Finely ground materials that are soggy enough to be consumed. If you want to start vermicomposting and you’re considering our slippery friend, then you should understand their diet.īelow, you’ll find a list of the foods a nightcrawler will benefit from and ones you should avoid.Ģ. NightCrawlers DietĪs is common with most earthworms, night crawlers are heavy feeders. NOTE: They are indigenous to Europe but are in abundance in regions like Canada and Africa. They live and spend long periods deep in the soil and only come out at night to eat and mate. They are an invasive species and are useful to anybody with a fishing rod or a garden. They are from Europe but have found their way to other parts of the world. Nightcrawlers can be found everywhere around the world, since they’re another invasive species. Where Are Nightcrawlers From and Where do They Live? They can produce on average around 38 cocoons per year and it largely depends on whether or not they are in an optimal habitat with the right temperatures, moisture levels and food supplies. It takes another four to six weeks for them to reach this stage and be mature enough to reproduce. It can take around 2-3 weeks (at optimal temperatures) until they hatch and that’s when they start their journey to become full-grown adult nightcrawler worms. They start off as cocoons, containing around 1-5 worm babies per cocoon. ![]() Nightcrawler Worms Life CycleĪ Nightcrawlers’ life cycle can take between 6-10 weeks from egg to reproductive maturity. The name, ‘Nightcrawlers’ was given to this species of worm because they only come out to the soil surface at night to eat and mate. Tailīecause night crawlers are heavy burrowing worms, their tail tends to be more flattened than the head and lighter in color. The night crawlers appear red-greyish on their backside and slightly pink on their belly. More so, a full-grown nightcrawler will have 136 segments on its 4-8 Inches body. When compared to other earthworms, they have a relatively large body. LengthĪn adult nightcrawler worm measures up to 4-8 Inches in length. In light of that, we have highlighted some prominent features to look out for in nightcrawlers. There are millions of worm species in the soil and it is hard to differentiate one from another. Reproduction Rate: An average of 38 cocoons per year, or roughly one every 10 days.ĭays to Reach Adult Maturity: Within 45 days after hatching.Ĭomposting Difficulty: Medium.Not quite as easy as the red wigglers,they prefer vertical burrows deep into the soil but this isn’t a problem with the right set up. Ideal Diet: Leaf litter, plants, soil micro-organisms, insects, remains of larger dead animals.įeed Rate: They can eatas much as their own bodyweight daily. Other Names: Grunt worm, dew worms, garden worms, lob worm, and leaf worms. Canadian nightcrawlers prefer cooler temperatures, ideally 60 degrees F. Ideal Habitat Temperature: About 16-21☌ (60-70☏ but can withstand temps up to 80). Nightcrawlers Are Nocturnal, and Earthworms Are Diurnal.Key Differences Between Night Crawlers and Other Earthworms.How Do You Identify an African Nightcrawler when You See It?.Are Nightcrawlers Good Composting Worms in a Worm Farm?.Where Are Nightcrawlers From and Where do They Live?.Let’s deep dive (pun intended) right into this very common earthworm species. There is a ton of information and facts that you likely want to know about night crawlers and this article covers just that. Nightcrawler worms are scattered abroad due to factors such as bait trade, agriculture, horticulture, and unintentional transport. Over the years, they have migrated from their region of origin (Europe) to regions including Africa and Canada.Īll thanks to their invasive attributes, we now have varieties of them in each region and they are known as the Canadian nightcrawlers, African nightcrawlers, and European nightcrawlers. More so, the night crawlers, just like the red wiggler worms are an invasive species. They have a rather large body, unlike most earthworms you’ll find around. Though being Endogeic (deep soil) worm species, you’ll likely have to wait for them to show themselves (usually after heavy rainfall) ![]() Look around most moist soil surfaces at night and you may catch nightcrawler worms scrambling the area. The Best Hours to Catch Nightcrawlers, How and Where to Find Them
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