Uncle Jim's Worm Farm 500 Count Red Wiggler Composting Worms Mix for Garden Soil or Fishing | Starter Pack of Compost Worms Improves Soil Structure and Quality for Healthier Gardens

We are growing vegetables and blackberries using regenerative farming practices. As part of the process, we create our own compost. Worms and worm castings enrich compost and help aerate soil. Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm has sold worms for years and has a good reputation for quality, so when we needed worms, we bought them from Uncle Jim’s. We bought both Night Crawlers and Red Wrigglers, but if we were to order again, we would buy just Red Wrigglers as the more efficient composter. Meanwhile, Night Crawlers will come on their own as we improve the soil. The Uncle Jim’s worms arrived about 2 days after ordering. The soil they were shipped in was still moist. The worms appeared healthy and were even more active than we anticipated. To house the worms, we created double bucket towers using 5-gallon plastic buckets. For the top buckets, we drilled about a dozen 1/4-inch drain holes in the bottom. We also drilled about a dozen 1/4-inch air holes around the rim. To prevent escape, we covered the air holes with wire mesh put on the outside of the bucket. (Putting the covers on the inside of the bucket works too.) We secured the mesh to the bucket with caulking. To create the worms’ living conditions, we added a layer of bedding to the bottom of the top bucket. Bedding can be things like torn up cardboard and leaves. We then added garden dirt and compost to fill the bucket about half full. Next, we thoroughly moistened the bucket’s contents and let the excess water drain. Finally, we set the top bucket inside the bottom bucket; the bottom bucket has no holes. (Numerous videos on how to build these towers are on the Internet.) The worms, of course, need food. What we feed the worms is based in part upon suggestions found online and also our own trial and error of what the worms seem to like. Our worms seem to favor fine cornmeal; in fact, once we started feeding cornmeal the attempted prison breaks stopped. Worms eat all kinds of things, including vegetables, some fruit, brown paper (e.g., craft or shipping paper), cardboard, napkins, mushrooms, eggshells, leaves. Our experience, also supported by experts, is worms love brown paper, watermelon, and finely ground cornmeal. The type of compost desired also influences what to feed the worms. Per the experts, “brown” feedings (e.g., brown paper, cardboard, leaves) tend to promote beneficial fungal growth; “green” feedings (e.g., veggies, grass) tend to promote beneficial bacterial growth. A very general guide would be to feed the worms every 4 to 7 days, but the actual frequency depends on how much the worms eat. Worms need water too. The dirt should be kept moist, but not wet. An example of moist would be a wrung-out wet sponge. The worm towers should be kept out of the sun. They should not be allowed to get too hot. In addition, we put a piece of cardboard over the very top of the dirt. When we remove the lid, the worms are still protected by the cardboard. We use worm castings to make tea. We use the castings to mix into compost. We use worm casting directly as a dip as we plant. These are just a few examples of how castings can be used to improve compost, soil, and plants.

The worms were in great shape, they were dry, orderless and mixed with dirt, they arrived 6 days early (and the bin I ordered is held up in transit due to weather. They were due to arrive within a day of each other originally), so I had to do a makeshift bin, which, the only problem was that I had to find something to make a bin with. I ended up using an old office trash can that didn't have any holes in it. I used some kraft paper, corrugated cardboard and pulp egg crates all damp and tore up. I didn't add dirt, because the worms came in what looked like potting soil. I emptied the worm bag into the bin, added more paper stuff and a small amount of damp kitchen compost (used coffee grounds, vegetable peels, oatmeal scraps, crushed eggshells...). I covered the lot with a large piece of damp cardboard and left it in the kitchen under the light. Before I got the compost put in, I had placed the damp cardboard over the top and went on with things I was doing. When I went back to add the compost, the worms were trying to escape, crawling all over the cardboard and up the sides of the bin. I added the compost, replaced the escaping worms back in the bin and replaced the cardboard, placing it down on top of the compost, leaving several inches between that and the top of the bin. I then left the whole works in the kitchen under the kitchen light (as per included worm instructions). The worms settled down, and I haven't had any other issues. I do have a multi-level worm bin coming, but it got held up in shipping and won't be here for a couple of weeks now. These were in great shape, live and moving. If I ever want more worms, I would consider buying from this vendor again.

