Keeping Lumbricus terrestris fresh

[Molch]

I got some L. terrestris from Wards. I know they are not easy to culture, but I would at least like to keep them alive long enough to feed them off. I have 100 big worms; it might take up to 2 months to feed them all.

Any suggestions? I have a cold storage room, where it's about 50 degrees. Or should they be in the fridge?

 

[Molch]

also, these guys, though alive, look a bit floppy - is that normal or should they be more "muscular"?

 

[sergé]

Sepearate al the dead, half ones or barely live ones from the good ones. The good ones you can put in a small plastic bucket with some soil and some fallen leaves (with a lid of course and small holes) in the fridge. You can then keep them for weeks without problems. Just make sure the soil stays moist but not wet!

Half ones (so the ones that have wounds or that are cut in two) you have to feed as soon as possible. If they are floppy place them in water and see if they recover (then they start moving qwuickly). If they won't move you can try to feed them to your newts asap or else thorugh them away.

If you leave dead worms with the good ones they will all die soon and the whole bucket becomes a smelly business..

 

[Molch]

thanks Serge - I distributed them over about 5 boxes and sorted out the floppy-looking ones. They are at 10 C or 50 F - I hope that's cool enough.

I might have to eat some too to help my newts get through all these - I'm afraid I ordered waay too many!

 

[Molch]

to give an update -

I keep them in ordinary potting soil in styrofoam boxes in my dark cold storage room where temps range from 45-55 degrees. They seem to be doing ok. I do find an occasional dead one and take it out immediately (I look through each box every other day or so). I fed them a bit by sprinkling a mix of flour, dried milk and parmesan cheese, but wowsa, that stuff started growing huge amounts of mold immediately so I took it out again. I think the coarse potting soild may have enough food in it as is.

I hope this setup will keep them fresh until I fed them off - I still have at least 50, so that'll take another month at least!

 

[Molch]

I should add: everything I've read recommends strongly to have a well-closing lid,
but frankly, my worms show no intention whatsoever to leave their soil at the bottom of the container. I hardly ever see them on the surface even. Nobody has attempted to wander off yet.

to be sure though - I DO have a lid

 

[froggy]

If you put some decaying leaves (they need to be wet and rotting rather than just dead and dry) on the surface, the worms will come up in the dark and feed on the rotting material. They will last a lot longer and be much healthier if they have something to feed on. You can mix goldfish flakes in with the leaves and the worms usually feed on the flakes, too. This might improve their nutritional value if they are fed out shortly after eating the flakes.

C

 

[Opacum]

And if you are keeping them in dirt you can also put them in oatmeal the night before you feed them as this cleans the dirt out from inside them. Yep, even fiber works in 'worm-world'...

 

[caleb]

I've scanned the chapter on earthworm rearing from an old UFAW handbook, for anyone interested:

http://www.urodela.co.uk/triturus/temp/UFAW/earthworm1.gif
http://www.urodela.co.uk/triturus/temp/UFAW/earthworm2.gif
http://www.urodela.co.uk/triturus/temp/UFAW/earthworm3.gif
http://www.urodela.co.uk/triturus/temp/UFAW/earthworm4.gif
http://www.urodela.co.uk/triturus/temp/UFAW/earthworm5.gif

They recommend using thick wooden boxes (with drainage holes) filled with soil, and feeding with manure. They suggest that a lid is not needed as long as they're not overcrowded, and that large worms will need 145cc of soil each; about half that for smaller one.

This book also has chapters on lab rearing of various amphibians, but it's interesting mainly as a historical curiosity...

 

[ACEPHONECHIC]

Hi i successfully keep worms for my Axolotls to feed as and when needed.

The best way I have found of keeping them healthy and lively is to dig a nice chunk of soil preferably with worms inside or if not making sure it is from a chemical free area, clean patch of garden. I dig with some grass on top but not necessary. Placing the whole lot into one of the medium sized plastic fish/amphibian tanks you can by with a lid which already has holes in but fits tightly.

I find other than what they find to eat in the soil is to cook a jacket potato in its skin allow to cool and cut in half and lay it on top of the soil. The worms will feed quite happy on this and when you wish to scource if you flip the potato over usually the worms will be underneath. A very important thing is to lightly spray the soil top once a day so that everything does not dry out too much.

 

[bmp1976]

L. Terrestris are not hard to keep as many people think...in fact they are easier than red wigglers. I keep mine in cardboard/paper/sand at room temp. in a plastic bin. I live in Florida the bin stays inside. Keep them moist and fed. My worms reproduce like crazy and I have tons of babys all the time.

 

[Molch]

L. Terrestris are not hard to keep as many people think...in fact they are easier than red wigglers. I keep mine in cardboard/paper/sand at room temp. in a plastic bin. I live in Florida the bin stays inside. Keep them moist and fed. My worms reproduce like crazy and I have tons of babys all the time.

Hmm..are you sure you have L. terrestris? At room temp, mine would surely die. What do you feed them with?

 

[Alejandro]

I agree with Molch. I am sure they are not Lumbricus terrestris, but may be Dendrobaena sp.

 

[bmp1976]

Sorry for the mix up I have Eisenia Hortensis.