Red Wigglers

Recently in my biology lab the class was assigned a semester-long research project. My group’s project focuses on whether the presence of red wigglers, compost, or the combination of both has any influence on the growth rate and final size of bean plants. We set up an experiment that tests each of these factors, organizing our experimental design as follows:

• 10 bean plant seeds planted in soil
• 10 bean plant seeds planted in soil with 3 red wigglers
• 10 bean plant seeds planted in soil and compost mix
• 10 bean plant seeds planted in soil mixed with compost and 3 red wigglers

The bean plant seeds are currently being grown on a shelf in the UNC Charlotte Greenhouse!
I had some worms left over from our experiment, so I decided that I would keep them around for a while! Using some of our leftover compost and my gecko’s travel cage, I created a little worm box for my 19 new pals. I’ve placed them all in the container, and I plan on feeding them vegetable and fruit scraps! I even read online that they eat cardboard and hair. I’ll have to do a little more research, but I’m excited to keep them around!
If anyone has any advice or experience pertaining to keeping worms, please feel free to share! :)