And, best of all, my worms make compost in a compact container right in my own home. To create a worm-composting haven in a bin, you can't use just any old worms. You need worms that are real chowhounds. Red wigglers, which are also called red worms, are the most voracious eaters of the earthworm family. They can consume half their own weight in organic matter each day and leave behind fertile compost.
Red wigglers are available from garden-supply catalogs and through ads in gardening magazines.
They are sold either by the number of worms or by the pound. Since they won't survive shipping in cold weather, you may not be able to purchase them by mail from November through March. I ordered my worms from a garden-supply house in September. They arrived on Halloween, tucked in moist peat moss and wrapped in aluminum foil inside a brown paper bag. These wigglers are in worm heaven as long as you give them a dark, cozy home with plenty of food, moisture, oxygen, and a comfortable temperature.