I think the main problem with breeding Lumbricus terrestris in captivity is the temperature. They like it pretty cool and will die off rapidly if it gets warm. I am sure you could Google their optimum temperature. Unless you live somewhere with a very cold climate I think some form of refrigeration is necessary to provide the conditions they need. I believe most of the L.terrestris sold in fishing shops have been gathered in the wild. There may be some people raising them successfully but I think it is pretty tricky to do. I have read accounts of people who have tried to breed them and most of them don't seem to have had much success. I would be very interested to hear how you get on.

I am intending to try and breed Lumbricus rubellus. A lot of people on the internet claim to use L.rubellus for vermicomposting, but I think mostly this is a case of mis-identification. L.rubellus is not well suited to vermicomposting and I believe it needs soil to thrive. I am wondering whether L.rubellus would make good fishing bait and as such would be worth producing commercially as an alternative to L.terrestris and Dendrobaena veneta, which seem to dominate the fish bait market.

I am going off the label saying they are Canadian. No scientific name available- Walmart and lcoal grocery store purchase.

I am in Southern Oregon so outside hits 100s frequently this time of year. Worms are in a basement that I believe is 70 at the most, probably 65. The bin is on a concrete floor which is even cooler. Online resources say their maximum temperaturewould be 65. I expect winter to be more favorable if this is the case as that probably knocks the temp down another 5-10.

Is there a common name for L.rubellus? I haven't nailed down those names as it seems different websites provide contradictory names...

"Canadian nightcrawler" is a term used in the USA to refer to Lumbricus terrestris. I think it is because a lot of the worms sold in fishing shops are collected in Canada and exported. In the UK the term "lob worm" or "common earthworm" is used to refer to the same species.

I wouldn't get too hung up on common names for worms; that way confusion lies. A lot of species have multiple common names and some common names are used to refer to more than one species. If you use Latin names there is no risk of confusion.

I wish you success with your breeding attempts; please keep us updated on the forum.

I did some more research. After looking at my packaging, two containers of worms came from DMF Bait. Their website claims their Canadians are actually Lumbricus terrestris just like you said. Searching further, I found a related site selling castings. They keep the worms in a cooler where they say they have never had any breeding, the worms only eat and make castings. Quite interesting. I guess I am assuming they use the Canadians for this process, not sure how they keep their numbers up over time.

http://earthwormcastingsunlimited.com/production-procsess/

Update and new questions:

As predicted, my Lumbricus terrestris never really took off. In fact, I think they were dying off. I found a great Craigslist deal for two worm factory type bins complete with worms, castings ready for harvest and extra trays. Added my survivors to those bins and haven't seen them since.

My new concern is that my worms aren't eating like I would expect. I have a good population but over the last month have only convinced them to consume about 1 pound of scraps per tower. I thought they would eat that much in a couple days! I chop and then freeze their meals in ice cube trays. Usually feed two cubes at a time every couple days. Only the previous feeding is visible when feeding again. I have a large population of the small white worms that seem to evidence overfeeding... I find juvenile worms in the bin along with the adults.

Why aren't my worms eating more?

Hey Mad Dog: Do you still keep them in your RM? How deep is it? Since they are CNC (canadian nightcrawlers), it might work better if you can find one of those taller garbage bins. These are burrowing worms. Instead of adding too much kitchen scraps, just cover the top with lots of leaf mold. For leaf mold, I only use Persimmons or Fig, which I know for sure is safe (not poisonous plants). The small white worms are pot worms, good only for aquarium fish.

I take it from your biomass comment that you are raising them for fishing (which is what I do). If so, I recommend buying some European nightcrawlers. I got mine from Uncle Jim's.

They work really well for fishing because they survive longer underwater and are much more active.

Yes, it's sad to put your babies on hooks, but it's a cruel world. ;)