Compost Worm Vendors
There are a couple considerations about where and when to get your worms.
The first and foremost should be your shipping address and the location of the worm vendor if you're going to order them online and have them shipped. It's best to give your worms the shortest commute. Especially in extreme hot or cold temperatures.
For example, if you live on the far West Coast, it is NOT recommended to order worms from an East Coast vendor because the worms could spend 3-5 days travel time in a hot truck. It's possible they may die along the way.
The other thing you'll want to consider is the type of worms to purchase. For anyone looking to maximize worm casting production, the best worm to use for composting is the Red Wiggler variety. They'll eat half their body weight in food scraps every day, giving you maximum output. For more information on the best worms to use for composting, click here to read the full article.
Other folks have shared they will be using the Worm Bucket for composting and a happy worm habitat for fishing worms. If fishing is your primary focus, you may want to consider a variety of Nightcrawlers. These worms are a bit plumper and more satisfying to fish. For more information on the best worms to use for fishing, click here to read the full blog.
Now that you know more about what you're looking for, there are a few ways to purchase your worms. We've put together a list of resources to help you get started. By no means is this a complete list of worm vendors. We recommend you shop around do what works best for you and the worms. We are also not affiliated with any of these great worm businesses.
Online Worm Vendors
East Coast - Uncle Jim's Worms. This is where I first got my original worms that got me into the hobby! They catch a lot of flak because supposedly they will mix species in your order and worm hobbyists complain about that, but for our composting purposes - I think they do just fine! They're in Pennsylvania and have a great reputation.
Satilla River Worm Company is another worm farm, based in GA that we've personally used. Our shipment came packed with cold packs to keep the worms from overheating! They also were very generous with the bedding. We like that these folks ship anywhere in the US and even internationally to Puerto Rico. Did we mention FREE SHIPPING?
Meme's Worms. We've ordered once from Meme's and they came well packaged and healthy. Great reputation among online forums. Valdosta, GA.
West Coast - HomegrownWorms.com. Out of Colorado, I have not ordered them personally, but the owner and I have corresponded a few times. Others in fb groups have given them high praise.
Midwest- Buckeye Organics is based out of Ohio. We personally have not used this company but did get recommendations that they are a great hobby breeder!
Fed N' Happy is based out of Kansas with worm farms also in Nebraska and Colorado. They are great for live worms and carry fresh castings and tea! Try em' out.
Local Worm Vendors
It can actually be a good idea to find worms locally as you'll reduce the need for shipping and the travel can be pretty taxing on your worms initially.
Facebook Marketplace - Look in your area for people selling worms or selling worm castings. They can often help you find the 200-250 worms you need to set up your Worm Bucket.
Bait Shops - fishing bait shops often will sell worms that are good for fishing like nightcrawlers. These are actually dual purpose worms and can serve as good composters as well. So this isn't a bad idea for getting your first batch of worms.
Happy Composting!