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Earthworms can be seen almost anywhere around the world.
They are that abundant and very handy to have around, especially if you're going to use them for vermicomposting.
But in any case, the earthworm life cycle starts when two worms mate, and the rest follows.
You can learn more about this process by reading more from this article.
One interesting thing about worms (like red worms for example) is that they are born hermaphrodites (has both male and female sexual organs).
This only means that each worm can produce both sperm and eggs.
Although each worm may have two reproductive organs, one may never be able to mate on its own.
A worm will still need another worm (should be able to mate wit the same kind) to be able to reproduce.
So how do worm composting worms mate and breed? Well, you'll know two worms are currently mating when you see them lie on each other.
You will also notice a mucus-like material wrapped around them, while sperms are being passed on to each worm during the process of pairing-off.
Now, the next thing that happens is the formation of the eggs.
As soon as this development in the worms body is done, they will now start to pull away from one another, and excrete their cocoons (where the baby eggs are stored).
These soft cocoons will be stored under the ground and will gradually achieve a more hardened cover (or shell) through time.
Now that both worms (whether these are the night crawler or red wigglers type) have finished laying their cocoons on the ground, what happens next is the hatching of these eggs.
But these eggs won't hatch just yet.
Worm cocoons take about two weeks to three months (particularly when it's cold) before it hatches completely.
But if a warm temperature envelops the eggs on a regular basis, then there's a higher chance for these cocoons to hatch early on.
When these worms do finally hatch out of their eggs will look light-pink in shade, and will only look as long as 12 mm for starters.
They're also born without any sexual organs so you can't expect these youngsters to reproduce just yet.
But they'll be able to do so as soon as they reach one year.
Now when these soil creatures reach adulthood, they would probably be as long as 12 inches or more by now (only less than 20 feet).
An earthworm life cycle winds back to where it started as soon as the adult worms start mating and fertilizing their eggs (for a newer generation that is).
These worms will typically start mating, breeding, fertilizing, maturing, and breeding again.
It just simply goes around that way.
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