What Do Worms Eat? A Detailed Guide for What To Feed Your Worms

Worms seem to live for decay. They gravitate toward soft, broken-down things—fruit scraps, wilted greens, cardboard bits, maybe even old leaves or the odd piece of shredded paper. Some even handle manure, though not all bins are built for it. 

When you start to truly understand what to feed worms, the approach system changes. Feed them well, and the payoff isn't subtle. What you get back is dark, crumbly, alive with nutrients. It doesn’t just look like compost. It feels like soil that remembers how to grow.

Moreover, what do red wiggler worms eat? Fruits, vegetables, and organic waste. Simple.

Why Feeding Your Worms with the Right Types of Food is Important?

Worms can’t chew. No teeth, no grinding. Instead, they wait—let microbes do the work first. Then what to feed worms? Bacteria, fungi, and time. That’s the OG food for worms. This comes down to WHAT you feed them being more important than HOW you feed them. 

Even the best food for worms follows the same structure as our diet. If we overdo something, we get sluggish or, worse, diarrhea. 

Overdo it, and the bin can turn sour. Underthink it, and it reeks. But when does the balance click? Once you’re sorted with your quest for ‘what do nightcrawlers eat’, you’ll notice differences. Your actions will come to fruition, and the castings grow richer. The worms, livelier. 

Especially red wigglers and nightcrawlers—they seem to respond best to food that’s already halfway broken down. Not fresh. Not rotten. Just soft, familiar decay. That’s when the real transformation starts.

If you wonder what do nightcrawlers eat, it’s the same as the red wigglers.

Internal anatomy of an earthworm (source)

What Do Worms Like to Eat? 10 Best Foods for Worms to Feed

Here’s a list of top worm-friendly favorites, answering the raging question of ‘what do worms eat’. Think soft, plant-based, and easy to rot:

1. Banana peels – Moist and nutrient-rich
2. Cucumber peels – Breaks down quickly, hydrates the bin
3. Wilted greens – Spinach, kale, lettuce, and cabbage
4. Pumpkin and squash – High in moisture, worms eat it fast when chopped
5. Grapes and soft fruits – Easy for bacteria to pre-digest
6. Avocado peels – Use sparingly; high in fat but nutritious
7. Used coffee grounds – Adds grit and mild acidity
8. Tea bags – Only the non-plastic ones
9. Bread (whole-grain) – In small quantities, moist and soft
10. Shredded newspaper and cardboard – Essential bedding and carbon source

Now that you know what do red wiggler worms eat, let’s understand the things they can or cannot eat!

Check out our short video to quick info:

What Fruits and Vegetables Can Worms Eat?

Most fruits and vegetables are worm-safe. The rule: if it’s organic and plant-based, it likely works.

Worm-approved fruits:

1. Apples (cut, no seeds)
2. Melons and cantaloupe
3. Strawberries, blueberries
4. Mango, papaya
5. Grapes

Vegetables worms enjoy:

1. Carrot tops
2. Zucchini
3. Broccoli stalks
4. Peas and green beans
5. Cucumber, lettuce, spinach

Still unsure about the worm food? Checkout our video here.

Foods to Stay Away from: What Not to Feed Your Worms?

Not everything belongs in the worm bed. What not to feed worms:

Certain foods disrupt the system. Acidic peels, spicy cores, dairy remains—they don’t sit well. The microbes falter. The bin reacts. What starts as a handful of scraps may end in imbalance.

Can worms eat citrus or garlic? Probably not safely. The same goes for onions, hot peppers, and greasy leftovers. In the list of what not to feed worms, sugar ideally should come first. It ferments. The pH shifts. Microbes vanish. Worms suffer. Bread? Maybe. But only whole grain, and only in small, clean doses. Molded slices or sweetened varieties complicate things

What Do Worms Need to Survive?

Now that you know what do worms eat, know this too: food alone is insufficient to keep a worm alive. You need a bin to create a living, breathing micro-ecosystem habitat. Start with light and shade. Worms recoil from brightness. Shade keeps them steady. Cover helps them calm down. Without it, they burrow deeper, stressed and disoriented.

Then comes moisture. It matters more than most realize. Bedding should mimic the feel of a damp sponge (just enough for water retention). Dry bedding shrinks them. Wet bedding suffocates. Worms thrive best in the middle ground.

Air (Oxygen) is the next unseen pillar. It has to filter through the bin. If things get too heavy and too packed, the oxygen disappears. That, in turn, forms anaerobic zones. You’ll realise that from the dampening smell, and then you’ll see the worms slow down next.

Temperature is highly crucial. These creatures aren’t built for extremes. Give them the coolness of spring, the softness of early fall. Anything above 85°F, and they retreat. Push past that, and they perish.

