Posts Tagged ‘worms’
Can Red Wigglers and European Nightcrawlers cohabitate?
We get asked this question a lot. Can Red Wigglers and European Nightcrawlers cohabitate? Yes they can. In fact, these two types of worms have very similiar qualities and do very well together. Both can survive in temperatures between 40 -95 degrees. They both are the most active in temperatures ranging from 65-85 degrees. Although the Red Wiggler is the most well known composting worm around, the European Nightcrawler comes in a close second. They are great composters and will eat from the same food sources as the Red Wiggler.
You may hear people say that you cannot keep Nightcrawlers in a bin because they are not the right type of worms to use for composting. This maybe true of other varieties of Nightcrawlers and earthworms that you may find in your backyard. In fact, the European Nightcrawlers do very well in all types of worm bins. We have a few pounds that we keep in a Gusanito Worm bin and they are quite happy. They migrate up through the trays with ease.
The European Nightcrawlers are similar to appearance to the Red Wigglers. However, you will notice that they are quite a bit fatter. These worms have a nice girth to them that make them a great bait worm. I personally prefer the European Nightcrawlers over the Red Wigglers because of their size. Most kids at the schools we go to also seem to have the same opionion!
So if you have trouble deciding which worms you want to get for your compost bin this spring, why not try both. We now sell these two great worms together in mixed batches. You can find them here: MIXED WORMS
2010 Country Living Expo & Cattlemen’s Winterschool
Come visit us at the
2010 Country Living Expo
& Cattlemen’s Winterschool
Saturday January 30, 2009
Loction: Stanwood, Washington
Presented by WSU Extension, WSU Livestock Master Foundation
and the Cattlemen’s Association
For more information visit: http://skagit.wsu.edu/CountryLivingExpo/
We will have worm bins including the new Worm Inn (coming soon), Red Wigglers and European Nightcrawlers on hand. If you are planning on attending the Country Living Expo, you can pre-order worms and bins to pickup at the event. Contact us for more information.
Posted in Events | 
Tags: classes, country living expo, european nightcrwalers, Events, order, red wigglers, stanwood, washington, worm bins, worm inn, worms, wsu extension | 
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African Nightcrawler Cocoons
African Nightcrawler Cocoons are now available. These little gems can ship all year long and are a great economical way to get your worm herd starded! African Nightcrawlers are great composters and bait worms. They consume organic material quicker than the average red worms.
Under the right conditions, the hatch rate on 800 cocoons is 80%. These cocoons can hatch over 2,000 African Nightcrawlers for a fraction of the price of purchasing the worms. If you have questions about raising African Nightcrawlers feel free to contact us. You can find them here in our shopping cart.
Posted in African Nightcrawlers |
Tags: African Nightcrawlers, cocoons, composting, for sale, hatching, shipping, worms |
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NEW Support your school program!
Are you looking for a way to make a difference? We have just launched our new school support system. If you would like to help a school of your choice purchase worm composting products to teach kids about the importance of recycling and things they can do to help reduce waste, then this is your chance. You can now purchase gift certificates for a school or teacher in your area. We will help them choose a system that will fit their needs and provide full support to help them get started.
If the school is located in Snohomish County, WA, we will travel to the school to deliver the items to the classroom and teach the students and teacher how to set up the bins and care for the worms. If you are located oustside of Snohomish County, we offer full phone support to the teachers and students. We have helped many schools and people all over the country get started with composting worms. Northwest Wigglers will also send you a thank you card with a 10% off coupon for any Northwest Wigglers products on behalf of the school and let you know how your donation has contributed to the success of the students.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about this program.
Posted in NEWS |
Tags: charity, composting, donate, help, program, recycling programs, school, students, worms |
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Feeding your Red Wigglers, ENC’s and other composting worms.
Now that your worms are accustomed to their new home you will want to start slowly feeding them. We recommend that you start out with small amounts of food to get to know what your wigglers like to eat and also to monitor the quantity.
Red Wigglers are known to love Watermelon, Pureed Pumpkin (pie filling), and Corn Meal. Here are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to feeding your worms.
Dont’s:
- glossy paper products
- meat products
- dairy products
- jalapenos and other spicy foods
- cat and dog poo – can be composted by the worms but not if castings are to be used in the garden. Poses a health risk.
- citrus – can make the bin acidic. OK in very small quantities on occasion
Do’s:
- small pieces, it is a good idea to chop food or soften it by freezing then thawing
- bury food under the bedding at least 3″ to deter fruit flies and gnats
- use rain water or well water if using city water let it sit in a bucket for 24hours before using on bedding to reduce the chemicals used in the water. Worms are like organics, they do not like chemicals.
- OK, this is Don’t but it is under the Do’s. Don’t worry about bacteria, mold and microbe populations. These organisms help break down the food matter to make it easier for the worms to consume. They also contribute to the castings. Great compost is full of microbial organisms. And castings are full of them!
Here is a list of a few of the foods we feed to our worms:
(note is is better to try small quantities of new items at first to see if your worm herd enjoys them first)
| Apples & Peels | Oatmeal |
| Beans | Pinto Beans |
| Bananas & Peels | Pancakes |
| Cabbage | Pears |
| Cake | Potatoes |
| Celery | Pasta |
| Cereal | Rice |
| Coffee Grounds & Filters | Strawberries |
| Corn Meal | Tea Leaves & Bags |
| Cucumber | Tomatoes |
| Egg Shells (crushed) | Watermelon/ Cantaloupe |
| Garbanzo Beans | Wheat Bran |
| Lettuce |
By adding a pinch or two of cruched egg shells, sand, or dirt you can help your worms to digest the food in the list above. Worms have gizzards and need the grit that these items provide to help break down the food in the worms digestive system.
What do you feed your worms? Feel free to add to this list in the comments section.
Posted in Care & Feeding |
Tags: composting worm, eat, eisensia fetida, favorites, feed, feeding, food, red wigglers, worms |
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