Laboratory studies were undertaken with the compost worm, Eudrilus eug
eniae in order to determine the pattern of cocoon deposition. Experime
nts were performed over a period of 63 days with worms in containers w
ith different depths of urine free cattle manure as substrate. A cocoo
n production rate of 1.7 cocoons per worm per day was obtained and mos
t of the cocoons (more than 80%) were deposited in the uppermost 10 cm
of the substrate. A harvesting method that removes this layer will th
erefore collect most of the cocoons.