Voracious: Swarm Food. Fast Reproduction: Can double in population every months in optimum conditions. Ability to survive in captivity: Very Good. Canadian Nightcrawlers are not considered composting worms. If there was an anti composting category, these worms would set the standard. Canadian Nightcrawlers are deep diggers, do not swarm food, are not particularly fast at reproducing, and are difficult to maintain. In captivity, keep them in the refrigerator.
Red Wigglers set the standard for composting worms. European Nightcrawlers are good composters, but a little less voracious than Red Wigglers. African Nightcrawlers are every bit as voracious as Red Wigglers, but their cold temperature sensitivity reduces demand for these worms for all but the serious Vermiculturist.
Alabama Jumpers are considered very poor composters. Preferring leaf litter to kitchen scraps, these worms tend to prefer living in soil rich in organic matter. Click here to buy composting worms. Canadian Nightcrawlers make poor aeration worms. Their preference for living in a single deep hole eliminates them from this category. Red Wigglers are sometimes advertised falsely as soil worms.
Because their skin is relatively thin, and their strength marginal, these worms perform poorly at aerating soil. European Nightcrawlers have similar characteristics as Red Wigglers, and as such, do not perform well in the dirt. African Nightcrawlers are better suited for compost bins then dirt. Their preference for warmer temps, and their relatively thin skin makes these worms best suited for a sheltered composting environment. Their thick skin allows them to live in soil ranging from sandy to heavy clay.
With a preference for leaf litter or compost, these worms are easily propagated in the garden. Because fisherman are convinced that bigger is better.
Canadians are BIG…about per pound. Picked at night from Farms in the Northern United States and Canada, these worms are deep diggers, living in holes down to six feet. Because of their preference for cool climates, Canadian Nightcrawlers are best kept under refrigeration. Red Wigglers are commonly used for panfish bait. European Nightcrawlers are the larger cousins of the Red Wiggler. African Nightcrawlers are longer than European Nightcrawlers, but thinner.
Unlike Canadian Nightcrawlers that like cool temps, these worms perform best at 70 degrees or more, making them the perfect fishing worm for warm waters. Alabama Jumpers are the strongest of all of the commercial worms. They also have the thickest skin of all the commercial worms, allowing them to stay on the hook for long periods of time. Now you understand why all worms are not created equal.
There are only qualities in worms that we harness for our benefit. Still got questions? Email Jerry! Hi Paul. Cover the bedding with organic garden soil inches deep. Compost is fine to use as soil, as long as it isn't terribly wet or dry. Nightcrawlers aerate the soil by digging long tunnels, so be sure that the bin is only halfway full because the volume will nearly double by the time you're ready to harvest.
Check the pH level of your soil before you add your nightcrawlers. They're sensitive to acidic soil and you don't want to kill them. Ideally, the pH level should be 6. Powdered limestone can be sprinkled on the soil every time you feed to ensure that the pH levels never get too low or too high.
Dig a small hole in the soil to place the nightcrawlers, then cover them with soil. You can order nightcrawlers online from Internet worm vendors or your local plant nursery may also sell nightcrawlers. Nightcrawlers that are sold as fishing bait are generally past their reproductive prime and don't often make good composting worms.
Place the kitchen waste on top of the soil. Harvest your worms. Many breeders harvest the worms using hands and placing them into covered containers. Ensure you add a little portion of food and the bedding materials.
Keep these refrigerated until when you sell them to lengthen their shelf life. Young worms are excellent as breeders, while old worms for fishing bait. Lumbricus Terrestris Canadian nightcrawlers have been popular among gardeners and anglers alike for generations. Starting a commercial nightcrawler venture generally requires little money and takes reasonably less time to maintain once established. But first, identify a location that allows you to maintain cool temperatures of about degrees-Fahrenheit effortlessly.
Very minimal smells are ideal for comfort; hence a basement is suitable to locate your farm. Use each lid as the bottom of your bin. Cover the compost bin with matter that allows some moisture to escape, for instance, light sheet insulation or heavy fabric. Drill numerous tiny holes on the sides of each container to facilitate moisture and oxygen to enter.
Raise the bins off the ground using a wooden platform if possible to lower pest infestation. These holes also act as drainage holes in case of excessive water. Add vegetable scraps, bedding matter from chicken coops, and grass clippings or formerly composted cow manure. Green manure tends to get excessively hot, which may harm the worms.
Moisten the clippings slightly with water, then toss allover while ensuring they allow ample aeration. Shred newspapers for an excellent bedding supplement. Confirm the pH of the materials using a test meter. It is best to have a pH close to neutral, i. Lower the pH by adding apple cider vinegar or raise it using baking soda. Do this gently, especially when you have worms in your bins, to avoid shocking them. Purchase or collect your worms.
Various online wholesalers sell worms of several varieties; hence you can decide which you want. You may also get your worms from under rocks or manure piles, especially during wet days.
Place your first stock of worms in the bins. Begin with under 10 pounds of worms per bin. After placing your worms, leave them undisturbed. Visit only once each day to feed them. Moisten their bins depending on the moisture level or approximately after every three days. Add fresh soil substances food only when the worms move to the surface or after the previous food mound is mostly gone.
Check for their eggs. These take about a month to hatch and are ready for harvesting within half a year. Once their population starts growing, gently move some worms to new compost bins.
Observe the worm size and take a portion of ideal worms to a bucket containing sphagnum moss to toughen them up for sale preparation. Nightcrawlers are a common live bait during fishing.
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