How do you keep African nightcrawlers alive?
Then have a good tight lid on your bins and place a light above it to keep them under the bedding. Typical of all composting, or vermicomposting, worms ANCs come up to the surface of their bedding to eat decomposing matter….
| ◦ | Worm Bin |
|---|---|
| ◦ | Flow Through Worm Bin |
| ◦ | Stacking Worm Bin |
| ◦ | Worm Trays |
How often do African nightcrawlers reproduce?
approximately 2-3 cocoons per week
African Nightcrawlers produce approximately 2-3 cocoons per week with 2-3 babies per cocoon averaging out to about 6-7 worms per week.
How big do African nightcrawlers get?
4-8 inches long
African Nightcrawler (Eudrilus eugeniae) can measure up to 4-8 inches long. The African Nightcrawler has a uniform purple-grey sheen. Optimum production of African Nightcrawlers is between 70° F and 85°F. Temperatures less than 60° F or greater than 86° F for extend periods of time can be fatal.
How do you raise a nightcrawler at home?
- Set up a bin in which to house your nightcrawlers. A good starter size is 2 feet by 3 feet and at least 10 inches deep.
- Add worms to the bin.
- Top the bedding with soil.
- Feed the worms.
- Test the pH in your bin once a week.
- Check the temperature of your worm bins.
- Turn the bedding once every three weeks.
What is the best bedding for Nightcrawlers?
10 Bedding Materials Your Worms Will Love
- Shredded brown cardboard.
- Shredded paper (not bleached white office paper)
- Shredded newspaper (not colored)
- Aged compost.
- Aged horse or cow manure.
- Coco coir.
- Peat moss.
- Straw and hay.
What do you feed Nightcrawlers?
If you don’t care what happens to the night crawlers once they’re fully grown (for people who raise night crawlers to catch fish), feed them fruit and vegetable skins, molded bread, and finely shredded paper-based trash. Make sure the food is damp, or they won’t be able to consume it.
What can African nightcrawlers not eat?
You should never add meat, animal products, dairy products, or greasy, oily foods to the worm bin. The oils, meat, and milk become rancid as they decompose. Rotting oils cause a powerful and unpleasant odor. Additionally, various vermin will be attracted to the smell.
What do you feed nightcrawler worms?
Combine 1 pound of cornmeal with 1/2 pound of lard, mixed into the first 3 inches of worm bedding. You can also feed night crawlers a mixture of ground corn, cornmeal and commercially sold worm food.
How often should you change worm bedding?
After worms are added, bedding should be kept moist but not soggy and the top 6 to 8 inches turned every 7 to 10 days to keep it loose. About every 6 to 9 months the old bedding should be replaced with properly prepared new bedding. To change bedding, remove the top 5 or 6 inches (where most of the worms are).
How do you care for African Nightcrawlers?
African nightcrawlers need the same care as any other worm genus, requiring five fundamental essentials: proper bedding, worm feedstock, moisture, aeration and controlled temperature. Drill 20 to 50 eighth-inch holes around the top 4 inches of each 5-gallon bucket to provide plenty of aeration for your African nightcrawlers.
Are African Night Crawlers good to keep indoors?
For those able to house African night crawlers indoors and monitor their bedding temperatures the African night crawler is still a good choice. Just like all worms African night crawlers take in oxygen through their skin, so moist bedding material helps facilitate worm breathing.
Why do African Night Crawlers need a worm bed?
Just like all worms African night crawlers take in oxygen through their skin, so moist bedding material helps facilitate worm breathing. The moisture in your bins also helps breakdown bedding and vegetative matter into a mushy matter. This is accomplished by the microbes found naturally in worm beds.
Are African Nightcrawlers good for compost?
African nightcrawlers are considered perfect worms for composting. They measure roughly four to eight inches long and brownish, grayish or reddish in color. Like other earthworms, African nightcrawlers play a significant role in fertilizing the soil. They aerate the soil by creating tunnels and channels for oxygen and water to flow through.