It was not until the earlier part of the 1900’s that composting began to evolve.

Today, tens of thousands of regular folks are taking part in composting via a tumbler or compost pile they manually turn periodically utilizing aerobic microbes to assist in the breakdown of organic matter.

The one area many people are unaware of is that by introducing red worms and even some nightcrawlers better known as worm composting or vermicomposting, can assist and be even more beneficial than traditional composting.

First, rather than having to turn the pile, the red worms are constantly eating organic matter moving through the pile. This aids in the aeration of the system which can save you time and your back!

Secondly red worms can speed the process of breaking down your compost pile allowing you to benefit faster from your (or should I say your worms) efforts.

Lastly, without getting all scientific here, worms have another benefit when they produce worm castings also known as worm poop and vermicast. The worm castings contain additional beneficial bacteria which are in the worm’s digestive system. Even though there is little known to how exactly worm castings work, test have shown that plants that are introduced to soil containing worm castings grow faster, produce more fruit, vegetables and flowers as well are less susceptible to soil born diseases.

One item that stands out with the addition of worm castings is the superior root growth over those without. This may even help to explain some of the results from the tests performed on plants using worm castings in the soil mix since a healthier root system usually means a healthier plant.

Now there are over 2,200 species known to man so how does one select the right worm for the job?

There are four basic worms that can be used depending mostly on your local climate conditions. One of the most popular known are the red wigglers. It is a smaller worm which can tolerate cooler temperatures as low as about 50 degrees and fair alright in warmer temperature upwards of 90 degrees or so Fahrenheit. When I discuss temperatures I am not referring to the ambient temperature but rather the temperatures within the compost pile itself.

Another worm would be the European nightcrawlers which are not really a nightcrawler… more on this topic can be found here (opens in a new window). This worm can tolerate the cooler temperatures of around mid forties however does not fare well above 85 degrees and extreme humidity. This worm is also referred to as a trout worm and leaf worm.

Alabama Jumpers are probably one of the most versatile worms as it originated in the tropics of some Asian countries and can be found as far north as northern New England. Alabama Jumpers actually fall under the earthworm category since they can burrow well beneath the surface which also helps aerate the soil around plants deeper than most other worms. This worm can tolerate very warm conditions and will become sluggish in the mid fifties. Now one unique trait of some earthworms is to be able to survive very low temperatures by basically burrowing down beneath the surface and going into a process similar to hibernation. To read more on this worm, visit the Alabama Jumpers Blog.

For very warm climates year round African nightcrawlers will do the trick. Yes, this worm originated in Africa and can tolerate up to 110 degrees in the shade as long as it has circulating air. If temperatures within the compost pile fall below 60 degrees the worms will begin to die off.

One thing to keep in mind, should temperatures fall to cool and kill off the worms, if they have laid cocoons (worm eggs) they will hatch come the spring even if they freeze.

Bruce

The first thing we need to do is go back to the scientific names for each to get a better understanding.

Red Wigglers – Eisenia foetida

European nightcrawlers – Eisenia hortensis

You may have noticed that the first part of the scientific names for each is the same. The word Eisenia which refers to an earthworm genus was named after an American zoologist, Gustav A. Eisen who had assorted variations to his name.

So in fact they are of the same family tree!

Both the European nightcrawler and red wiggler originated from Europe with the red wiggler making an earlier appearance here in the United States.

Another interesting fact is that both worms, even though the red wiggler is also known as the tiger worm, have the same striped tiger like rings encircling the length of their bodies. They do differ in size as the European nightcrawler grows larger especially in thickness.

Just to explain a little more about the scientific name of each the word foetida is derived from the words foetid and fetid which are defined as; foul, foul-smelling, funky, noisome having an offensive odor; stinking. The red wiggler was named such as rough handling of this worm causes it to excrete a foul smelling liquid.

The word hortensis means belonging to a hottus, or garden hence why the word hortensis is used in the names of a number of plants.

Both worms can be used for worm composting as well as a variety of others which I will explain in more depth in another post.

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.

The Alabama Jumper has two main beneficial components. First, it is an excellent composting earthworm for your garden or lawn areas even in hard packed clay and sandy soils. They burrow deep, aerating the soil coming to the surface to eat and leave worm castings on the surface areas.

Alabama Jumpers also make an excellent fishing worm. With their tough exterior skin permitting them to burrow through the toughest terrains, they remain on the hook better than most fishing worms, including the European Nightcrawlers.

Well onto the humorous video, enjoy…

Bruce

Now there are more extravagant formulas, one which will be available online in the near future, however if you are anxious to try something the following will prove beneficial.

First, I feed my worms what my mother fed me that she claims made me so tall, greens! I do mix them up and limit starches such as bread and potatoes. I also refrain from using tomatoes and other high acidic fruits and vegetables.

