Native Worm Species for Boulder County - Ask Extension
I'm transitioning my yard to Colorado native plants and am thinking about getting into in-ground vermicomposting using a worm bin. However given all t...
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Native Worm Species for Boulder County #862379
Asked March 24, 2024, 12:55 PM EDT
I'm transitioning my yard to Colorado native plants and am thinking about getting into in-ground vermicomposting using a worm bin. However given all the effort I'm putting in above ground, I do not want to use a non-native worm species. Can you recommend any worm species native to Colorado that I could use for this?
Boulder County Colorado
Expert Response
Hello Russell,
Thank you for contacting us about native earthworms to use in your vermicomposting bin. Unfortunately, no species of earthworm, including the nightcrawler, are thought to be native to Colorado.
Earthworms currently found in Colorado are those incidentally introduced from Europe or were native to other areas of North America and subsequently introduced into Colorado within the past 150 years. This information is from Colorado State University's Department of Agriculture, from the short paper "Colorado Insect of Interest: Nightcrawler."
https://webdoc.agsci.colostate.edu/bspm/arthropodsofcolorado/Nightcrawlers.pdf
You might also be interested in the information included in PlantTalk Colorado 1622--Composting: Worm Composting. At the bottom of the sheet is a link to a video as well.
https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/soils-amendments-composting/1622-composting-worm-composting/
Please don't hesitate to reach out to CSU Extension again if you have any other questions about this or any other home horticulture topic.
Regards,
Colorado Master Gardener
CSU Extension Boulder County
Thank you for contacting us about native earthworms to use in your vermicomposting bin. Unfortunately, no species of earthworm, including the nightcrawler, are thought to be native to Colorado.
Earthworms currently found in Colorado are those incidentally introduced from Europe or were native to other areas of North America and subsequently introduced into Colorado within the past 150 years. This information is from Colorado State University's Department of Agriculture, from the short paper "Colorado Insect of Interest: Nightcrawler."
https://webdoc.agsci.colostate.edu/bspm/arthropodsofcolorado/Nightcrawlers.pdf
You might also be interested in the information included in PlantTalk Colorado 1622--Composting: Worm Composting. At the bottom of the sheet is a link to a video as well.
https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/soils-amendments-composting/1622-composting-worm-composting/
Please don't hesitate to reach out to CSU Extension again if you have any other questions about this or any other home horticulture topic.
Regards,
Colorado Master Gardener
CSU Extension Boulder County
