Worm Farming

Many schools are teaching their students about worm composting and worm farming.  Kids are encouraging their parents to set-up worm farms at home.  This recycling project is a great one that parents and children can do together.  Worm farming is simple to start, easy to maintain and it can be a very gratifying project for all.

Worm farming, unlike outdoor composting, does not require much space or work.  The worm bin can easily be kept in a garage, basement or kitchen.  The worm bin needs to be stored in a dark place that is between 50°-80°F,  and  ideally, 72°-75°F.

To start a worn farm use a large plastic bin with a lid.  Drill ¼” holes in the bottom and top of the bin.  Worms like it dark, so make sure to use a nontransparent container. There are also commercial worm bins available for sale that are all ready to use.

The next step is to shred newspaper (black and white print only) and fill the worm bin about half way.  Dampen the paper and squeeze out any excess water.  Add a handful of dirt, a few kitchen scraps, the red wiggler worms (start with a ½ to 1 pound of red wigglers) and cover with another layer of moist shredded newspaper.  Don’t use earthworms!  The red wigglers are your best worms for composting household scraps.  You have just completed your worm farm.

To maintain your worm farm feed the worms every few days.  Foods that are not the worms’ favorites and should not be given to them are:  citrus, spicy foods, meats and dairy products. By eliminating these foods the worms will be content and will not try to escape the bin.  The worm bin should have an earthy smell to it.  If there are bad odors emanating from the worm composting bin you may be overfeeding the red wigglers or feeding them unsuitable foods, like meat and dairy which will rot in the bin.

It’s time now to sit back and let the worms do the work.  The worm castings will be available in a few months to be used for your plants, gardens and lawns. Then start the whole process over again.  Worm farming is not only an interesting project, it is a fun project that the whole family can enjoy.

Advertising may be the most expensive part of many small businesses, including a worm farm. But without the correct advertisement, your business will have difficulty. There are numerous types of advertising to consider, but the best will always be happy repeat customers who will refer others to you.

Radio advertising, newspaper or magazine advertisements are all pretty expensive. Simply because of the cost you may not be able to advertise on a regular basis. Start-up costs can be demanding in any business.

You should have signage that is large enough to read, brightly colored and carefully located so that it will be spotted by people driving by. A sign that is professionally done will attract the interest of more people. Think about it from the consumer point of view. Surely a large, colorful sign would draw more attention than a small black and white sign. The advertisement for your worm farm should be inviting to visitors.

Another means of advertising your worm farm is by creating flyers or bulletins. Many people will make up a large stack of them and place them on each and every car they see until they run out. But you want to get the most out of every cent you invest in your advertising. Think about areas where people may be interested in worm farming. A person outside of a hardware or sports store may be more likely to want worms for fishing or to use the worm compost for fertilizer than a busy mom taking her kids to soccer practice. . Always get permission from owners or managers of stores before posting anything or leaving flyers on car windshields. Flower or garden shops may allow you to post a flyer on a bulletin board-use your imagination and be creative!

You could consider holding a demonstration about the benefits of your worm farm at the local library. Many libraries hold special sessions for the kids during the summer. These children have parents and grandparents who garden and fish and own reptiles or birds who might need worms. Be sure to hand out color pages or bookmarks or something similar with a small bit of information for your business, including your phone number.

You can purchase a magnetic sign that can be placed on your car or truck which would advertise your worm farm. There are thrift newspapers that have lower cost advertising. There may be local flea markets or farmer’s markets where you can set up a booth.

Make sure you check out your tax laws and your business license requirements for your area. Even if you have your worm farm at your house, you may be required to get a permit to sell your worms or the things you are able to produce because of your worms (like the tea, compost, fertilizers, etc.).

With some creative thinking you will be able to come up with many ideas that will make advertising your worm farm fun and yield profitable results.

Worm farming is an excellent way to naturally compost waste without adding to landfills. Vermicompost is produced as a result, providing a nutrient rich substance that greatly benefits gardens, crops and house plants. The worms (red wigglers) kept in worm farms demand little to remain healthy, voracious eaters. Understanding the anatomy of these worms proves useful in understanding their needs.

A worm’s body is made up of 70-95 percent water. Worms therefore require a very moist environment that should be mimicked in the worm farm. When worms die, they often shrivel up and go unnoticed as the water content is lost at this point.

Worms are cold blooded animals. Temperatures between 50-80 degrees are required to maintain the worm farm. The optimum temperature would be between 72 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit to assist the regulation of their body temperatures. Worm farms should be placed in a location that allows for this constant temperature, or bins that are insulated should be purchased.

One focus of worm farming is to have worms that will reproduce easily. Worms are hermaphrodites, meaning they possess both male and female sex organs. Worm farmers must realize that although they are hermaphrodites, they cannot self-fertilize. A single worm cannot reproduce alone. A colony of many worms will result in larger numbers being produced.

Worms used in worm farms are covered in a slimy mucus coating. This coating serves many purposes. The mucus helps the worms retain water. Since their bodies are made up of a high percentage of water, an important step when worm farming is to be sure to provide adequate moisture levels in the bin. The worm is able to hold in the required moisture level because of this mucus coating.

The worm’s mucus coating is also a protector. As the worm burrows into soil and bedding, the mucus provides a slick coat protecting it from harmful substances that may reside there.

