Raising earthwoms for herps

Captive care and husbandry.

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Kfen
Posts: 413
Joined: June 17th, 2010, 5:51 am
Location: CT

Raising earthwoms for herps

Post by Kfen »

Anyone have any experience using European nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis) for herps? I got some to try out due their ease of raising and they too give off that yellow stuff that red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) give off. My aquatic turtles will eat them after spitting them out a couple times, but I'm nervous to try to give them to my spengleri.

Anyone raise Lumbricus rubellus and want to sell some off? I cant seem to find any commercial dealers of that species which I think will work well.
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justinm
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Re: Raising earthwoms for herps

Post by justinm »

I've raised worms a few times, it's actually pretty simple. I started with some potting soil, then moistened it so that it wasn't sopping wet. Put a dozen or two of whichever worms you're wanting in. I then feed them potato peels, carrot peels, some leaves from trees, banana peels, and veggies bits that don't get eaten. In no time at all you will have a lot of worms and really good potting soil. The soil will get kind of nasty after some time.

When that happens I rinse the worms and start them over again. I would usually keep them somewhere dark and cool like in an unused closet in my herp room. I don't keep worms right now, but I was breeding them in Sterilite tubs that have a locking lid.
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PNWHerper
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Joined: July 8th, 2011, 2:04 pm
Location: King County, WA

Re: Raising earthwoms for herps

Post by PNWHerper »

Kfen,

If you are interested in feeding your worms kitchen compost, you can grow a whole lot of them and you can also have great compost for you potted plants or garden.

Here is an article I did on worm composting, perhaps it will help:

http://www.wildernesscollege.com/worm-c ... ystem.html

The bin systems mentioned in the article are cheap and great way to easily grow worms. Just follow the instructions, so you don't freeze or cook your worms in the bins.

Good luck,

Fil
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