Bedding matters too. Dry leaves, newspaper, and cardboard provide structure and carbon. All must remain moist, but never soaked. Pouring water in? That can drown them. Instead, hydrate through food and bedding.

Moisture creeps through scraps and through damp bedding. Slowly, like mist through the forest floor. That’s how the habitat lives. And how the worms stay alive.

How Much & How Often Should You Feed Worms?

It depends. Most feed every few days. But it’s not about a strict schedule. It’s more like reading a room that breathes. Some folks drop scraps every few days. Others wait. The truth? The schedule matters less than the signs. You're not running a clock. You're listening to something quieter.

Look at the scraps. That’s where the answers live. If they’re gone or barely there, the worms may be ready. If food’s still sitting there, untouched or slow to vanish, don’t rush. Adding more can backfire. The rotting starts happening, you’ll be able to smell it, and then the pest will arrive. Give them time and reap the rewards.

They say worms can eat half their body weight each day. Maybe. Under perfect conditions. One pound of worms, half a pound of food. But bins don’t always run on theory. Sometimes it’s too cold. Sometimes the air’s off. Bedding might be too dry, or the scraps too acidic. And then? They eat less or slower. Sometimes much more. The bin shifts. So do the worms.

A small but vital move: bury the food. Don’t just toss it in. Pull back the bedding and slide the scraps underneath. Just a couple of inches is enough to keep the smells down, the flies away, and the surface calm. It also keeps things moist where it counts. Surface scraps dry out. Buried scraps stay soft, edible.

Give it time, and the rhythm begins to show. One patch gets eaten clean in a few days. Another lingers. Some bins like banana peels. Others seem to go wild for mushy cucumbers or wilted greens. You’ll see it. Over time, you’ll learn the bin’s preferences. Not rules. Just patterns.

Worm composting doesn’t move in straight lines. It loops and pulses; when you feed, they react.

What Happens If You Overfeed Worms?

Too much food causes:

• Anaerobic conditions (bad smells)
• Mold and rot
• Fruit fly infestations

Check uneaten scraps. If you still see food after 3–4 days, hold off feeding. Rotate feeding zones and always balance with browns like dried leaves or cardboard.

Meme’s worms Extra Feeding Tips for your Worms

Straight from our team’s composting corner:

• Freeze and thaw food scraps before use. Freezing softens everything. It tears the cells apart. The result? Faster rot. Easier meals.
• Worms also need grit. No teeth, remember? Coffee grounds. A pinch of soil. Crushed eggshells, or Oyster Shell Flour. These help churn the food for worms inside their gizzard.
• Balance is everything. Got mushy scraps? Don’t pile them alone. Tuck them into dry bedding—paper, leaves, shredded boxes. It keeps the airflow steady.
• Leaf litter works like magic. Not fresh leaves. Old, soft, barely-there ones. Worms seem to melt right into them.
• You can even boost the diet. Premade worm food exists. Or make your own—powdered oats, cornmeal, whatever’s mild and earthy.

Want castings that feel like soil gold? Go for the best food for worms at Meme’s Worms.

FAQs on What Do Worms Like To Eat?... and more!

Do worms need water?

Yes. They need water for the bedding moisture. 

Can worms survive without eating?

Do not starve them for more than one week.

How to make homemade worm food?

You have to blend the food, including fruits or vegetables. Add a little amount of oats too as a form of carbohydrate like oats. 

What do garden worms eat?

Decomposing roots, fungi, bacteria, leaf litter, and other decaying organic material in soil.

What to feed worms in a worm farm?

Fruits, vegetables, used coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, and shredded paper. Avoid meat and dairy.

Will worms eat bread?

Yes, but in small amounts. Avoid sweetened or moldy bread.

What do worms eat in soil?

Worms eat organic waste, dead roots, rotten leaves, etc, in the soil. 

Do worms eat worms?

Yes, but only if the worm is dead. 

What to feed worms in a worm bed?

Same rules regarding what to feed worms as a worm bin: balanced mix of greens (soft veggies) and browns (dry paper, leaves).

Do worms eat grass and leaves?

Yes. Dried or slightly decomposed grass clippings and soft fall leaves are ideal.

Can Worms Eat Sugar?

No. Sugar causes rot and throws off bin pH. Avoid refined sweets.

Do worms eat coffee grounds?

Yes. They are rich in microbes.

Do worms eat apples?

Yes. You can chop or pulp apples and remove the seeds before feeding the worms.

Do worms eat mushrooms?

Yes. They love decomposing fungi. Mushrooms break down easily.

Do worms eat plant roots?

Only decaying roots. They don’t attack live plants.