As I have received a number of emails as to what a worm egg, also known as a worm cocoon or worm capsule will look like so I decided to place a photo on here.
The following are European Nightcrawler worm cocoons which I removed from a few breeder bins I have. The eggs from your composting and fishing worms all look similar, however the size will vary. For instance, your red wiggler worm cocoon will be smaller overall than the European Nightcrawler cocoon.
I usually do not take the time to separate the worm eggs or cocoons from my vermiculture mix. Normally I take the eggs after I have separated them with 1/8 inch and ¼ inch screening process every two weeks and place in the incubator for several weeks.
The reason for this is to separate my worms by age so I have an accurate count of what I have available as well as being able to place my mature worms by age aside to sell.
If you look at the picture of the worm cocoons below, you will notice they show similarity to a tomato seed. The lighter colored ones are the newest cocoons to be laid, while the darker colored ones are maturing and getting closer to hatch.
Each worm cocoon can produce multiple worms from one or two worms up to ten or so worms. A good law of averages is to figure on 4-5 worms per cocoon. In short, 1,000 cocoons should produce 4 – 5 thousand worms. Of course the conditions by which the worms laying the cocoons were raised under and the conditions the cocoons are incubated under come into play here.
Bruce
how long do it take for eggs to hatch in the bin
Bil
There are numerous factors that come to play on the length of time it will take for the worm cocoons to hatch. Temperature is a main one as if too cool they will take longer and may not hatch until some time down the road when the temperature rises sufficiently enough. Also some breed of worms take a little longer than others.
If you give us a little information about the type of worm and where you are raising them, i.e. inside, outside…temperature… we can give you a better idea.
Bruce
hollywood fl. outside 5 gal.buckets large wood boxes.red wigglers.plenty eggs ,no babys. temp 39 to 45 at night 65 to 75 daytime
Bill,
Yes it is much too cold for the cocoons to hatch with those temperatures. Basically you want a constant temperature of 70 degrees for the worm cocoons to hatch.
You may collect them and move them to another container inside so as they will hatch sooner. I recommend you take a little of the existing bedding material they are laying in to use for bedding in your hatchery bucket.
If the conditions are correct and you move them inside, you should see a majority hatch within a week or two.
Bruce
What is the average lifespan of the Red Wigglers? Should I try and thin out the older worms every so often, so that I don’t have any dying in the vermiculture? What do you recommend is a good system for thinning out the worm population, so that you keep the entire worm family healthy and happy? Thanks!
Craig
I have heard that red wigglers can live up to ten years. I personally have not tagged one with a radio transmitter to follow…
From experience I would have to say anywhere from one year to three years can be expected after the worm grows to full size under the right conditions. Take for example African nightcrawlers would be total life expectancy of 2 to 4 years since the worms we sell take 8 months to reach a size of 6 to 8 inches in length, and will grow some more given enough time. I have had African nightcrawlers as long as ten inches plus without being stretched out.
As for thinning worms, the best and easiest approach is to keep them thinned out. Simply screen your bedding every two weeks if a large system or perhaps once a month for a 18 gallon size worm bin for cocoons. Use some of the original bedding material for your cocoons to hatch in and allow them to grow. Wait about 4 months to screen the new bin of cocoons which gives the red wigglers enough time to grow, mature and begin producing cocoons.
Again this differs with different types of worms. African nightcrawlers do not mature until about five months old, hence you would allow this bin to sit for six months or so before screening the hatched cocoons again.
Bruce
i wonder if my hatch bucket is to wet.i have it outside now,it has begun to warm up,65/75.degrees.i have baby worms in my wood boxes.tell me if it hurts,for them to be to wet/ thanks bill ellisor
Bill
Yes they can get too wet… You need them just damp as the bedding you have your worms in. Also try to keep the worm bin at 70 – 75 degrees to help them hatch quicker.
