WormMainea
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Prolific Breeders - 2006/05/08 12:01
Sue recently posted this:
Sunday, 11 September 2005
by Kelly Slocum
This worm species is naturalized to the southern US. Any worm system in soil contact or that is fed material that has been in soil contact in areas where P. excavatus is common is likely to innoculate their system with this worm species. If conditions in the bed and/or system management are favorable to P. excatus there is the potential for them to outcompete E. fetida. Their breeding and growth rate far exceeds even that of our little redworms!
The reality is that few worm systems are supporting just one worm species. Virtually all worm bins that are using E. fetida worms, for instance, support significant numbers of a different species called Eisenia andreii. The two worm species can only be distinguished from one another by molecular investigation, however. There is no way for we common folk to tell the difference, and it's not important that we do in this case since the two species perform and behave virtually identically. The point is simply that few if any worm beds are truly pure cultures of just one worm species.
If your worm sales are to local folks who want to use them for vermicomposting barnyard waste then having P. excavatus in your culture is irrelevent. They do the same thing in the natural environment that E. fetida does, and are, clearly, well adapted to your area. Further, chances are these worms are going to get into the system being used by the person who buys their worms from you, so taking extra steps to keep P. exavatus out of your beds would be a lot of work for no return.
If you intend to ship worms around the country, however, you will want to try to keep P. excavatus out of the system. This is done by keeping your beds away from the soil and either choosing feedstocks that have not been in soil contact or hot composting the feedstock to destroy any worm eggs that might be present before feeding it to your worm beds.
Getting P. excavatus out our an existing mixed culture bed is a bit of a challenge, as you guessed. It might be best to simply begin specialized E. fetida beds on their own, and rebuild your population using careful management that prevents P. excavatus contamination.
Perionyx excavatus is not a "nuisance worm" as some have suggested, but it is a more temperatmental species than our delightfully tolerant E. fetidas. The problem is not with the worms, but with our understanding of worm system management in varying environments.
Here are the reproduction rates (also thanks to Kelly) of a few species:
Following are the maximum reproducive rates of a few worm species under ideal conditions, and their environmental requirements:
Eisenia fetida (foetida)/Eisenia andrei Common names: redworm, tiger worm, manure worm
Maximum reproduction under ideal condtions:
3.8 cocoons per adult per week
83.2% hatching success rate
3.3 hatchlings per cocoon
Net reproduction of 10.4 young per adult per week
Maximum growth rate under ideal conditions:
32-73 days to cocoon hatch
53-76 days to sexual maturity
85-149 days from egg to maturity
Temperature requirements (?F):
Minimum 38?
Maximum 95?
Ideal range 70-80?
Heat tolerance is dependant on moisture level E. fetida is extremely tolerant of environmental fluctuation and handling and is the species identified by research as the most effective for vermicomposting in the widest range of feedstocks and environments.
Perionyx excavatus Common names: blue worm, Indian blue, Malaysian blue, Spike tail.
Maximum reproduction under ideal condtions:
19.5 cocoons per adult per week
90.7% hatching success rate
1.1 hatchlings per cocoon
Net reproduction of 19.4 young per adult per week
Maximum growth rate under ideal conditions:
16-21 days to cocoon hatch
29-55 days to sexual maturity
45-76 days from egg to maturity
Temperature requirements (?F):
Minimum 45-50?
Maximum 90?
Ideal range 70-80?
Heat tolerance is dependant on moisture level P. excavatus cannot tolerate cold temps for even brief periods of time and does not tolerate environmental fluctuation or handling. It is most frequently used in tropical regions where it is naturalized and is found naturally only in areas along the gulf coast of the US. If used in most areas of north America this worm requires temperature controlled environments.
Eudrilus eugeniae Common names: African nightcrawler, giant nightcrawler
Maximum reproduction under ideal condtions:
3.6 cocoons per adult per week
81% hatching success rate
2.3 hatchlings per cocoon
Net reproduction of 6.7 young per adult per week
Maximum growth rate under ideal conditions:
13-27 days to cocoon hatch
32-95 days to sexual maturity
43-122 days from egg to maturity
Temperature requirements (?F):
Minimum 45?
Maximum 95?
Ideal 75-82?
Heat tolerance is dependant on moisture level. This worm species is a very large worm that is often grown for bait. It requires a temperature controlled environment in most areas of north America as it cannot tolerate cold for even brief periods and does not tolerate handling.
Eisenia hortensis (Dendrobaena veneta) Common names: Belgian nightcrawler, European nightcrawler
Maximum reproduction under ideal condtions:
1.6 cocoons per adult per week
81.2% hatching success rate
1.1 hatchlings per cocoon
Net reproduction of 1.4 young per adult per week
Maximum growth rate under ideal conditions:
40-128 days to cocoon hatch
57-86 days to sexual maturity
97-214 days from egg to maturity
Temperature requirements (?F):
Minimum 38?
Maximum 90?
Ideal 60-70?
Heat tolerance is dependant on moisture level. This worm is very tolerant of environmental fluctuation and handling, but has a slower reproductive rate and requires very high moisture levels, relative to other worm species.
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