European Nightcrawlers a BIG success!

[backintime]

I've been raising the small red wigglers (Eisenia Foetida) in my worm bin for years, and they produce good vermicompost, but they are a little small for the occasional fishing we do. I decided to try the European night crawlers (Eisenia hortensis) instead. Got 500 of them online from Speedy Worm, and they arrived about a week ago healthy and squirming to beat the band. Dumped them into a bin prepared with cardboard bedding and food about a week beforehand, and man oh man, they are producing SO MUCH CASTINGS, I cannot believe my eyes. If anybody is wavering on which kind of worm to raise, I can attest that the Euro's easily match the Eisenia Foetida for "output." Only drawback is they supposedly do not breed quite as prolifically. (Guess I'll have to go easy on the fishing.)

 

[897tgigvib]

How are these europeans for other things such as, if they are in your garden, do they nibble roots, or do they make it through the winter?

Do they have the same eating habits, or do they finish off a watermelon rind?

 

[POL01]

We use, African night crawlers, scientific name, Eudrillus Eugeniae. These suckers lay cocoons all the time...if you are looking for something that you will grow fast these are your guys.

African night crawlers are a warm temperate earthworm requiring a minimum temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit in order to survive. African night crawlers are most productive at composting and reproduction at temperatures between 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit however room temperature of approximately 70 degrees is sufficient for them. The African night crawler can survive in temperatures of up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade as long as there is moving air over the surface.

Unlike other worms taking a month for the cocoons to hatch, African night crawlers cocoons can hatch in as little as 12 days under the right environmental conditions. The cocoons are similar in size and shape of a tomato seed starting out as an olive color when first laid, turning to a darker brown as they mature prior to hatching, and can be very difficult to see for the untrained eye.

Under good conditions, one can expect an average of 3-4 earthworms to hatch per each cocoon while each mature worm laying anywhere from two cocoons a week to a dozen per week depending on the environmental conditions in which they are raised.

Being this is a larger worm, it does take longer to reach maturity, basically five months. The African night crawler reaches a length of 6 to 8 inches within eight months time with some exceeding this length over an additional 30 to 60 days to lengths of up to 10 inches.

African night crawlers have become a favorite for fishermen from spring through fall and especially during the warmer months. Being this earthworm cannot be refrigerated or it will die, it survives well in warm waters, outliving most other worms. Another benefit over most other worms purchased at bait stores is the fact the others are refrigerated, hence sending the other worms into shock going from a cool temperature to the warmer water.

Since the African night crawler will not survive in a refrigeration unit without deadly damage being done within a couple hours, live bait machines and most bait stores do not support this earthworm. This leaves most avid anglers at a loss as those that have tried using this worm find it a favorite friend of the fisherman.

Unlike other composting worms, this species does not do as well in a worm bin with vegetable scraps and cardboard. It does extremely well as a manure worm. Another bedding material utilized for this earthworm is Sphagnum peat moss which is widely available. It is best if the peat moss is screened before hand as it is easier for the worm to consume it.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

How deep of a bin would the African night crawler need?