African nightcrawlers are my worm of choice being it can accomplish all these things in a variety of ways. The one drawback to this worm is the fact it must be raised in warmer conditions (70 degrees Fahrenheit or better is best) compared to the red wigglers or European nightcrawlers which can be raised at much cooler temperatures.

When it comes to consuming most waste, the African nightcrawler can outperform the other three worms we raise, red wigglers, European nightcrawlers and Alabama Jumpers. The reason I mention most waste is the fact they do very well with vegetable scraps, shredded newspapers… however one of the things I noticed is that they do not do as well as some other worms on shredded corrugated cardboard.

The reproduction rate can be faster under good environmental conditions than the other worms raised on Organic Worm Farm. In fact many times when harvesting in two weeks time, not only do we collect a number of cocoons but find a few that have been laid and already hatched within the same time period. To grow a large African nightcrawler up to eight inches does take longer than some other worms to grow out, up to eight months time, however can grow out quicker under ideal conditions.

The worm castings, when a proper bedding material is used, such as those outlined in the 14 Day Worm Castings eBook, come out more like mice droppings, shape and size rather than a fluffy like peat moss. This makes it possible to actually use a seed or fertilizer spreader to cast around your yard and garden areas as well as makes it much easier to mix when making your own potting soil.

African nightcrawlers make a superior fish bait in a couple ways. First they offer a better presentation to the fish than most worms by illuminating blue fluorescent stripes running throughout its body especially in clearer waters as the picture below depicts, catching the fish’s attention more readily.

Blue Fluorescent Stripes on African Nightcrawlers

They can be used for a variety of species, i.e. 2”-3” worm for brim, 4”-5” are becoming popular in some areas throughout the country for trout fishing, 6”-8” are a favorite of catfish and other fish such as bass.

As anyone familiar with targeting catfish will tell you an odor can be instrumental and why many folks even make their own “stink baits” for catfish. It appears the African nightcrawler puts off an odor when stressed similar to that of the red wiggler hence why catfish literally go crazy for this worm.

As for trout fishing, while raising the worms in warmer conditions is necessary, they can survive quite a while in colder trout waters.

Unbeknownst to many anglers is the fact that the African nightcrawler can survive brackish water (mixture of fresh and saltwater). The only other worm I have heard but not tested is the European nightcrawler which supposedly can also survive brackish water. Further testing on a variety of worms is planned for the future!

Raising the African nightcrawlers for worm castings or fishing does not require the concept of composting with food waste… but can be done by top feeding with the use of products such as Purina Worm Chow which also helps to fatten the worms up for fishing.

By raising these worms, an angler can have a full array of sizes for different fish one wishes to target  from two inches up to eight inches plus on any given day.

Being this worm spreads well over the spectrum of different reasons for raising worms, makes it a favorite of mine.

Bruce

You can read the original article which includes directions on building this flow through worm bin.

Enjoy the video below.

Bruce

For example, if your worm bin internal temperature is at 60 degrees Fahrenheit your worms will be less active, hence eating less food. This is also a reason I do not recommend refrigerating red wiggler worms, African nightcrawlers, European nightcrawlers or Alabama Jumpers. As they become less active and eat less they begin to get thinner and leaner, which is not what fishermen and women want.

Moisture and pH levels will also affect your worms and how much they will eat.

Red wigglers can eat half their body weight per day in decomposed food scraps, shredded paper products… under the correct conditions. So one pound of red wiggler composting worms can eat half a pound of food a day under ideal conditions in a homeowner style worm bin. In a larger style bin, 32 square foot continuous flow system for instance, under ideal conditions; red wigglers have been known to consume more food per day.