Bruce
I am interested in worm composting but have two questions. First, I have a 55 gallon plastic drum that I use for regular composting. Is this too large to use for worms? Second, I live in Texas and we often have 30+ days of 100 degrees or more. I read that 70-80 degrees is a good temperature for worm composting, but wondered if I gave them a larger, deeper container and kept it in the shade with plenty of ventilation the worms might be okay. I have no problem starting smaller and indoors, but just wondered if you had any insight to my questions.
Thank you for your help!
Anne Gullett
Coppell, Texas
Anne
Sorry for the delay here and on all the other threads… been busy working on several items from garden to worms…
The temperature of 70 to 80 degrees would actually be the internal temperature of the worm bed itself and not the external temperature outside. Of course 30 days or so of 100 degrees or so will effect the internal temperature however the shade would help to control it.
In areas where the temperature may become extreme you could also set the large drum partially buried in the ground, two feet or so to help maintain coolness as well as some warmth in the winter where the cold weather is not so extreme.
Bruce
how do i know what kind of worms i have i digged them up
Jayme
One site that may assist you is http://www.naturewatch.ca/english/wormwatch/about/key/taxonomic.html
Bruce
i have 5gal buckets outside,worms are coming thru the holes in the bottom.what am i doing wrong.they are leaving my wooden boxes.i have worms all over the yard,where i have shade trees and leaves.i live in hollywood fl,and the soil is sandy,worms are hard to find in the sand.
Bruce,
Thank you for the information about the red wiggler cocoons and their lifespan. I started out with about 1,000 red wigglers a year ago and now have probably 3,000 to 4,000 (although I am not really sure). I have two systems for my worms. I have a large Rubbermaid plastic storage container that sits on top of a furniture dolly (the dolly is great for moving the worms around within a shed!) and one of those stackable five-tray systems that is in a spare bathroom tub (and yes, my wife did give me permission to have that in there, as long as there was no mess). Here’s my question, “What is the best way to process and sterilize new dirt for the worms?” I was thinking of taking regular soil from the ground, and pouring boiiling water over it to (a) kill any “critters” that might be in the soil, and (b) kill any bacteria or germs in the soil. Good idea or bad? What do you recommend?
Thanks!
Craig
I am raising african nightcrawlers and have not been able to get any babies.I have them in an incubater at about 70 to 85 degrees.I do not know what I am doing wrong.
Randy
There are a number of variables that come into play… bedding material, food source, pH and even moisture levels. If you can give me a little more information I will be glad to try and assist you.
The techniques incorporated with the 14 Day Worm Castings process produce not only cocoons but freshly hatched worms every two weeks on our farm as well as others who have written me after trying the process in the book.
Bruce
I live in Missouri and the temperatures are in the teens to mid to upper thirties so I have my worms under a heat lamp in a storage shed and they appear to be happy. My only concern is I have noticed several worm cocoons on the top of the bedding and tends to dry throughout the day. I water them daily. Will the dryness affect the cocoons from hatching?
Allan
When the cocoons dry out they require they will require to become moist again and will take sometime to hatch.
A good trick, keeping in mind the distance to the heat lamp would be to use a damp piece of cardboard placed to cover most of the top surface area and top off with damp shredded newspaper. By spraying the newspaper daily should help to keep the cardboard damp at all times hence resolving your issue.
An alternative homemade heating system for your worm bin can be found here. I have been testing on some European nightcrawlers in a building that is not insulated nor climate controlled. In fact some jugs of water in there had become frozen but the worms, though sluggish are doing well. Keep in mind this is a 16 square foot worm bin, hence coiling the tubing in a smaller bin might be much more effective.
