Test Your Worm IQ!
Written by guest Author Jerry Gach, also known as The Worm Dude, a professional worm breeder for Santa Clara County, Alameda County and San Mateo County
The ancient Egyptians knew that soil loaded with earthworms was extremely fertile, as Earthworm’s were the barometer of soil health. Lots of worms = Lots of crops.
Fast forward to the 21st century….Worms are more in vogue now than ever. Classes on composting with worms (Vermicomposting) have become increasingly popular, as we realize that if we don’t start taking care of Mother Earth, she will not be able to take care of us.
Most of us think all worms are alike….and most of us would be wrong!
There are literally thousands of species of worms, but only a few are used commercially.
COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE WORMS AND THEIR SCIENTIFIC NAMES:
Canadian Nightcrawler: Lumbricus Terrestris
Red Wiggler: Eisenia Fetida
European Nightcrawler: Eisenia Hortensis
African Nightcrawler: Eudrilus Eugeniae
Alabama Jumper: Amynthas Gracilus
We’ve categorized these commercially available worms into three types, based on the performance of each species. Some worms will fall into two categories, but we’re yet to see one multipurpose worm that can be used across all categories:
TYPES OF WORMS:
Fishing Worms
Composting Worms
Garden Aeration Worms
COMPOSTING WORMS:
Though all of the commercial worms can be used for fishing, not all of them make good composting worms. Composting worms share the following qualities:
Surface dwellers: Top 12 inches
Voracious: Swarm Food
Fast Reproduction: Can double in population every 3-4 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 are the KINGS of composters, and are the most commonly used worms for Vermiculture and Vermicomposting in the world. 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.
GARDEN AERATION 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. Their natural habitat is your local manure pile and/or compost pile. 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.
Alabama Jumpers are the KINGS when it comes to aerating the garden. 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.
FISHING WORMS:
Canadian Nightcrawlers are the KING of fishing worms. Why? Because fisherman are convinced that bigger is better. Canadians are BIG…about 100 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. Weighing in at about 1/10th the weight of Canadian Nightcrawlers, these are the perfect size for small fish.
European Nightcrawlers are the larger cousins of the Red Wiggler. At about 3x the size of the Red Wiggler, these mid sized worms are the trout fisherman’s dream.
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. These are EXTREMELY active 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 is no “One best worm”. There are only qualities in worms that we harness for our benefit. Use the right worm for the job, and you’ll be very pleased with the outcome.
I LIVE IN PLACERVILLE, CALIF. I WANT TO KNOW IF I ORDER CANADIAN AND EUROPEAN NIGHT CRAWLERS WILL THEY SURVIVE ON RELEASE. WE HAVE TONS OF OAK LEAVES AND OTHER COMPOST MATERIAL THAT IS NATURAL AND YEAR ROUND. THE SOIL IS MORE ON THE CLAY SIDE THOUGH WE HAVE A MORE FERTILE DIRT IN THE FORESTED PART OF THE PROPERTY. WE DO GET TEMPERTURES IN THE WINTER THAT CAN HIT IN THE LOW 20’S. ANY ADVICE?
Hi Paul. For specific worm questions, why not talk to the expert? Jerry will ship you the right worms to Placerville and he is very helpful with advice. Here is his website: http://www.thewormdude.com/
i was just wandering about earthworms are good or bad for home composting? thank you if you could just reply with the email given or on this website that would be great
Hi Darren,
Earthworms are nature’s composter, so yes they are excellent to use! We have vermicomposting bins that we have kept both outside and in the garage and they work great! We also have a regular tumbler style compost bin outside for items that we don’t give to the worms (high acidic items). Does that help?
Will worms eat citrus compost? If so, which kind? We have tons of lemons, oranges and grapefruits. We eat or juice them and have large amounts of rinds left. We have a couple of super lazy/passive kitchen compost bins (as in do nothing except maybe stir it with a pitchfork every few months).
Thanks for any advice,
Joy
Citrus is not their favorite. In small doses yes but not as their main food.
How can I tell if the worms collected from my yard will be good for a worm bin?
Thanks,
Cynthia
Kauai
You can’t tell. Please buy composting worms by mail or from a worm farm.
can I use worms right from my garden. I find them on the top of the soil right under the leaves i keep to cover the garden but they jump in the soil to get away from me? Please help.
Nope, its best to order composting worms from your local worm farm. Earthworms are just not the same. Sorry!
Can I add left over fishing bait worms to my dalek style compost bin? I have put the usual garden waste, grass cuttings, dead leaves and also added horse manure but wondered whether these would enhance my compost further?
Thanks
Gary
Unless it’s aged the horse manure will cook your worms.
I live in Southeast Georgia on the coast, my question is I have tons of Live Oak leaves will it work for red wigglers?
Hi Gerald,
Yes, the red wigglers are great for all different types of leaves. However, just remember that with oak leaves it’s going to take them a long time to digest. Good luck!
It will work but it will take some time. Good luck!
Have about 100 canadian night crawlers left over from fishing, can i farm these at all to produce more or am I better off using them up. Thanks
[…] as red wigglers, manure worms or tiger worms. Whatever they are called, they are considered as the best worms for composting. However, to get the most benefit from these worms, they need to be fed […]
[…] as red wigglers, manure worms or tiger worms. Whatever they are called, they are considered as the best worms for composting. However, to get the most benefit from these worms, they need to be fed […]
Once again, doing something for the environment isn’t so simple. I prefer to work with what I have rather than “order” worms. So, in our newly experimental compost pile, which was planned with an idea to cultivate a small herb garden, we have common variety garden earth-worker worms.
I realize, as every article I’ve read states, not all worms are alike and red wigglers are preferred to most for composting, but what I haven’t been able to find is if earth-workers are necessarily bad for composting when there isn’t a red wiggler in sight.
What worm can I use for both Fishing n Composting?? I know each worms does a certain job!! But I only want to try only one , please help. Thank you
Can different kinds of worms live in the same bed?
Hi Richard. Great Question for the Worm Guy!
are red wiggler the best for fishing and composting or should i buy two sorts and keep them separate