Now your African nightcrawlers and Alabama Jumpers are probably your most ferocious eaters. The ones on our farm indoors are fed daily under ideal conditions. Now I do not feed these guys food scraps but have shifted to Purina Worm Chow as their main diet. I do not have to run out constantly to pick up scraps and manure from local vendors some of which is smells pretty bad. African nightcrawlers are not as big a composting worm as the red wiggler on food scraps; however are excellent manure worm. I do not recommend chicken manure, however rabbit manure is superb as it does not require the process of heating. Horse or cow manure is also excellent however be sure the manure has been heated prior and that the animals have not been on de-wormer.

Now grain mix differs from food scraps as you do not want to feed your worms ½ a pound of Worm Chow per one pound of worms. You simply sprinkle on the surface area and do not mix in or the bin will become sour and begin to kill off your worms. Not only do the African nightcrawlers devour the chow, but damp shredded newspaper which we keep on the surface area and replace as needed. This ends up turning into the dark, rich worm castings known as “Black Gold”.

European nightcrawlers one of the favorite worms by those that fish, are also another good manure worm and are not as great on food scraps as the red wiggler. They also do not have the ferocious appetite as the African nightcrawler. I feed them with the grain mix by Purina, however anywhere from once every day or two while maintaining less feed in each bin compared to the African nightcrawler. The European nightcrawler bin is probably the easiest to sour by adding too much food. Do not expect these worms to eat as much, however they are extremely prolific and do produce a nice worm castings.

This should give you a good basis as where to begin feeding your worms, however keep in mind the conditions of your worm bin due play a large role in how much to feed your worms.

African Nightcrawlers are raised by some just for the castings. The African Nightcrawlers worm castings are darker in color and fluffier than other composting worms. There is no difference in the microbes or quality of the worm castings other than the looks and feel.

The macro photograph below does not really do the worm castings justice; however you can make out the African Nightcrawlers castings on the left, which are darker. The worm castings on the right are red wiggler worm castings.

Both worms were fed the same diet and were raised in the same bedding materials.

Some worm farms and brokers sell African Nightcrawlers in counts of 600 to 1,200 per pound. These are bed run, usually very small African Nightcrawlers which are still good for composting; however do not make a very good fishing worm as many are the same size as red wigglers at these counts.

Many others offer a 200 to 300 count per pound African Nightcrawlers. These are approximately eight month old worms which run about 6 to 7 inches in length without being stretched out. These make an excellent fishing worm in the warmer weather as African Nightcrawlers are a more heat tolerant worm.

Organic Worm Farm offers the latter, 200 to 300 count per pound as well as the super large African Nightcrawlers, 180 to 225 count per pound! These monsters are approximately 10 months old and run up to 10 inches before being stretched out. If you are looking for the largest, active worm to fish with, these are the worms you want. The Canadian Nightcrawler will run larger, however is not nearly as active as the African Nightcrawlers.

The below photo shows an average 200 to 300 count African Nightcrawler on top with the super large African Nightcrawler, 180 to 225 count per pound below it.

The monster, super large African Nightcrawlers were raised by feeding them Purina Worm Chow. It is a food formulated especially for worms which is fortified not only with grains but minerals and vitamins as well. To raise the largest, fattest worms as well as the most prolific worms, there is nothing that beats using Purina Worm Chow as either a diet supplement or as a sole diet for worms.

Bruce “The Worm Expert” Galle

Of course composting worms do not like candy or even going out for trick or treating, however they do love pumpkins.

This year do not throw your pumpkin out in the garbage. In fact you may want to ask a neighbor or two if you can have theirs after the holiday.

The reason I am telling you this is the fact that red worms love pumpkins; probably more than anything else you have already fed them.

First off, pumpkins begin to decompose very quickly, making it worm accessible within hours to a couple days depending on the original condition of the pumpkin and the worm bin conditions.

All you need to do is bust up the pumpkin into several pieces and throw into your worm bin.

Now this does not hold true for the new record pumpkin weighing in at 1,016 pounds. Renninger, the grower of the record pumpkin, credits his success in 2009 to his use of compost tea soil to grow the winning pumpkin.

Have a Great Day,

Bruce Galle

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