You picked up your Red Wigglers, Now What?
Place the worms on top of the bedding or under a light, they will immediately migrate down to get away from the light. Nights 1 and 2, they will attempt to leave when it gets dark. I recommend keeping a light on or near their new home and allowing some light to filter inside, this discourages them from migrating out as they are very sensitive to light.
It is important that the top of the soil stays wet to damp as this is where the worms spend most of their time. Worms breathe through their skin requiring moisture to survive; healthy worms are pink and glisten. If you use city water, consider leaving a container of water out for 24 hours to de-chlorinate. The chlorination in the water is detrimental to all the microorganisms that assist the worms throughout their lives. I always have a container ready with day old water and have discovered that using a watering can and lightly moistening the top of the soil works very well.
A worm box contains many critters once it gets established. Flies are the biggest problem most people deal with, periodically. There will be some flies but an excess of flies is generally caused by over feeding. It is best to underfeed versus overfeeding, less is best. They will never starve as they are happy to re-eat their vermicompost. I feed my worms once a week. Chopping up the food helps it to rot quicker. The worms actually eat the green fungus, white fuzz, and microbes living in the rotten organic food. Appetites of worms change with the seasons; they are not very active in extreme cold or heat and will eat less. Their ideal temperature range is 55-80 degrees. My biggest indicator of the wellness of the worms and their soil is my nose. If the box smells bad, there are several things to consider. Is the soil too wet or dry? Is there too much food? Is the soil compacted and need air? Stirring up the soil with a garden fork or spading shovel might help; the worms will survive a little stirring. A healthy worm bin smells like rich and wonderful soil.
One very noticeable critter amongst the worms and compost is a tiny earthworm called a Pot Worm (Enchytraeid). It looks like a small piece of white string about ¼” long and many people think it is a baby Red Wiggler. Pot Worms are one of 4,000 types of earthworms; they help break down the food for the Wigglers. A Red Wiggler hatchling is about ¼” long and looks creamy white to pink.They are nearly transparent; the blood vessel running through its body causes a light pink to red tinge coloring.