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Red wiggler

Eisenia fetida

Eisenia fetida is a small, fast-breeding earthworm of decaying organic matter. Known as the red wiggler, brandling or tiger worm, it is the species used in almost all small-scale vermicomposting.

European nightcrawler

Dendrobaena veneta

Dendrobaena veneta (also listed as Eisenia hortensis) is a medium-to-large earthworm from Europe. It composts well and is widely used as fishing bait because it stays active on the hook and in cold water.

Common earthworm

Lumbricus terrestris

Lumbricus terrestris, the common earthworm or nightcrawler, is a large deep-burrowing worm native to Europe. It drags leaves into permanent vertical burrows and is among the most important soil engineers in temperate farmland.

Yellow mealworm beetle

Tenebrio molitor

Tenebrio molitor is a darkling beetle whose larva, the mealworm, is the most widely farmed insect in Europe. It is used as feed for poultry, birds, reptiles and fish, and is authorised in the EU as a novel food.

Giant darkling beetle

Zophobas morio

Zophobas morio (often listed as Z. atratus) is a large tropical darkling beetle from Central and South America. Its larva, sold as the superworm, is a popular feeder insect.

Darkling beetles

Tenebrionidae

Darkling beetles (family Tenebrionidae) are one of the largest beetle families, with over 20,000 described species. Most are dark, ground-dwelling scavengers of dry plant and animal material.

Vermicast

Vermicast, or worm castings, is the material earthworms excrete after digesting organic matter. It is a fine, stable, humus-rich soil amendment with high microbial activity. Worm tea is a liquid brewed from it.

Insect frass

Frass is the mix of droppings, shed skins and leftover feed that remains after insect larvae are sieved out. From mealworm farms it is a nitrogen-rich, fine-grained fertiliser containing chitin.

Earthworm bedding

Bedding is the material composting worms live in, as opposed to the food they are given. A good bedding holds moisture, lets air through and is rich in carbon, giving the worms a stable habitat between feeds.

Mealworm substrate

Mealworms and superworms live inside their food. Their substrate is a dry, grain-based layer that serves as bedding and diet at once. Ours is whole oats milled to a fine powder.