Red wrigglers - I thought they were worms!!

[firefly]

I called in to an Angler Shop yesterday and felt really out of my depth - all blokes !! They looked at me like I was an alien walking into their shop !

I went to the counter and asked for some red wrigglers (I thought these were red wriggly worms ??). The chap told me - sure we have red wrigglers - and came back with a tub of MAGGOTS - yuk.

He wanted £6.50 for the tub - I of course told him I had changed my mind

So are red wrigglers worms or flies ??

[Ebony]

I always thought they were worms. If you google "Red Wrigglers+pic" it shows you worms. May be he miss heard you.

[BEETLE]

I think this might be a what country you are in kind of thing. The angling shops over here tend to stock dyed red maggots, but they also sometimes sell red worms ( some call them brandlings) that are the small red worms you get in compost heaps and wormeries. Bloodworm is mostly available in aquarium shops, it is the larva of a non bitting midge. What are these to feed?

[BEETLE]

Just did what Ebony suggested, images show compost worms, ask for red worms or brandlings at an angling shop and you might be luky. Some species don't seem to like eating these.

[firefly]

FBTs - I'll try asking for brandlings then or simply - do you sell 'small red worms' hahaha. Might be easier. Thanks for your help;

I think this might be a what country you are in kind of thing. The angling shops over here tend to stock dyed red maggots, but they also sometimes sell red worms ( some call them brandlings) that are the small red worms you get in compost heaps and wormeries. Bloodworm is mostly available in aquarium shops, it is the larva of a non bitting midge. What are these to feed?

[Kurt]

I don't see any reason that you can't feed these maggots to your frogs. Phoenix worms are a type of maggot and they are sold as food for frogs. The are also high in calcium.

[John]

Yes, Red Wrigglers is an American thing. You want what Beetle described - red worms, brandlings or compost worms. Regarding the dyed maggots, I wouldn't feed with them without knowing if the dye is safe.

[firefly]

Brilliant, thanks for all your help. I really daren't try the maggots, isn't their skin a bit like mealworms?? Might be a bit hard to digest ?? Not sure, but the red worms (brandlings) sound food.

[firefly]

I would be a bit anxious about feeding the maggots, as I'm not sure about the skin? Although I suppose frogs in the wild would eat them.

[John]

I've heard people say that maggots can be hard for some animals to digest but they should be fine as a food - just avoid the dyed ones.

[Tropicok]

I feed red wigglers to my White's and Fire-belly frogs. I got the first batch of 600-1000 for my compost pile and didn't ever see them again. Later I picked up 50 or so and now I am keeping them in dirt in a plastic tub and feeding them leftover veggies and have a nice amount available for frog food. Just be sure to cover the SMALL amount veggie garbage with dirt so it doesn't smell. (one romaine leaf, several pieces of sweet potato, etc.) It's also becomes great plant food. Keep adding dirt and be sure and keep it moist.

[BEETLE]

The dyes are often a mixture of diazo dyes, including Sudan IV. This is banned in food stuffs as it is cancer causing. Its classed as OK in maggots as it is inside their skin and should not come into contact with humans in any concentration. Obviously this is not the case for anything eating the maggots. UK fishing maggots are usualy blue bottle (blowfly) maggots, and I would be very wary of using them as food, though I have used the flies with tree frogs.

[Tropicok]

What kind of worms do they have in Great Britain? And maggots, I don't remember seeing frogs eating maggots at animal carcasses on Discovery or Animal Planet. And what's with colored maggots and why?

[John]

What kind of worms do they have in Great Britain?

If you mean in terms of what is available as a feeder worm, the same as the US. They just have different names.

And maggots, I don't remember seeing frogs eating maggots at animal carcasses on Discovery or Animal Planet. And what's with colored maggots and why?

In the fishing bait trade, maggots are dyed in order to make them more appealing to fish and easier to see in the water.

[Tropicok]

Duh! I meant what do they call them in other parts of the world i.e. blandlings etc.?

[jclozano25]

Red Wiggler are scientifically called Eisenia Foetida. Some species of amphibians, Fish and Lizards spit them because of their pungent secretion when felt threatened and when they know that they are under attack. Some frogs and fishes don't have a problem eating them maybe because they swallow it right away and avoids the liquid secretion.

Here are some info web pages for Red Wigglers:

A Review on Red Wiggler Worms or Eisenia Foetida worms
Using Red Wiggler worms as fishing worms
Life Cycle of Red Wiggler Worms or Eisenia Foetida and stages