Bruce
Bruce
I noticed on your cooling/heating system pics that you have a really long worm bin – do you mind sharing the demensions of that bin as my class wants to raise the worms we get from you. I would appreciate your help. I did not notice a screen on the bin is that accurate? Also, what maintenance would I need to do on the bin, feeding, cleaning, picking out worms for casting or composting projects?
thanks again
Conrad
Conrad,
The worm bin in the picture is probably larger than you need. It is 2 feet wide by 8 feet long by 18 inches high. You are correct that this one does not have a screen on the bottom as I have been using it for European nightcrawlers for now. Sounds as if you would be using red wigglers, hence feeding them shredded newspapers, cardboard, vegetable scraps… How often would depend on number of worms and amount of food being added each time. A good rule of thumb is that 1 pound of red wigglers can eat 1/2 pound of food per day. Keep in mind this ratio will be less until the food breaks down…
Worm castings generally take 3 to 4 months to produce this way, however again there are variables that come into play.
Bruce
how long does it take for a red wiggler to lay eggs after you get them
Tom
Since currently they are bed run, you will receive large mature worms as well as some smaller worms mixed together. The mature worms can lay their cocoons immediately, however realistically they would need a day or so to settle into their new bedding. Of course it is also dependent on setting up a proper bin with food sources available.
Down the road I hope to offer mainly all mature red wigglers with the new setup we are using to raise them.
Bruce
Bruce
Hello all,
I am involved in a concern that is raising aooroximately 2000 lbs. of worm castings per month. We are wondering if the worm coccoons can be stored for a period of time,then sold as product separate from the castings side of the business. Hopefully you help us with this idea Bruce,as we have a number of clients who want to purchase our worm coccoons.
how many eggs does a worm lay in a year,a month or a day.
This depends on many variables. For instance the type of worm and the environmental condition by which they are being raised.
Bruce
Gayle
Worm cocoons can be stored at cool temperatures to keep them from hatching. Just as in nature, they will sit dormant until such a time the weather warms up enough to hatch out.
I have heard of freezing them however I have not tried this and do not see this being a good idea as if any hatch I would think that the hatch ratio would be low. Also I have heard of drying them out and when they rehydrate they will hatch out. Well I tried this method and did not find any hatchlings after two months in a controlled environment so definitely don’t recommend anyone trying this.
Bruce
hi, bruce. I’m just getting started in worms. Your site has been the most helpful. thanks.
I have a question on the wettness of my bin. The top of the bin is a comfortably moist area, the deeper I dig the wetter it becomes if I take a handful of the wet stuff out it turns very hard and is difficult to use. What am I doing wrong and how can I fix the problem, Thanks
Vicki
From what you have stated it sounds very much like the lower part of your worm bin has gone anaerobic much like a swamp area. You could try mixing with some dry shredded newspaper and or Sphagnum peat moss to help dry the bottom of the worm bin. Also be sure their is enough ventilation in the worm bin itself. What type of worm bin are you using for your setup?
Bruce
i put 200 or more eggs in 5 gal bucks.how long should i wait until i seperate them or put them in bigger boxes. thanks bill ellisor.
bruce will ala jumpers eat worm chow.
Bill
Wait 4 weeks and check on them. See if they still have food leftover and if so, allow them to sit longer. The larger the worms grow before handling the easier the job!
Bruce
Bill
Yes Alabama Jumper will eat Purina Worm Chow however recommend using along with another humus type of material to feed alternately for them. Another way to feed them along with top feeding is to bury some vegetable scraps along with damp shredded cardboard. You will find they do well in composting too!
Bruce
I use red wigglers, a few night crawlers got in the mix somehow to. Would it be ok to put dry stuff including leaves in the bottom of a new bin and transfer it all to a new home? And how can a person keep the little ones from escaping around the rim of the bed. Thanks
where can i get a incubater? and how does it work.
Bill
Actually if you do things correctly, meany raise certain worms in the correct environment you do not need an incubator. In fact this is actually a scam that some websites promote.
Bruce
i would like to share this with everyone. i had bought a shereder a lone time ago.i started it up and i use it to shred everything,food,paper,cardboard,leaves.i would not be without one as lone as i play with worms.it is my hobby.