I realize other sites will tell you that worms love coffee grinds, and they do, however if you add too much your bin will end up becoming acidic. Just as most of us were told growing up, anything is good in moderation.

For my trophy worms I use for fishing, I actually use a blender to liquefy the ingredients. Afterwards I mix in a little spent coffee grinds as well as peat moss to thicken the mixture. Now don’t go making it like a thick mud but rather just enough to keep the liquid from running off or ponding in your mix. Remember to allow it to sit in your garage or outside covered up for about 24 hours as the peat moss will continue to draw up the moisture.

Now one thing I do for the trophy worms is to freeze my mix as this modifies the molecular structure enabling the mix to break down even faster for quick consumption by the worms when I do feed them. Just be sure to thaw it out and warm up to room temperature before adding to your bin.

The Simplest Advanced Grain Formula Mix You Can Make:

As with any grain mix, sprinkle on top and even mist with some water. I personally leave my fishing worm bins uncovered; hence I place some moist shredded newspaper over my grain. Be consistent on feeding the grain as needed whether once a day or once every couple days.

The recipe:

2 Cups Oatmeal

1 Cup Cornmeal

1 Dozen Egg Shells

Many websites state you need to cook your eggs with the shells in order to use in your worm bin. I have never had an issue by rinsing cracked egg shells than have not been cooked with warm water thoroughly. Allow them to dry out well.

Add the egg shells to you blender and pulverize them to a powdery mix. Slowly add your other ingredients. You may need to shake the blender or rattle it back and forth as this is a dry mixture in order to continue mixing and breaking down to a powdery mix.

There are other formulas which will enable faster growth, without hormone shots which I will introduce in a couple weeks.

For now enjoy the site and sign up for the free worm composting newsletter if you have not already done so as well as the Organic Worm Farm Affiliate Program!

Bruce

S. B. the number of European Nightcrawlers in a ¼ pound varies just as with any worm dependent on the size of the worms. Being our European Nightcrawlers are large being mature adult breeder size, there are less per pound however are ready for breeding or excellent for fishing. These are Hand Picked unlike most sites offering bedrun which offers a mix of juvenile to mature size.

To see the actual size we offer and ship out, visit our 1/4lb European Nightcrawlers. Simply click on the “Click to Enlarge” link toward the top right of the page under the picture.

You do not want to keep many types of worms; including European Nightcrawlers in the refrigerator to simply state it is too cold for them. European Nightcrawlers prefer a room temperature of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If you keep in the refrigerator they will most likely survive for a while, depending on the temperature setting of the refrigerator. However they will slow down, will not eat, hence become real sluggish and weak. This makes it tough on the worms.

Actually I see them all the time in refrigerators in bait supply stores. I have actually gone back and shown them mine versus what they are offering and ask me if I can supply them my worms instead! The difference in circumference, activity… is like night and day!

Hope this helps to clarify,

Bruce

First the African nightcrawler is probably one of the most heat tolerant worms around. They like temperatures around 75 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit. These are also a very large worm with mature adults reaching 6 – 8 inches in length.

African Nightcrawlers are definitely the super red worm for fishing, especially in the hot summer months when water temperatures peak, hence killing off other worms much quicker.

One area that is overlooked when it comes to the African nightcrawler is the fact that it eats more food than other red worms, including red wigglers and European nightcrawlers.

I have seen numerous sites state that red wrigglers are the best composting worm.

Since many people do not raise African nightcrawlers, perhaps they are just repeating what they have heard online posted by others; which in reality is the way the Internet works sadly. One person states something and others basically plagiarize what they read

Being I have raised these super red worms for a while along with red wigglers and European nightcrawlers, I can tell you from personal experience there is no comparison between the African nightcrawler and red wiggler. The African nightcrawler wins hands down.

Below is a picture of a new African nightcrawler bin I setup just three weeks ago.

I cleared to the bottom of the bin, only to expose 3″ of mostly worm castings, not vermiculture. My last bin was setup only for a month and a half and after screening yielded a full 5 gallon bucket of worm castings. Keep in mind this is a 30 gallon bin whereas most people use an 18 gallon bin.

As another comparison, I did the best I could as the nightcrawlers were camera shy

The African nightcrawler just stretched all the way out and sat there while the European nightcrawler wanted to curl up.

The photo below is of a 4″ or so European nightcrawler and as you can see the African easily surpasses this by about twice the length, although he looks lean from being stretched out on a paper plate .

Here is a snap shot of an African nightcrawler. To give some comparison, I used to play basketball and easily could palm the ball

In conclusion, if you are looking for a heat tolerant red worm which in my experience, by far the best composting worm all in one, try setting up an African nightcrawler worm bin.

In order to make this easy and cost effective, I am offering a ¼ lb starter package shipped priority mail. Click here for more information on how to obtain these super red worms!

Happy Worming,

Bruce Galle