African Nightcrawlers
Commercial Compost Worm
African Nightcrawlers (Eudrilus eugeniae), known as ANC's. We will refer to them as ANC's from this point on.
At maturity, they can reach 8 inches. ANC's are fantastic compost worms, although they are much more difficult to raise than their cousin, the red wiggler.
Anglers use ANC's to attract larger fish species.
ANC's are a large epegeic species. Epegeic worms dwell in the top layer of soil or the litter layer. I had to do some research on their classification. I've found that my ANC's feed from the surface all day long, but they like to burrow much deeper than Red Wigglers or Indian Blues in between feedings.
ANC's are wonderful for commercial vermicomposting, but may be a bit difficult for a hobbyist. They cannot survive if the temperature dips below 45°F. They also can not survive if the temperature remains below 60°F or above 95°F for an extended time. They thrive at 75-86°F.
ANC's have been reported to eat their body weight or more in waste daily but understand what the worms eat. Worms eat the bacteria that are breaking down the waste. A pound of mostly fresh salad greens placed in a bin with a pound of worms will not magically disappear overnight. Waste that has already begun to decompose will be digested quickly.
You can expect the African Nightcrawlers in a fresh new bin to eat approximately 1/2 of their body weight every couple of days. As the microbial activity in the bin increases, the food will break down quicker and the worms will consume more.
I've got one bin that is producing castings at an unbelievable weight. I'm confident they are consuming more cardboard and food into castings than their body weight, daily! It's no wonder ANC's have become my favorite composting worm!
There are approximately 275 ANC's to a pound, and a pound of worms will need 1 square foot of space for comfort vermicomposting efficiency.
Reproduction
Worms will self-regulate their population. If you have a pound of worms in a square foot of space they have room for very little reproduction, you'll need more space if you want more worms.
In regards to their reproduction, they are highly prolific. Usually, you hear that your worm population can double in 60-90 days. The math tells a different story! ANC's will lay about 15 cocoons in a month and each cocoon will hatch an average of 2 tiny worms.
ANC's are ready to breed at 5-6 weeks, and their eggs can hatch in just 12 days, although 14 days is more common. That is much more than just doubling the population my friend.
That means in a month of ideal conditions, 80-85% moisture, 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit, a pH balance of 6.0-7.0, and with an appropriate brown-to-green ratio, a single worm can produce 30 babies!
If your bin or pile is kept at a moderate temperature, the bedding stays damp, and you feed them when they run out of food, your ANC's will be healthy and happy.
Ramping up your worm farm
Knowing how to set up a breeder bin is important whether you need more worms to handle your household waste, or if you are starting a worm business.
We need to create an environment where the worms are able to easily find food and each other. They also need plenty of room because they naturally self-regulate egg production based on the available space.
My personal breeder bins are created using bedding that has already been through most of the composting process. I want the bedding to have very little material that is recognizable. This is what we call pre-compost.
Make sure the bedding is cool or your worms will bake!
Measure your container's surface space. Multiply the length times width, then divide this square inch number by 144 to convert it to square feet. Take this new number and multiply it times 50. I currently use the 12 qt Sterlite containers that I purchased from Walmart. The measurements are roughly 16" x 11".
16 x 11 = 176
176 / 144 = 1.22
1.22 x 50 = 61 worms
I will count out 60-65, fat and healthy adult worms and place them in the container that has been pre-loaded with 3-4 inches of pre-compost. (Sexually mature, adult worms will have a noticeable clitellum, also known as a saddle)
I add a thin layer of shredded cardboard and place a small ice cube of blended food waste on top, sprinkle grit over top of it, then cover it up with the bedding. Place a marker over your feeding zone to make it easy to find later.
I add a cube of food waste at the beginning of each new week, and sprinkle worm chow over the top in the middle of the week just to make sure they have plenty of food.
I mark each bin with the date it was created and the date I need to pull the adult worms out. ANC cocoons start hatching at 14 days, so I will remove the adults on day 14.
After counting the worms out individually for the first time it is easy to reuse those same worms to create the next breeding bins. I remind myself of this comforting tip every time I decide to add new breeding bins to the farm!
Grow out bins
The cocoons left in the bedding after removing the adults will begin hatching into tiny wisps. They are very thin, with very little color when they first emerge. That changes quickly though! They come out hungry and begin devouring food right away.
I've read that juveniles eat more than adults. If they can be compared to my teenagers, then I'm sure this is the most productive castings period in a worms life!
I only top feed with worm chow at the beginning of a new grow out bin. I check the top every other day to see if they are ready for more, and feed as needed.
After they are eating 2 tablespoons of chow every two days, I'll switch to using ice cubes of pureed food. Most commercial worm farms stick with worm chow as the primary food source. We choose to stick with pureed food because one of our primary goals is to reduce food waste, and the worms love the pureed food.
Important notes:
If you choose to use pureed food you will need to monitor the moisture content of any bed that does not drain. With practice, you will become a pro at adding the right amount of dry material under the food to keep moisture levels correct.
You will want to "fluff" the bedding before adding new wet foods. Food that has not been eaten, including bedding that has absorbed the moisture can become compacted. This compaction, if too damp, can become anaerobic. An anaerobic bed will smell bad, heat up, and put off gasses that are toxic to your worms.
We move ANC's out of the grow out bin sometime after 35 days, which is the earliest they will reach sexual maturity. If I don't have a current order for worms, they will be added to a larger castings production bin or used to create new breeder bins.