How to Raise European Nightcrawlers

Fishermen and backyard compost keepers might recognize the European nightcrawler, which is also known as Eisenia hortensis. It is a pale pink-colored earthworm with a midsection that appears gray or brown after feeding. The head end does not change color, which makes it easy to identify. Learning how to raise European nightcrawlers allows you to enjoy a steady supply of fish bait and vermicompost.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic storage box
  • Drill
  • ¼-inch bit
  • Water
  • Coir worm bedding
  • Measuring tape
  • European nightcrawlers
  • Kitchen compost
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Spray bottle
  • Additional worm bins
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up a worm bin. Choose a plastic storage box that provides one square foot of space; this makes a suitable home for about 1,000 European nightcrawlers. Attach the ¼-inch bit to your drill and make holes in the bottom of the box and also along the top. This provides ventilation and drainage.

    • 2

      Buy coir worm bedding. A half-pound brick usually provides about eight quarts of dry material. Soak the material in water overnight. Wring out any excess moisture.

    • 3

      Fill the bin with coir worm bedding. Make sure to separate the strands and avoid lumps. Provide a mass of bedding that measures a little over six inches in height.

    • 4

      Introduce the European nightcrawlers into the worm bin. They will likely crawl into the bedding to get away from the light. Place the bin in a dark place that is sheltered from extreme temperatures. A basement or closet with a temperature ranging from about 50 to 70 F is a good location.

    • 5

      Collect kitchen scraps. Save stale bread, leftover vegetables, used tea bags, apple cores and other bits and pieces of fruit and also coffee grounds as well as the filters they are in. Cut up the scraps with a chef's knife on your cutting board, until you have a finely chopped mix.

    • 6

      Sprinkle the ground scraps on top of the bedding. You may also decide to designate one side of the worm bin your feeding ground. It is there that you would concentrate the majority of the scraps.

    • 7

      Fill a spray bottle with water and mist the food scraps. Come back after 24 hours to check on your European nightcrawlers. If there is still plenty of food left, clean up the excess and reduce the amount you feed next time. If there is nothing left, slightly increase the scraps you feed.

    • 8

      Look for egg capsules. When exchanging some of the used bedding with fresh material and removing castings---about once every two to three weeks---you may notice oval capsules that are either red or brown. These are nightcrawler egg capsules. Generally speaking, each nightcrawler produces one per week. One capsule may hatch one to five worms.

    • 9

      Provide more worm bins. The worms reach maturity in about three to seven months and produce more egg capsules. European nightcrawlers do not thrive in crowded conditions. Although they can still produce egg capsules, the subsequent hatchlings may not mature properly if there is too much competition for oxygen, moisture and food.