Folks, buckle up because I'm about to take you on a little journey. We're talking about Uncle Jim's Worm Farm Red Wiggler Composting Worms. These little guys are nothing short of miraculous, really. First off, the delivery—right on time, like clockwork. And the packaging? Secure as a bank vault. These worms arrived at my doorstep ready to work, not a single lazy bone—well, worm—in the bunch. Now, let's get down to business—the composting. These red wigglers, they’re like tiny, wiggly gold miners, turning my regular old kitchen scraps into black gold. Compost gold, that is. It’s rich, it’s nutritious, and my garden? My tomatoes are the envy of the neighborhood, let me tell you. They are thriving, blooming, and absolutely bursting with flavor, all thanks to these diligent little workers. And for those of you who might cast a line now and then, these worms are like fish magnets. Seriously, I've never caught more fish than when I've used these wrigglers. They wiggle just right—not too much, just enough to make those fish curious. So, to wrap this up, if you’re thinking about composting, or if you need a surefire way to up your fishing game, Uncle Jim’s got you covered. These worms are top-shelf, five-star, can’t-miss performers. Treat yourself and your garden (or your fishing pole) to a batch of these beauties and watch the magic happen. Rock and roll, baby!

My order arrived quickly. The worms are adjusting to their bin and thriving. Well pleased.

When you receive these worms they are going to be small,maybe a week old

Great worms. We're dry upon arrival but that is expected after a week in transit. Unless they spend money to get a container that has a humidifier humidity pack in the container with the coco coir as worm substrate/worm bedding and nessasary moisture for transit. A year later I now have over 6,000 worms in 4 different 5 gallon buckets with soil and feed the worms weekly then months later I collect worms and add them to a new 5 gallon bucket and use all that 5 gallon bucket of worm casting soil that has been thoughly sterilized by the worms!

A few years ago I ordered worms from here and they were great. They were all or mostly alive and established a colony quickly. It thrived, and I only left it behind because we moved across the country (same reason I had to gift the composter before that one!). I got a new composter and my wife actually ordered me worms from Uncle Jim’s through Amazon as a birthday gift for me (my son’s idea). They arrived early (great!) and I got shredded paper in the bin, moistened it, and threw in some coffee grounds and white bread. We dumped the worms in and…nothing. A few wiggled out of the peat clump they came in, but the rest were just in a couple of tangled balls. I re-read the enclosed instructions in case I missed something even though I’d had two successful worm composters before. Everything was fine and in line with the instructions. The next day there was still just a mass of motionless worms. This time I misted them with a little water (photo is of some of the in-alive worms, after misting, before molding) thinking they just needed a bit more moisture. Then I put the lid back on and left them alone for another 48 hours. I came back to motionless worms that were now actually growing mold. I dug through the paper and found three living worms. Now, while I was perfectly happy with the last order, this one was a 100% failure. I’m sad, my wife is mad, my son is devastated that “his” gift to me was DOA. Now the enclosed info slip says that you can call but must do so in 48 hours of receipt. We waited longer than that just to make sure we weren’t being alarmist. Even after the 48 hours, my wife said she’d call since she ordered and it was a gift, but she’s been working until after UJ’s hours. Like I said, I was happy with this product before. But like with restaurants I guess, when people live a thing they tell one person and when they don’t they tell 10. I hope this was a fluke, but 50% of the orders I’ve gotten from Uncle Jim’s was not viable. A 50% failure rate is too low to stick with.

When my order of worms arrived, they were in a sturdy bag - breathable but with no holes to wiggle out of. I was surprised to see them in dry medium, looking like tiny little sticks. So I read the literature that came with them and learned some things. They pack them in a dry medium so they'll dehydrate - and that keeps them safe from both extreme heat and extreme cold. Who would have guessed that? My task on receiving them was to pour a designated amount of water into the bag and let them rehydrate. I didn't stay there and stare, but checked back periodically and "watched them grow." I have two compost bins that are their new home, and they're going to town eating all the kitchen scraps I add. Every few days I dig around a little to check the moisture and see if they need more food - and yesterday I found a knot of new babies - just wiggling away! Some people think I'm strange, but I think that's fun.

I was very disappointed with my purchase. I had ordered 500 worms, but if there were 100, I’d be surprised. For what I received $60.00 was an outrageous price. The worms I did receive seemed healthy but very small. They were inside a cloth bag approx 4” x 6” with what appeared to be full of worm castings. I didn’t return them as they were live animals, but will be calling Amazon’s customer service for assistance. I think what may have happened as I ordered 500 and received the smaller package that what was ordered which I believe was 100.

When I ordered the package, they arrived at my mailbox instead of at my door. In the winter, without a heating pad, all of the worms froze and died! I will not be ordering again!!