by R. Redworm

Where to buy red worms in North Carolina

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Table of contents

This article is for you if you live in North Carolina and want to start worm farming. If you’re going to skip the read, you could always purchase worms from our friends over at Meme’s Worms (clicking this link helps support the website, thanks in advance!).

North Carolina has a few different locations that sell composting worms. Learn how you can get started for free or support some local worm-loving businesses.

Let’s jump in.

Where To Buy Worms In North Carolina

Dig In The Dirt

The first way to find your compost worms is also the free method, digging in the dirt. For compost worms, you can check your backyard, local park, or wooded areas.

The best way to collect worms in nature is to wait until after a prolonged, all-day soaking rain. When the ground gets saturated, worms need to go to the surface to breathe. Bring a bucket or Tupperware and collect worms off the sidewalk and in the leaf litter and top layer of soil.

This is one of my favorite methods because

  1. It’s free
  2. You use native worms (releasable back in nature)
  3. Harms fewer worms in the process
  4. Includes beneficial bacteria to help your worms get established

You will also likely grab some dirt and the worms as you dig. The soil can help establish some beneficial bacteria and insects in your bin. This will help your bin’s ecosystem and help items decompose faster.

coastal North Carolina compost worms
North Carolina has a diverse landscape, from oceans to lakes and streams to mountainous areas.

One of the downsides to this method is finding enough worms. Many people start their bins with 250+ worms. Under the right conditions, worms produce cocoons every 90 days, often containing three worms. If you start with just 25 worms, reaching approximately the same number of worms could take 180 days (roughly half a year).

If you are okay with a slow start to your worm composting, this is a great and fun way to get started.

Contact Fishing And Tackle Stores

Next, if you’re not the type to dig in the dirt, you can check the local fishing and bait store. North Carolina has a lot of fishing spots between inland and coastal/ ocean fishing. Many people assume they can’t find compost worms at a bait shop, but that’s not true.

Many bait shops carry more than earthworms and nightcrawlers. Call your local bait shop and ask for Eisenia fetida, also sold as red worms, red wigglers, compost worms, manure worms, or tiger worms. If they have anything under these names, buy them for your compost bin.

If they don’t have any of these worms but carry another type of worm called a “blue worm,” you can also use these for composting. Blue worms are roughly the same size, eat approximately the same amount, and prefer to live in a colony. Blue worms are great composters and live symbiotically with redworms.

Check Farm And Garden Supply Businesses

You can always check your farm and garden center if you don’t want to go to the fishing shop. Currently, people are opting for natural fertilizers and sustainable ways to improve their soil.

Worms, and their poop (known as castings or vermicompost), do wonders for soil. Releasing worms into the ground will increase aeration as they wiggle around. As they eat and process the decaying matter in the soil, they increase nutrients and bacterial count.

Thankfully, more and more garden stores are selling compost worms to improve garden soil. If you found success in this method, please share the store you purchased your worm in the form below.

Local Online Sellers

Social Media Marketplaces

Maybe you want to get your worms delivered to your door, or you want to support a local person, you could check Facebook. You would be surprised how many pages are dedicated to worms on Facebook. Beyond that, there are many virtual yard sale or garage sale pages where you can find worms.

This is one of my favorite methods because it can often connect you with another worm composting enthusiast. It is exciting to share the joy of a new cacoon or a bunch of new baby worms with another person who loves worms. They can also help you with questions, concerns, or fun ideas.

Buy Worms In NC On Craigslist, eBay, and Etsy Sellers.

Craigslist, eBay, and Etsy are more online resources that could connect you to people in your community. Many people overlook these sites as they are not traditional places to find compost worms. Then again, what is a convenient place to find worms?

Here are some quick links to buy worms in North Carolina on Craigslist.

On both eBay and Etsy, you can search by location. Often you can filter search results by state or even by zip code. You can see an eBay listing to enter your location and the distance you’d like to stay within.

Composting worms Ebay
Add your zip code to find sellers near you

Click here to check eBay

Click here to check Etsy

Worm Stores In North Carolina

Thankfully, if you want to purchase worms from a worm breeder in North Carolina, you have some options. Below I’ve listed a few different places you can find worms. These also include some home and garden stores that sell worms as well. If you know a brick-and-mortar business where you can buy worms, please share their information below!

Here are a few stores that you can check out.

North Carolina Red Wigglers
152 Lucky LN
Zionville, NC 28698
(828)222-0657
northcarolinaredwigglers@protonmail.com

Mission Worm
Trapper Craver 
177 Shannon Lane
Winston Salem, NC 27107
336-414-6923
MissionWorm@gmail.com 

New Soil Vermiculture
NewSoil Vermiculture LLC
314 Latta Road
Durham, NC  27712
(202) 374-0403

Valley View Worms
14 Casual Lane
Waynesville, NC 28786
(828)456-4515
dpmasmith@gmail.com

Add a website

Please share them below if you know of other websites directly buying red worms in North Carolina. Our goal is to make it easier for vermicomposters to get started.