Worms need bedding that stays light and fluffy, and retains moisture well. Strips of newspaper, peat moss, dead leaves, coir, shredded corrugated cardboard, chopped hay or straw, or a mixture of these work great. I like to add a handful of good garden or topsoil to inoculate the bed with the microbes and other organisms the worms need. Composted horse and cow manure also serve as a good bedding/feed source. Just be sure all animal wormers are leached out and it has cooled past the heat stage. Whatever your choice, you should wet it, and wring it out to the consistency of a damp sponge...when you squeeze it tightly in your hands, you should only get a few drops of excess moisture out...a stream of water and it's too wet. I like 60 to 80 percent moisture in my beds. For the composting worms (E. fetida and E. hortensis),I like to start with 4 to 6 inches of bedding depth.
