Breeding of Earthworms:

In nature, earthworms follow a yearly cycle starting from fall when the soil is moist and cool, this and spring time are the most active time of an earthworm, the activity decreases as the temperature falls below 55 degrees F or above 75 degrees F. As the earthworm matures in summer many earthworms lay eggs and die due to heat and dryness. If the condition of soil and the temperature is favorable to the earthworm or in an earthworm farm each mature breeder earthworm will breed or lay eggs capsules every seven (7) days to two (2) weeks. The condition of bedding should be kept moist, cool (between 55 degree F and 75 degree F), loose and with plenty of food for the earthworm to munch on These eggs that the earthworm laid are called capsules, each egg capsules will hatch into three forth inch earthworm between two (2) to twenty (20) young earthworms per capsule after fourteen (14) to twenty-one (21) days.

The volume of offspring of earthworm given ideal conditions is really amazing! One mature breeder can produce between five hundred (500) to one thousand five hundred (1,500) offspring per year. It is estimated that under favorable conditions, each thousand (1,000) mature breeders can produce up to a million (1,000,000) earthworm per year or a trillion (1,000,000,000,000) earthworm in two years.

In general, earthworm breed when two mature attracted to each other copulate and overlap one another to about one-third of their length with its head facing in opposite direction and its ventral sides in contact with each other. It will secrete large quantities of viscous mucous that will bind tightly around the clitellar regions of their body to the posterior edge of the clitellum. The sperm from one earthworm will be picked up from another earthworm’s seminal receptacles. The sperm are then stored in a sperm packet until the eggs are or ova have matured, then it will release the sperm to fertilize the eggs. The eggs will be laid when the gland cells of the clitellum secrete a mucous ring around its body.

Incubation period of earthworm capsule or eggs is fourteen (14) to twenty (20) days depending on temperature and moisture conditions. The eggs will not hatch when the temperature is below 60 degree F or above 80 degree F or if the soil is very dry.