 African Nightcrawler and Red Wiggler Worms
African Nightcrawlers
We raise African Nightcrawlers (eudrilus eugeniae) which is a very popular type of commerical worm in the US and around the world. This type of worm has a very lively character and are excellent for use as fishing bait, vermicomposting, and for producing worm castings.
African Nightcrawler worms measure about 3-7 inches in length, but can grow up to a foot long. They are also known as Super Reds, Japanese Tigers, or California Super Reds. They prefer temeratures of 70 degrees Fahrenheit or above, but they can be slowly accustomed to lower temperatures - no lower than 60 degrees F, however. African Nightcrawlers are one of the most productive breeders of the earthworms. Thus, warmer worms are much more active and lively.
The African Nightcrawlers are used heavily in the fishing industry. They have the advantage of a longer shelf life than most other worms. They are also commonly found in backyard compost bins and in worm farms. Vermicomposting is an excellent and natural form of recycling food and garden waste and turning them into a nutrient-rich compost or worm castings. People cherish this byproduct of the Nightcrawlers as it is rich in natural nutrients that are great for lush lawns, flowers, vegetables, and fruit.
Nightcrawler worms are also responsible for improving the soil and promoting healthy plants and flowers. Nightcrawlers help to increase the amount of air and water that gets into the soil. They break down organic matter, like leaves and grass into things that plants can use. When they eat, they leave behind worm castings that are a very valuable and organic type of fertilizer.
The African Nightcrawler is an excellent vermicomposting worm. For almost two decades, the African Nightcrawlers have been revitalizing the soil and playing a major role in solid waste management in Southeast Asian nations, including being one of the main characters of vermicomposting in the Phillippines. They are able to break down cellulose material without as much help from soil bacteria as their redworm cousins require. They are the perfect worms for home vermicomposting bins and for vermicomposting more fibrous materials such as leaves.
In addition to fishing and vermicomposting, Nightcrawlers are also used in exotic pet markets as food for birds, fish, koi, turtles and other reptilians.
Red Wigglers
We also supply Red Wiggler (Eisenia Foetida) worms, which are excellent and very popular worms for vermicomposting.
Adult Red Wiggler worms wil be 2 - 3 inches in lenght and dark red in color. Younger worms are light colored and shorter. Red Wigglers take about 2 months to reach breeding size. They are also known as Red Worms, Tiger Worms, Manure Worms, and Brandling Worms. They prefer temperatures between 55 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, but they can tolerate 40 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit also.
 The Red Wiggler worms are used heavily in vermicomposting. These composting worms tend to be highly localized, thriving in pockets of highly enriched, organic materials. They will consume a great variety of organic waste and excrete "worm castings." Red Wiggler worms can process large amount of organic matter and can usually eat their body weight each day. The Red Wiggler Worms are used widely in a number of educational and government-sponsored vermicomposting programs. Worms composting is so simple it can be done virtually anywhere: schools, offices, or homes. Portland Community College's Rock Creek Campus (Portland, Oregon) uses Red Wiggler worms to eat leftover cafeteria food. Other offices (both private and government) also use Red Wigglers to eat both leftover food and paper as part of a recycling effort.
Earthworms Importance for Soil Fertility and Sustaining Agriculture
Earthworms play an important role in the creation of healthy, productive, and "living" soil. Basically, earthworms feeding and burrowing activities incorporate organic residues and amendments into the soil, enhancing decomposition, humus formation, nutrient cycling, and soil structure development. More information regarding the earthworms' role in soil fertility is described in our "Cocoon" webpage. Click here to link to the Cocoon webpage. Tips for Managing Earthworm Population
One way to help increase your worm population is to set aside a small area of land on a farm or garden to be managed exclusively as an earthworm reservoir. If needed, the soil could be limed to bring it near pH7. A crop could be grown and cut periodically to provide an organic mulch as food and physical cover. In this area, the earthworm could be established and reproduced. The earthworm would then travel to other sections of the field. For example, a Nightcrawler worm can travel at least 19 meters (approximately 62 feet) on the soil surface in the course of one evening.
If there is a specific section of land that you want to incrase the worm population, you can also directly introduce the worms by transferring blocks of soil (for example, one cubic foot each block) from the worm reservoir to the targeted farm area of land. In summary, to achieve optimal results in increasing the earthworm population address the following factors:
- Ample organic matter is supplied to the soil where earthworms are being introduced.
- The soil has sufficient moisture.
- Physical and chemical disturbances of the soil are minimized.
More information regarding the earthworms is described in our "Cocoon" webpage. Click here to link to the Cocoon webpage.
PLEASE NOTE: PRICING INCLUDES SHIPPING & HANDLING
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