Lumbricus rubellus
dividedsky727
14 years ago
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tobytub
14 years agodividedsky727
14 years agoRelated Discussions
Latin worm names and descriptions
Comments (15)CCvacation, This is the man you need to call. This slow paced and boring yet with hints of brilliance video relates to your topic. Specifically at time marker 1:30 for two seconds and 2:52 to 3:36. OK to skip the rest. I suspect this learned gentleman (due to his own years of hands on, in the field, real life experience) knows his stuff and would enjoy a conversation with you. Clues in the video make me wonder if he is the man in the street reporter at Bentley the compost guy Christie's. If you can get a hold of his "diagram of worm location in the bag" from the video and draw it out for us. Then maybe us using only one type of worm can see the error of our ways and forge a new, worm diverse path into the vermicastings rich future. Or at least open a discussion on the topic those with tons of cow poop know about and are keeping secret from us. This is like spy stuff. We need code names. Now at least getting the scoop on someone will have real meaning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmbByYvKYwM Yes it is a .com link which technically is against the law. Ban me. I''m OK with it. My most fun thing after playing with the worms is reading good, knowledgeable, worm posters, and even banned posters get to do that. You lucky dogs you. But in the end, readers or posters, we are all generating page views for "the unseen man behind the curtain earning $ from our efforts, generosity and curiosity"....See MoreShoot!
Comments (14)Alexanndra, My guess is that your piles might be too dry: they should be kept about as wet as a wrung-out sponge. If you are in desert-Mexico, you may need to keep them covered, and even if you are humid-Mexico, you may need to water them if it hasn't been raining much. Your plan sounds good, but I would add a couple steps: "1) mix in a big bag of peat moss that I have lying around 2) buy some manure and mix it in" 2-1/2) water the piles until they are moist throughout "3) cover with a plastic tarp 4) wait a while and hope it gets hot, then after a couple weeks" 4-1/2) check to see whether worms have migrated into the pile from the soil underneath. A good pile often has a "Field Of Dreams" effect: if you build it, they will come :) If you still don't see any, go ahead and add some. Assuming I get the worms going, can I grab a bunch of them and "sprinkle" them on my lawn so that they will aerate my soil and eat the tons of thatch that I have? I have heard this, but is it true? Maybe. If they come into your piles from the soil, or if they are the composting worm species that also lives in soil, they'll do fine. If they are composting-only worms, they will live in any decaying organic matter on the soil surface (leaf piles, lawn litter, your thatch if it stays moist enough), but not in the soil itself. When you have your worms going strong, try "sprinkling" a few and see what happens (again, be sure to "water them in", especially if the lawn's at all dry). 2. Also, can I put them in all my potted plants to aerate them, too? See answer # 1. (Unless you are raising bonsai: there isn't really room for worms in those teeny handfuls of soil). 3. If I take them out of the compost and put them into my lawn/potted plants, will they have anything to eat or would I have to add compost every so often to feed them? a) Yes, they will eat your lawn thatch, fallen leaves, mulch, etc., and any other organic matter in your soil/potting soil. b) Adding compost every so often will feed not only your worms, but your plants and your soil, and is such a resoundingly good idea that you would do well to plenty of finished compost whenever you can. Some people spread compost on their lawns annually from a fertilizer spreader, and have the best lawns on the block (as verified by their boasts on the Soil and Lawn forums :) 4. What is the scientific name of red wigglers? I need something I can use in Spanish. Eisenia fetida (one valid pronunciation is "i SEE nee a FET id a") is the primary worm called the "Red Wiggler", but is largely indistinguishable from: Eisenia andrei("Red Wiggler", also sometimes called "Red Tiger"). These two species are often sold intermixed, and both do very well in the compost pile. Lumbricus rubellus("Red Wiggler", also sometimes called "Redworm"). This worm does great in the compost pile, and can also live in soil rich in organic material. Thus it is the species that you could successfully "sprinkle" on your lawn and potted plants. To get a random mixture of the above three species, buy any worms called Red Wigglers, Redworms, Compost Worms or even Eisenia fetida :) They are very difficult for laymen to tell apart, and it makes no difference which of these three species you put into your compost. You might also find the tropical worms: Perionyx excavatus ("Indian Blue Worm) or Eudrilus eugeniae ("African Nightcrawler") - this ones dies at temps below 50 F. Both these species live in both soil and compost. The worm you don't want for your compost is: Lumbricus terrestris("Night Crawler") - good for fishing, but not a compost worm. It doesn't like to be disturbed by digging, and it does like soil at least 6 ft. deep to dig in itself (but they'd be great for your lawn). 5. Once I start adding kitchen scraps again, should I first let them sit a few days to start rotting before I put them in the pile? So far I have just put them directly into the pile each day. Either way. They have to sit for a few days before they break down enough for the worms to eat them (worms don't really eat the scraps, but the bacteria that feed on the scraps themselves), but whether the scraps break down in your pile or elsewhere doesn't matter much. (Unless the scraps spend time where fruit flies might lay eggs, and fruit flies in your compost would bother you.) You may also want to check out the "Soil, Compost and Mulch" forum for (much! :) more info on composting in general. Their FAQ (http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/soil/), especially under "A Brief Intro To Composting", is very helpful. Good luck, and say "Hi" to your worms for me! :) Evelyn PS. According to my English/Spanish dictionary, "earthworm' is "lombriz f (de tierra)". But you probably already knew that :) Here is a link that might be useful: A Brief Intro To Composting...See MoreNewbie question about worms
Comments (8)Thank you all!! Mystery solved! I had never picked one up until you guys requested a pic. Now I realize that the iridescence, fluorescent 'glow' was as Wormy-Acres stated; due to the way the light hit -- once I picked them up, the fluorescence disappeared when the slime dried up! Prior they had been moving so fast I had thought the iridescence was actually in the color of the worm, and not its slime. (like my title stated: a newbie!!) I had never seen worms quite so iridescent before (the image is from an inexpensive camera and didn't quite capture the fluorescence very well) and so many of them to boot, (piles of glowing worms!) so it was quite intriguing! Thanks a bunch for all your suggestions and thoughts! Here is a link that might be useful:...See MoreWorm Color
Comments (5)But the OP said they fond the transparent worms in the outdoor compost bin. I have noticed that the very young compost worms are a bit translucent but they do have a pink tinge to them. And even some of the bigger red worms have a bit of translucence to them and I've noticed that the tail end of em sometimes seem as if they gotta go if you know what I mean. As for adult size transparent worms, I don't know. Do you mean transparent as in no pink/red to em like they are colorless clear and you can see stuff moving through them? or is it more that they have the pink/red tinge but are a bit translucent and you can kinda see that there is stuff in them? Pot worms are very small and white/transparent. They may be an indication that something is slightly off in the bin but not necessarily wrong enough to cause panic....See Moretakadi
14 years agoafrican
14 years agoafrican
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12 years ago
Gregory Dent
7 years agoI see your request is several years old. Too bad, I just started a garden this year and have rubellus everywhere under the mulch.
bjc79
7 years agoGregory Dent
7 years agoHello, no I'm not a scientist, and I dont have a microscope, but I got curious and did a little checking on line. I read to count the segments from the mouth to the beginning of the clitellum. The Canadian night crawler has 32 segments. I have checked a few adults now, and my guys all have 26 segments. The fella in the picture I posted is six inches long.
Gregory Dent
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