African Nightcrawlers - Eudrillus eugeniae
African Nightcrawlers - Eudrillus eugeniae - The African Nightcrawlers are some of the most amazing composting worms that I have ever seen. "African" is not just a name given to this nightcrawler. Fossil evidence indicates that it did originate in Africa. If you are looking for nicer worm castings, great fish bait, excellent compost worm, or a good breeding worm, this is it. The African Nightcrawler is a voracious eater, prolific breeder, and grow extremely quick. They are the perfect worms for home vermicomposting and composting more fibrous materials like leaves, cardboard, and paper, in addition to regular food scraps. African Nightcrawlers have a uniform purple-grey sheen and the posterior segments are evenly tapered to a point. The African nightcrawler is prolific in warm/hot climates and can be cultured outdoors throughout the southern United States. The African nightcrawler grows and propagates well at a temperature of 60-85*F. Cocoons WILL hatch at 60*F. I have proven that. They can withstand moist temperatures to 110* as long as air is moving over them. They can withstand 45*F temps but not for long periods. These nightcrawlers will not burrow into the bedding to seek warmth. African Nightcrawlers have a flat belly, measure 4-8 inches long, and are also known as Japanese Tigers, Morgan giant, ruby red, and others. Maximum weight(11 crawlers per ounce) occurs within 8-10 weeks. In a 20-week period, one African nightcrawler produces an average of 173 offspring. The nightcrawler offspring will begin to reproduce in a short 3 months with an average reproduction rate of 4 worms per cocoon. These are raised the same as the red wigglers and europeans. Top feed grain only.

These tropical worms are conditioned by untold generations of life in tropical and semi-tropical jungles to a diet of green and rotting vegetation "chewed" by bacterial enzymes, and are more susceptible to protein poisoning than most worms. Its' natural habitat is deep shaded jungle, rich in low protein vegetable matter in the form of rotting leaves and fruit. If the Africans began to crawl, refuse to go down in the bedding with bright light, lose their bright coloration, refuse to feed, or curl up, you can be sure something isn't right in the bedding. It could be acid formation or gases trapped in tightly packed bedding. Africans like slightly acidic conditions. Peat moss is acidic by nature(about 3.0) and would be good bedding material about 6 inches deep. A PH reading of about 6.5 is fine. These are surface feeders as are most all nightcrawlers. Feed chopped or ground vegetables and/or fruit, pulp, and supplement with ground rabbit feed or worm chow.

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