maifleur,

when the time comes that you have too many worms, I am sure you'll find people who will gladly take them off your hands (or bins). Post it on the Craig list or as a matter of fact, post it in this forum.
You can also adjust the amount of feeding and the population will adjust accordingly.

Otis.

Since you indicate that you are from Missouri (the "Show Me" state!) I have to ask that you "show me" where you heard that the conservation department (of, I assume, Missouri) said that. I went to that state's dept. of conservation website & searched for any info. They had 2 articles promoting and detailing how to start worm composting systems, but I saw nothing about any negative aspects to red worms in the environment. These guys are one of the the best recyclers of dead organic materials and already may be found in the wild. See http://www.mdc.mo.gov/kids/out-in/2005/02/3.htm
Are you perhaps confusing them with European earthworms that are damaging northern hardwood forest habitat? For example, see
http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2003/B/20036555.html

But I concur with Maifleur--with worms selling upwards of $25/pound and up, you should have no difficuly at all giving them away! Offer them at the site I have linked below and you will likely get many responses!

Here is a link that might be useful: What to do with surplus wigglers

Sorry I have been unable to locate the article in the Missouri Conservationist. However here is an article from the Wisconsin DNR that outlines the problem.

The Pennsylvania Conservation DNR has similar articles on the web.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wisconsin DNR Magazine

Wow, this is confusing. I grew up in Upper Michigan and have never heard of this. I have always remembered finding earthworms and night crawlers in town and in the forest many miles from the nearest residence. There is still plenty of "duff" from years of fallen leaves and root growth, undergrowth, moss, ferns, lichens, maples, and ironwood saplings amongst the worms. Not a stripped landscape that was shown in the photos. If it takes 100 years for earthworms to populate 1/2 mile, then how did they get many miles out into an uninhabited forest? Did the European settlers spread them thinly across the land? Do those articles sound like they are jumping to conclusions? It was mentioned several times in the article that much research still needs to be done. This could be grounds for another discussion thread. Does anyone have any insight on this?

I think maifleur is raising good questions. Whenever you're introducing an exotic species into a new area, these are important concerns. (Remember Japanese ladybugs.) I emailed Lee Frelich at the Univ of Minnesota (he was mentioned in the article), and asked him to comment on this discussion. Here's his response:

Red wigglers are probably not a problem in the northern states like Minnesota because they can't survive the winters. However, with global warming this could change in the future. I don't know whether red wigglers are found in forests further south. In general, I would not use any exotic earthworms for composting in remote forested areas, because that is where they can do the most damage if they escape. Even places like Great Smoky Mountains National Park have European and now Asian (Amynthas) invasions that are changing soil structure in ways that native earthworms do not, as well as potentially displacing the less aggressive native earthworm species.

Seems like those of us in cold urban areas don't have major concerns, at least right now, but people who live in remote forested areas may need to find a native worm or forgo vermicomposting.

A species of European worm, the driftworm, also known as Red wriggler (Lumbricus rubellus) is commonly used in vermiculture in the uk, especially for fishing bait, as it is large, lively, robust and is even suitable for salt water fishing. It is popular for worm farming, as it is bigger and grows faster than the more common redworm used in vermiculture, the red wiggler - eisenia fetida

As far as I know eisenia fetida (or foetida), the common manure worm, is found almost everywhere, but the red European Lumbricus rubellus is cited as an invasive species in North America and there are claims that it is spreading into the woods and damaging the native forest.

Is this not the culprit?

Here is a link that might be useful: What about the workers?

The original radio show I heard about worm problems was from Canadian Brodcasting. Since they were talking about Canadian forest's having the problem I doubt that cold will prevent the spread of worms. They did not give the scientific name of the worms and most sites just mention red worms I have know way of knowing which one it was. I think that most people with worms only pass them on as red worms not by a specific scientific name.

The worms you get for composting are eisenia foetida, as african says. Most suppliers do indicate the scientific name somewhere. And, believe me, the cold kills those worms. You have to appreciate the it gets to -20F here in Minnesota (-30 in some parts of the state). There are lots of plants and animals that have zero chance of surviving our winters. In addition, you can see from the WI DNR article that worms don't migrate very far or very fast. Sounds like eisenia foetida released in Minneapolis, if they miraculously survived, aren't going to end up in the forests of northern Minnesota or Canada.

Problems could arise with the disposal of composting worms if the weather changed radically and the vermicomposter lives in a remote, forested area in the northern US or Canada. That doesn't sound like you, since you live in Zone 5.

That said, it seems like common sense to try to keep the worms inside if they are exotic in your area. You can do that by pasteurizing or sterilizing the vermicompost before you put it outside--not that difficult.

Are eisenia foetida native in your area?

"You can do that by pasteurizing or sterilizing the vermicompost before you put it outside--not that difficult."

But if you sterilize the VC, don't you negate the benefits of it?

I don't know, folly. I know it makes it less useful by killing all the living stuff, but does it completely negate the benefits?

IMO, using vermicompost is to take the benefit of the microbes. Sterilizing will kill them. I don't know the process of pasteurizing (will google later) so cannot comment on this.

Otis

I got my worms on ebay and saved the cloth bags they shipped in just in case I wanted to resell

Its been 6 months and i'm not ready to give any up lol

Also I had read that worms were pretty much self limiting based on food and space