The anatomy of the mouth of the worm is regarded as unique. In the worm, the mouth is called the Peristonium. Worms do not have teeth. Instead they have this mouth organ that is used for prying. Worm farmers should be aware that worms will be able to better compost food items that have been cut into smaller pieces. Soaked paper and cardboard products will be more easily pried apart than hard, non-soaked pieces.

Established worm farmers and those new to the hobby are often surprised to learn the life span of the worms that are commonly used in worm farming. The common lifespan of these worms is typically between 4 and 8 years. It has been reported that some worms have been known to live over 15 years.

These are long lived creatures whose lives are most often cut short by accidents. The myth that worms can be cut in half and therefore produce two worms is false. If a worm is cut behind its vital organs it will grow a new tail, but the back part will not survive. Worm farmers should always be careful when searching for worms, replacing bedding or removing vermicompost. Sharp or hard tools are likely to injure a worm or even cause death.

If provided a good diet, proper living conditions and a safe environment, worms can live long healthy lives. Healthy worms produce healthy compost that can be put to good use. Understanding the basics of the anatomy of these worms will aid in the understanding of how unique they are and how to address their needs.

If you want to raise worms as a business then you need to raise worms that can be used for fishing bait, food for birds and reptiles, for composting or those used to help benefit the soil.

Worms have no exoskeletons and are not created the same inside as humans and other animals. A worm has one brain and five hearts. Contrary to popular belief, if you cut an earthworm in half you will not get two new worms. If the cut is behind the vital organs the worm will grow a new tail-the other end will die.

Earthworms breathe through their skin. They breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. They can’t control their own body temperatures. When they’re in captivity, you must control their environment-especially the temperature and moisture content.

Some people grow worm farms for their own personal adventure. Kids use them for pets. Gardeners encourage their growth to maintain healthy crops or flower gardens. They create excellent natural compost and fertilizers! Some people eat worms, although it isn’t something that is a big hit in the United States.

Composting is encouraged to help the environment and to reduce the amount of waste that is hauled to landfills daily. Worm farming is one small way to help. Small ways add up to big benefits when enough people join together in their efforts. If you have complaints about the environment, if you’ve thrown away food scraps, newspapers, sticks and grass clippings or leaves, if you want to be involved in a positive way to help, then worm farming may be just the right adventure for you!

Night crawlers, red wiggler worms, catalpa worms, and grub worms all make good fishing worms.

When feeding worms in your worm bin it is important to remember a few things. Worms love vegetable and fruit scraps. If you cut the scraps into small pieces it will be easier for the worms to eat, but is not required. Do not feed them onions, garlic or peppers-it will only make the worms want to escape! Never feed the worms meat-it takes too long for it to decompose and your worm bin will start to smell. Make sure that when you feed the worms you bury the food.

Check out what the other worm farmers are doing. Their prices, shipping methods, growing bins, advertisements may all come in handy for helping you plan your own adventure in worm farming.

So you’ve decided to take the plunge and set up your own worm farm. Perhaps you’re looking for a natural way for composting waste or are interested in the nutrient rich fertilizing substance produced by the worms. Or you may be looking to provide a constant supply of live bait or live food for exotic pets. Regardless of the reason, you’re going to need to set up a worm bin.

Various worm farm kits are available for purchase at worm farming supply companies and garden centers. These come in different shapes, sizes and colors and each have their own benefits. The frugal approach is to build your own.

The first thing to consider is how big of a container you’re going to need.  For each pound of waste you will be feeding the worms, you’ll need one square foot of space in your bin. Depth should be at least six to twelve inches.

A plastic tote or  wooden container works well. Metal containers should not be used as irons and chemicals can leach into the soil, harming the worms.

Once a container of the appropriate size has been chosen, it’ll need to be prepared. Holes should be drilled or punched through the top of the container to allow for air flow.

There are two ways to address the bottom of the container. One method is to drill or punch holes into the bottom of the container to allow excess water and other liquids to drain out. Another is to install a spout at the bottom of the container. When liquid begins to fill up in the bottom, the spout is turned on and releases the fluid.

If using a spout, a raised shelf should be added within the container. This shelf should be the same width as the container, but be allowed to sit a few inches above the bottom. This will allow the empty space at the bottom to fill with liquid and prevent it from sitting in the soil and bedding. This raised shelf should be made of slats or have several holes to allow liquids to drain into the bottom of the container.

If a raised shelf is not used, screening should be installed over the holes to allow liquid to run out of the container but prevent worms from squeezing through. Screening should also be attached to the top of the container to prevent escape.

Some thought should be put into what will be used for bedding material. Soaked and shredded newspapers, cardboard and even dampened leaves can be layered in the bin. Regardless of the material used for bedding, a small amount of soil should always be mixed in. If using the raised shelf system, bedding should be layered on top of the shelf.

The container should be put in a location that will ensure optimal conditions. Temperatures should remain between 72 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  The bin should not be placed in direct sunlight.

Worms can be added to your own worm farm once the bin has been constructed, bedding has been added, and the perfect location has been found. Worm farming is rewarding whether it is done for a profit or a hobby. Constructing an appropriate home for these guys is your first step towards becoming an authentic worm farmer.

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Go to Red Wiggler Composting Worms to find out more.