What kind do pet stores carry?
I'll email a friend who is a science teacher and does a compost unit to ask where she gets hers.

Are you going to set up a winter operation?

How's your yard doing for worm production? I've never bought worms. You don't need red wigglers. Plain old garden variety will do.

I have a leaf pile that produces tons of worms if you can't find any. But seriously, just dig a bunch up. Are you composting yard/kitchen wastes any? Close to that is always a good spot.

I was always going to check the bait shops, but never did since the ones from the yard work just fine.

If all else fails you can mail order them and by getting them now you won't have to worry about them freezing.

Gloria

I am trying to set up an indoor worm box for kitchen scraps. I know myself well enough to know that I won't be turning compost as regularly as it needs to not be smelly, so I decided to go smaller- vermiculture! I have been told, (and read in Worm Eat My Garbage) that the worms found in our yards are earthmovers (great for the garden), not earth composters (great for a worm box). Specifically, I am looking for Eisenia foetida (commonly known as red wiggler, brandling, or manure worm) or Lumbricus rubellus.

I am also hoping to shop locally (and save on shipping) before I look at mail-order worms.

I have looked at some fishing stores, but not at the pet store yet. I will have to try them next.

Kim

Gosh, she must really be AWOL. Her web site is even gone. I bought my Can-O-Worms from her many years ago.

Maybe you could contact the Cooperative Extension Service in Anchorage to see if they know a source. I fear, however, that Cheryl was the supplier for all the local sources. Another woman used to do it too, but she's been gone for more than 5 years. Drat!

Good luck.

Sherry

I know the books say red wigglers, but I'm living proof (or should I say our worm box was) that the garden worms here work fine. They all eat stuff the same way. I think you get something like 1,000 worms to a pound of wigglers, so it's quicker than the couple of hundred I may dump in from the garden.

We moved last winter so I didn't keep my worms going, but we'll be setting up again this winter to do kitchen scraps and I'll just be using worms from the garden.

I didn't realize that anyone else was doing worms after Natural Garden Supply shut down shop. Maybe there just isn't that much of a demand?

If you don't find a source, go ahead and try with garden worms. You don't have much to lose.

Gloria

mcav0y, somehow I missed this thread when it started up last summer. Did you ever find your worms? I started vermicomposting inside last winter, and it has been a huge success for me; gets rid of all my kitchen waste, and produces substantial amounts of great compost. I ordered my worms through an EBay source in January, and they arrived just fine, wiggly and healthy, in a small styrofoam box. If you can't locate a source, I'd be happy to give you some next time I harvest a bin!

I wrote this really long post about my quest to find worms in Anchorage, and somehow it didn't make it up here.
So long story short... I am still wormless. I have a lead, but will contact you if that falls through.
Thanks for thinking of me!

Kim

I bought my worms from Rocky Top Wormery on EBay a year ago January, and they arrived fine, just a couple of days later. The post office held them rather than leaving them in my mailbox, so they didn't freeze, and I picked them up the next day (did get some strange looks from the postmistress). The price was reasonable, and the service was great. But again, if you want to wait until I harvest my bin next time, I'd be happy to send a couple of handsful of worms your way! I live in Eagle River.

I'm the new worm lady? Tim- Tim's plants produce and worms on FB, AMFG, and Craigslist.