Worm Farming

You’ll find people who don’t know how important worm farming is to the ecosystem. Worms just don’t crawl around in the dirt, they are necessary for the soil.

Worms were some of the very first creatures on earth. Worms composted the dinosaur waste and turned it into a rich soil eons ago. Today, worms are still the best composters.

Do you know the main reasons that worm farming is indeed critical to the natural environment? Worm farming is done for three main reasons; it’s used for composting, worm castings, fishing bait and to feed other animals and birds.

Many types of food scraps and some other biodegradable things are efficiently composted in worm farms. Some industrial organizations use worms farms to keep much of their waste materials away from landfills. Because of the worm farms, numerous objects are kept out of garbage dumps. Worms are so effective that even landfills utilize them to help compost a portion of the trash.

Even people who reside in condominiums and homeowners can manage a worm farm. It’s easy to place food scraps and paper products into the worm bin and have the worms compost it. This keeps even more items from trash dumps. There are a number of different sizes of worm farms that may be purchased. You can maintain a worm farm inside or outside according to space constraints and the outside temperature.

A number of the items which can be placed into a personal worm farm are: paper products, dampened cardboard, vegetables, fruits, cereal, bread, hair, egg shells and coffee grounds. The finished product is a wonderful rich soil that can be used in gardens and flower beds.

At this point, we can look at another reason for setting up a worm farm. Worm poop, also known as vermicompost or worm castings, is the substance that worms excrete. What you supply the worms will be broken down and turned into nutrient rich castings. These castings can be used as plant food and are an extremely powerful fertilizer for plants. If you would like an all-natural fertilizer then vermicompost is perfect for you.

There’s no need for synthetic chemical substances or chemical fertilizers when you use worm castings. One of the problems with artificial fertilizers is the fact that although it has a temporary quick effect, the soil itself is broken down and nutrients are destroyed. You would then need to use even more fertilizer to get the same effects. It doesn’t fix the problem-you still have to replace the nutrients in the soil.

Excessive use of synthetic fertilizers together with pesticides have destroyed some worm populations. If the earth is polluted the worms will often move to a chemical free area or they could actually die.

By using the organic and natural vermicompost you do not need any outside chemicals, therefore the land will not be polluted. You may also want to add some worms to a flower bed or garden to aerate and fertilize the soil.

A final reason for having a worm farm is to raise worms for fishing bait or to feed other animals. Birds, fish and a few other animals like to consume worms. These animal owners appreciate being able to obtain live worms which were organically raised and are much better for the animals.

Many fisherman are looking for an excellent source of live bait to use for their hobby or profession. The worms from your worm farm are provided with natural ingredients and can produce a fantastic bait.

As you can see, worm farming provides many benefits to the ecosystem. By starting a worm farm you can appreciate the importance of worms a little bit better. Feeding worms food and material that would have gone right into a landfill creates that rich compost that helps the garden soil and supports the planet.

Some people ask, “Why in the world would I want to have a worm farm? There are plenty of other useful farms that sell vegetables, fruits, animals, and eggs. What good is a worm farm?” Well, it’s an understandable reaction. After all, it’s usually the quiet people in society that go unnoticed; so why shouldn’t there be quiet creatures that go unnoticed? People underestimate the value of the worm.

It’s true that there are worms that do damage to crops, animals, and people. Worms in your intestinal system are best flushed out. That’s why dogs and cats, even horses and cows receive worm treatments. These worms are taking away nutritional values the animals need to survive.

Worms

What about the good worms? The first reaction to a worm is, “Ewww, gross.” Well, understanding anything is the key to appreciating it more. The good worms are not poisonous and have positive benefits that are not readily seen. They’re hard-working little creatures and deserve our respect.

So, what are good worms? Earthworms, compost worms (red wigglers, blue worms), and fishing worms (night crawlers) are good worms. Earthworms are found in rich soil. If your plants are healthy and growing, chances are there are earthworms down there toiling away to help make this happen. Those die-hard fishermen can tell you about the benefits of a good, fat fishing worm! Catfish and bream are two of the types of fish that enjoy worms.

Worms are important for composting. They break down the material and produce a rich compost called vermicast or vermicompost. This compost is an excellent fertilizer. It retains moisture, encourages root growth and is high in the minerals that help plants grow.

Here’s one way you can help an earthworm (I know you want to)-the next time it rains and you see a worm on the street or sidewalk, gently move it to a grassy area so that it can burrow back into the ground. You can then congratulate yourself on being a lifesaver!

So now you know why you should create a worm farm. Worms are a vital part of our ecosystem and they do deserve our appreciation and respect.

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.

Red Wiggler

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.