You can call me tomorrow and I will discuss the Alabama Jumpers with you. Eventually I will write a book on these guys as I have learned a lot about them and there is no information on how to raise them out there. Seems I learn something new about them by trial and error, however not really an error, more like a slow down in production with these worms.

As for the cocoons and small African nightcrawlers, yes they are small. I was just checking on some that were in the incubator bin that just hatched.

Talk with you tomorrow,

Bruce

Probably one of the easiest ways to identify them is by their action. The wiggle hard and fast when first disturbed, sometimes causing them to break in two. The Alabama Jumper also slithers more like a snake than a worm. Another feature I have noticed is the almost constant motion of their tongue when picked up. It is a tubular shaped tongue, one which you have to look for to notice.

I have some newer pictures posted on the Alabama Jumpers website which may also help you identify them.

Bruce

Yes they should. As many know I have been raising the Alabama Jumpers in a controlled environment and have taken much interest in them. Contrary to what has been stated online, we have found Alabama Jumpers living in the north east as far north as New York and Massachusetts in the wild on farms, garden areas… Under the right conditions, plenty of food, protection from the weather and right amount of moisture they have adapted to live in the colder regions of the United States.

Bruce

Just curious if you have an update to how things are working out?

Bruce

Welcome. I just approved your registration this morning for the Worm Expert discussion forum.

Yes one can raise Alabama Jumpers in a controlled environment as I have been doing for the past year. There is much to learn about this worm as of yet since it is much different than other worms most raise today. If all holds true, my latest batch of cocoons beginning to hatch should yield 17,500 to 20,000 Alabama Jumpers. It is a process and much more work to raise these worms compared to others when raising them for reproduction purposes.

Leaves are not the way to manipulate reproduction in these worms and are not what I use to raise them. I mix different products including a grain which I grow and feed them.

You will want bins to grow these worms, specially sized depending on number of worms and stage of the worms. Many reasons for this that we have found and I am logging as I go along. In fact I now have the Alabama Jumpers growth rate at an average of 23% to 24% increase weekly once they reach a certain size… approx. 1″ in length. This is why I started playing around with different food mixes for my other worms and now have had some similar results with red wigglers, African and European nightcrawler worms to date with a different food mix.

As you probably know the farms which grow them outside on their land down south were hit hard from the past extreme cold winter. Hence I took a beating and sold off more than I should have but have a population rebounding right now.

So in short, yes you can raise them in SC. In fact if you have the time and patience, it is an amazing worm which has learned to adapt to harsh conditions for survival purposes. The Alabama Jumpers have become a favorite worm of mine, right along with the African nightcrawler which I have always been impressed with.

Bruce

I sent in a registration form for the forum, but while I’m waiting for approval, I wanted to try to get an answer to my most important question.

I live in central SC. I believe you said that you were also an SC resident, so you know we have temperatures from 5 degrees F to 105 degrees F (or even worse). I want to raise Alabama jumpers for my garden and to sell to gardeners. For these, I’m not worried about compost. I’ve got plenty of leaf mould to feed them. My primary object is to propagate worms.

THE question: Can Amynthas gracilus (or Amynthas gracilis –which is current?) be raised in a bin? I see that you’re experimenting now and hope that you have an answer even if you don’t have enough for an article yet.

Alternative: I have an enclosed building with a concrete floor and I could partition part of it off for temperature control. Could a working height wooden box with an open (or not open) top be enough better than a bin to make it worth the trouble?

And of course, if I get a “yes” to either of the above questions, I’ll want all the knowledge I can get as to “how.”

Right now we’re experimenting with redworms, but as the time grows closer to purchase some jumpers, my wife and I would love to visit you and/or your friend to see your procedures in action (and just visit a little).

Thanks,
Jim