Worm Composting » nightcrawlers

Canadian Nightcrawlers

Bruce — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:48:22 +0000

Canadian nightcrawlers (Lumbricus terrestris) also known as Dew Worms are mainly thought to only be able to be raised in cooler climates such as Canada, the Appalachian Mountains with higher altitudes and colder climates.

Well as many of you know I am always up to a challenge. In fact when others stated you could not raise Alabama Jumpers in a controlled environment I set to prove them wrong and did. Well I did it again!

I recently went back on my notes which actually surprised me. Many websites state that to grow a Canadian nightcrawler to eight inches or so will take 7-8 years and cannot be grown in a controlled environment. Well I had to find out for myself what the actual growth rate was as this is the worm I originally started with when I was a teenager and knew it never took this long to grow out however never crowded my worm bin either as I was only raising enough for myself to fish with.

It was just two years ago I started raising Canadian nightcrawlers here. I originally placed 36 Canadian nightcrawlers in a five gallon bucket that I top fed. By late spring of 2009 I lost all my breeders as the temperatures rose to high in the uncontrolled building I had them in yet was left with numerous hatchlings running about ½” long. I decided at this time to place them outside in a test bed I had with Alabama Jumpers… To date I have a good bed of Canadian nightcrawlers running about 4” in length before stretching out. These same nightcrawlers were ½” long just one year and seven months ago.

Canadian Nightcrawler 1-10-2012

One of the fascinating observations I have found with this test bed is what worms are readily available to dig up based on the time of the year. For instance, during hot summer months I do not see the Canadian nightcrawlers, however late fall through early spring they are easily assessable. On the other hand, the Alabama Jumpers become thick towards the top six inches or so once the night time temperatures hover around or above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

During spring and fall especially, the European nightcrawlers become more active towards the top layers and are more prevalent than during the cold winter or extreme heat of the summer here in South Carolina.

Below is one of the European nightcrawlers from the same test area which are prevalent due to the warm weather this week.

European Nightcrawler 1-10-2012

Now in order to raise Canadian nightcrawlers, much like the Alabama Jumpers, in hotter areas of the country one needs plenty of organic matter on top for which they will come to the surface to feed on when temperatures cool down and during the rain.

I also never allow this test area to dry out. During the warmer months I have a timer set to water the bed for one half hour every morning around 10am and again each evening around 9pm after the sun has gone down to allow the bed to remain moist and cool overnight.

We also feed weekly with some Purina Worm Chow as well as add Dolomite Lime (which is less harsh than other types of lime and contains a good amount of magnesium) once a month and water the lime in so as to prevent the worms from coming into direct contact with it as it will dry them out and kill off your worms.

Since Canadian nightcrawlers burrow down ten feet or more, it takes into consideration of digging down a couple feet in moist soil in the summer time. While the surface and few inches are warm, by the time you reach a couple feet the temperature drops dramatically. Basically it is the soils own natural air conditioner.

This brings me to another point. Canadian nightcrawlers do best in hard packed soil, even clay. I have not tried them in sandy soil but would imagine this would not be viable as their “skin” is not as tough as the Alabama Jumpers.

Organic Worm Farm offers nightcrawlers, composing and fishing worms.

Nightcrawler Worms Grown in The USA

Bruce — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:21:05 +0000

Over the years I have noticed an increasing trend when it comes to “worm farms” offering nightcrawlers for sale online. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, one of my favorites is the African nightcrawler which many do not raise as the time factor involved growing them out to full size.

However what I have noticed over the years is the increasing sales of European nightcrawlers shipped in weekly from overseas. Just for example anyone who was looking to purchase these worms back in April of 2010 had a difficult time finding any to purchase. This was due to the fact that the Iceland volcano had erupted encapsulating the flight paths in ash, shutting down major airports in the UK, hence eliminating any shipment of European nightcrawlers to the United States for a number of weeks! In fact from some research I have been doing online, I have found somewhere around 90% of the European nightcrawlers sold in the USA are imported from Europe at one point or another. Some import and sell directly, while others broker through these same companies either directly or purchase from them to sell themselves. Still others use third parties to ship for them and usually the worms have originated… you guessed it… from Europe!

To date I do not know anyone personally raising Canadian nightcrawlers in the USA either. These are usually dug up by some using low cost laborers up near the Canadian border and trucking them back or shipped in weekly from countries such as Canada.

I mention this because of today’s economy, and I personally believe buying American goods whenever possible since I do live in this great Country. Also locally grown worms in the USA are usually healthier… For instance, many worms which are shipped into the country are usually crated and sent out to overseas airports over the weekend. Some arrive on Monday morning which are picked up and bought to their destination. They are opened, repackaged and shipped out later the same day to your home or business hence placing a huge stress on the worms.

I ran a test recently on a comparison of European nightcrawlers which I raise here personally and purchased some which were sent in overseas through a third party that receive regular shipments on a weekly basis. I started with 300 European nightcrawlers in each worm bin, used the same bedding mix, same amount of moisture, same type and amount of food in each, all worms being approximately 2grams and observed them for the past week in a controlled environment. The results actually surprised me as I had figured I would lose some of the imported worms for a day or two. However I have been losing an average of five worms per day (36 in seven days to be exact) in the bin containing the imported Europeans while losing “zero” which have been raised on our worm farm. Even this morning, one week later, there were four dead and dying Europeans on the surface of the bin containing the imported worms.

There could be several reasons for these results, first being the stress upon which the worms go through from being shipped out twice within a matter of days as well as perhaps the environmental conditions they are raised in overseas versus how we raise them here. One of the major differences we normally overlook is the availability of bedding and or feed supplies available from country to country.

Bruce

My Favorite Worm

Bruce — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:00:44 +0000

Frequently I am asked which worm I prefer out of the worms we raise. Over the years the red wiggler has been the worm to get for composting and some fishing such as for brim, however not as good for larger fish as they are too small for larger hooks. There is one worm which has been overlooked during the years which in my eyes makes an almost perfect worm, encompassing the benefits of numerous worms for composting, worm castings and fishing all in one!

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

African Nightcrawlers Worm Castings and Size Comparisons

Bruce — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:14:12 +0000

African Nightcrawlers are one of the best composting worms as well as make an excellent fishing. These worms are also highly prolific however take longer to mature as well as reach full size. This is why most websites prefer to sell the red wigglers as they mature faster; hence the turnaround time on them is quicker.

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

African Nightcrawlers the Super Red Worm

Bruce — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 20:04:23 +0000

Had to place a post here as African nightcrawlers do not get enough deserved credit.

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

Alabama Jumper Worm Facts

Bruce — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:31:33 +0000

Lately a number of people have been asking where they can get Alabama Jumper worms. If you are not familiar with these worms, let me point out some facts here.

Alabama Jumpers are in the nightcrawler family and have three distinguishing traits. One is their sheer size. These bad boys grow 8 -10 inches and sometimes even larger.

Probably their most notable characteristic is the fact they are much hardier than other worms. It is the only worm that I currently handle that can burrow through hard packed clay soil. If you live in the south, you know what I am referring to. Alabama Jumpers have a tough outer coat add this to their sheer strength and you have a super worm

If you like to fish, this worm is a must to have in your bag of tricks. The Alabama Jumper has the word jumper in its name for a reason. They will literally jump right out of your hands! With all that jumping around, you are sure to attract the attention of some fish

Currently I am offering 1,000 of the Alabama Jumpers for just $89.95 which includes priority mail shipping within the continental USA.

Click here for more information and to order Alabama Jumpers as well as other worms and products!

Back to the gardening in the morning… be back soon!

Bruce