or something? I'm really concerned--and annoyed! 2nd graders do this as a class project and I can't even keep my nightcrawlers alive for 4 days??!!

Sarah

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Sarah - Zone 5b/6

I got my husband's left over nightcrawlers from a fishing trip (about 10 or so) and I also have 500 red wigglers that I ordered. I've been smashing and freezing my kitchen scraps because I read that overfeeding worms is quite bad?? I think it was because the decaying food makes heat and harms the worms??

Sarah

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Sarah - Zone 5b/6

Maybe you should add a little water????
It should be damp in there. Is there enough food in there?

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDY!!!!!!!

Hmm... this for worm composting right?

The reason the worms are expensive is that the right kind of worm for composting in bins is the European Red Wiggler (Eisenia foetida), not the USA Red Wiggler. Only worm composting breeders have them here in the USA and since they don't exist naturally, no place to get them but specialty shops and you pay for them. Here's the place I got mine only because it local http://www.gardeners.com/Red-Wiggler-Worms/default/02-232.prd and yup, it's expensive. The USA Red Wigglers aren't as adapted to worm composting and living in bins. Our "Red Wiggler" is normally found in compost/manure/bait shops & piles throughout the country and inexpensive. They are okay worms for worm composting and can survive in bins but aren't as content, they are prone to want to travel/escape, can't live in as harsh environment, nor live in the temperature range as the European, and the American eats 1/2 as much as the European variety.

So, I think you have the American Red Wigglers that probably came from a manure pile. They're known to wander. I have the European kind, when I open my lid I see 5-6 on the sides/lid out of the probably thousand in there and that's normal. Worms are blind and occasionally get lost.

Worms naturally come out before a thunderstorm and during one, they're barometric senstive so that may be the reason. If it's the American Red Wigglers I'm thinking you have and taken from a manure/compost pile they've been raised on manure/compost and aren't familiar with cardboard/paper. What happens is survival of the fittest. The ones that adjust or prefer it will survive whereas the ones that don't will die. Best of all, any offspring born will only know about cardboard/paper bedding and acclimate to it so your population should increase. I think this is your most likely reason, they're going through an adjustment.

You should only be concerned if you open the bin and see lots of worms trying to make an exodus. That tells you something's wrong. Either there's too much moisture of which add more dry matter, or your bin is lacking oxygen which is easy to tell it'll smell like ammonia. Put more holes in and fluff up the material. Or there isn't enough moisture which your worms will be dry. It's normal for some to get lost and climb up the sides, or hang out on the lid. For a new worm bin, and if using the American red worms, my feeling is they're unfamiliar with the bedding and looking for manure/compost. Perfectly normal and survival of the fittest. The population you lose, will rebound and then you'll eventually end up with worms acclimated to bins.