Where do red wigglers come from?

[starry night]

I love to learn but there are always gaps in what I learn.
The other day I started to dig up some of my 2-year-old pile of
horse manure / pine shavings. I've never turned it or managed it any way
so I don't call it a compost pile. It's just a heap of rotting manure.
Man, that was beautiful stuff. Very fine, no bad odor. So I see these small, red worms and as soon as I uncover them, they start wiggling so hard that they're jumping in the air. So I go on the internet and find they have a fitting name, "red wigglers." They wiggle because they are sensistive to light. You compost guys probably know all about them. From what I read, they only exist for the purpose of breaking down compost.
And they don't / can't / won't live in soil. So if all that is correct, where do they come from in the first place?

[phasthound]

Mars, the Red Planet.

Sorry I couldn't help myself. :)

[starry night]

Mars, the Red Planet.

Sorry I couldn't help myself. :)

:) Because you are a fan of Steven Wright, I suppose that is a fitting answer.
But seriously......................... if they aren't in the ground, how do they get in my manure compost?

[Smallaxe]

They live in the soil. I see them coiled up, sleeping, about a foot down, during the cold season.

[Tim Wilson]

I just thought I'd chime in here. Through experience I've determined that it is a myth that red wrigglers can't survive in soil. I have had many that are applied as capsules in vermicompost and hatch out in my gardens and thrive for years consuming dead roots, leaves, etc. I also asked Kelly Slocum, the worm queen if they are good in the garden and she confirmed, indeed yes.

AND they do come from the Red Planet. I saw them arriving during my previous life as Jorral from Krypton

[starry night]

:) My worm question caught a big one. Thanks Tim for what is probably the definitive answer. (And Smallaxe for your experience with them and Barry for your levity.) I was afraid the little worms were going to be sacrificed by my spreading them on top of the soil with the compost. So for the next question on your way to the million dollars.............."How do red wigglers get in the soil?" Or are we getting too metaphysical?:)

[Smallaxe]

:) ... How do red wigglers get in the soil?" Or are we getting too metaphysical?:)

They were most likely created there or perhaps space aliens place them wherever they see a pile of compost, i suppose.

Most importantly however,,, They are evolving into 'Killers of the Northwoods", dessimating forests for months, even years, now. The proof is in the pictures. :laugh:

[Grohorganic]

well its like this, a Mommy daddy worm and another Mommy daddy worm crawl inside each others skin and have a whoopee!!! they are homosexual hermaphrodites.

[DUSTYCEDAR]

U can get them from amway:)

[Smallaxe]

U can get them from amway:)

Like I said... Aliens...