What happens to composting worms?

[Monika]

We compost all our vegetable scraps (and we have a lot because we grow all our own vegetables) in four large bins. They are emptied as compost in autumn. The active top layers, full of composting worms, are put aside to be used as "starters" when the bins are filled again, but every year hundreds if not thousands of composting worms are put on the beds outside together with the compost. What happens to these worms? Can they survive in the soil? Are they eaten by birds etc? Or do they just perish?

[loripo]

Have a look at the website for wormcity dot co dot uk, they have quite a bit of info on the types of worm supplied for composting and you might find an answer there.

[Monika]

Thanks for that, loripo, but I have tried that website and also wigglywigglers and can't get an answer. When you use a wormery, of course, you only throw out the worm-made compost and the worms themselves are screened off, but in our composting bins, everything is mixed up! It has worked well for years and makes wonderful compost, but I have always wondered what actually happened to the worms which get inadvertently thrown out.

By the way, we have several books on composting and worms and none of these provides an answer!

[loripo]

I imagine that they also become compost, if they aren't our 'native' worms.It would be impossible to ensure that none escape the compost bin I should think.