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Sections:
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RAISING
WORMS
RED WORMS
There are
four or so species of manure worms or 'composting worms' that
are so closely related only an expert can tell the
difference. Whether called a red wiggler, red gold,
striper, curler, tiger or any other fancy name, chances are
they are a red worm variety. Raised as a bait worm, but
also for organic gardening. Composting worms live, breed
and work in groups while living in and eating organic
waste. They live and breed mostly in the top
eight inches of their bed.
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NATIVE WORMS
Native
worms or "wild" worms are not ordinarily raised
commercially. There are Canadian dew worms, leaf worms,
drift worms, dug worms, pink worms, grunt worms and a whole
array of fancy names. Regardless as to what they are
called or the town in which they live, all native worms do the
same job; they aerate the soil with tunnels, allowing water to
penetrate to the plant roots. They supply organic humus
with their castings feeding plant roots. Native worms
also help prevent commercial fertilizers from leaching and
will also hold down water run-off after a rain
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AFRICAN NIGHT CRAWLERS
African
Night Crawlers are a tropical worm raised as an excellent bait
worm. Some grow to twelve inches long, although a 6"
African is the best for bait. African's require more
care than red worms, but can successfully be raised in
captivity. They must be kept between 70F and 80F, with
the optimum temperature between 74F and 78F to
reproduce. They can survive the cold, as low as 40F,
provided they are taken there slowly. A soil thermometer
should be implemented. If they are raised indoors, to
keep their beds at 70F, the air temperature would need to be
about 80F. Heating devices can be purchased through
various worm dealers and farmers, or homemade. African's
are also more sensitive to acid build up in the beds. A
pH meter can be helpful in determining the increase in
acid. A generous sprinkling of ground limestone,
(calcium carbonate) every two weeks will keep the beds at the
ideal pH, about 6.5. The egg capsules hatch at
approximately 30 day intervals. Most African's reach a
six-inch length, three to five months after hatching. A
2' x 12' bed started with 1,200 breeders will produce
approximately 15,000 worms in one year, provided they are kept
in the optimum environment. A bed depth of four to seven
inches is ideal. African's also tend to roam more than a
typical red worm. If they are attempting to leave, and
you are certain that they have feed, the proper pH, moisture
and oxygen, just keeping a light on top of their bed will keep
them home.
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BUILDING BEDS
Worm beds
can be constructed from a variety of materials. We have
used plastic tubs of various sizes, 1" x 12" lumber and
concrete blocks. We have earth-bottom beds and
concrete-bottom beds. A 4' X 8' bed is a convenient size
to start on a small scale.
Try to locate natural
shade for beds under trees, if possible. You can build a
shade over your beds, but we try to take advantage of natural
shading. Commercial worms, raised in captivity, will
need to be shaded from the hot sun, and protected from winter
rains. Worms in their natural environment go down into
the soil for protection from the elements. To build a
bed with concrete blocks, dig down 6" and level the
ground. Set the walls of the bed with the bricks and
fill the bottom with concrete. Leave ½" x ¼" drainage
holes at each corner. Place 3" of gravel at the bottom
of the bed. When you feel comfortable raising worms, you
can build larger beds of commercial size, up to 50 to 60
feet. The beds should be 1½ to 2 feet high.
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BEDDING MATERIAL
Mixtures
for bedding can be any combination of Peat Moss, composted
rabbit, horse or cow manure and shredded paper,
(newspaper/cardboard) - Fill a tub with Canadian peat
moss. Soak it for at least 24 hours. It takes a
day or two for the peat moss fibers to open. Drain the
water, as if to rinse the peat moss. Add an equal amount
of other materials. The mixture should be moist, not
soaking. When you can squeeze out a few drops of water
it is ready for worms.
You may also use
other material that you have on hand. Worms will live in
most any rotted material. They eat anything that was
once living. You can also use materials such as leaf
mold, composted sawdust, peanut hulls, dry wall, or sewer
sludge. Shred your material, the finer the better.
When there is no danger of burning worms from
composting heat, take the mixture and fill the beds to within
6" of the top. Make sure the bed filler mixture is
moist.
Worms raised in captivity are dependent
on their caretaker to keep their environment safe, as they
have no where to escape. If your worms are crawling up
the sides of your beds in an attempt to "get out", there is
something foul with your bed. They need food, moisture,
oxygen and a pH between 6.0 and 7.0, 6.5 being ideal.
Sprinkle the bed with ground limestone to
reduce the acid level, sulfur to raise it.
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ADDING, FEEDING AND WATERING
WORMS
After
filling your beds with bedding, just lay the worms on top and
let them burrow into the material. Within twenty minutes
they should disappear into the bed. This way they create
their own holes from the start. (Any dead worms will be left
on top and should be removed.) You should then put feed
over the bed sparingly. Wet the feed until it is
moist. When the feed disappears from the top of the bed,
replenish it in the same way.
Water your beds daily
with a light sprinkling. We use a sprinkling wand
purchased from a nursery or hardware store. With time
you will learn the proper amount, adjusting for your
climate.
Add about 1" of your bed filler
material once a month to give the worms new bedding and also
help out with feeding. Once a month you should turn your
beds with a pitchfork so your bed filler will stay loose;
always avoid standing on or stepping on your beds to keep them
from packing down.
Types of feed - chicken laying mash, cottonseed meal, ground
corncobs, (shuck and all), rabbit, horse, and cow manure,
citrus pulp, peanut meal. ANY fully composted material
that is FREE of
pesticides. Do not feed dairy, meat, fish, greasy foods
or pet waste.
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DIGGING AND PACKING WORMS
Feed the
sides of the beds a few days before harvesting. The
worms will then concentrate along the feed rows. Put
pre-prepared peat moss in small plastic buckets to hold the
worms after harvesting. We sit on the sides of the beds
and start selecting. The worms will move to the bottom
of the bucket, so carefully dump it upside down on a tray for
counting. Have another bucket or a shipping container
ready for the worms in after counting. Whatever
container is used for worms, add a small amount of feed to the
top; a good smelling kind, like chicken laying mash.
Lids can not be air-tight, as the worms need
oxygen.
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SELLING YOUR WORMS
Many
worm growers place a sign in front of their home and sell
directly to fishermen from their beds. You can begin a
wholesale route and furnish red worms and/or African Night
Crawlers in cups to local fish bait shops. Also many
worm growers place ads in national hunting and fishing
magazines and sell their worms by mail. Be sure you have
a large supply on hand before going to the expense of placing
an ad. You could be swamped with orders. There are
many ways to sell worms. You will have to study your
market and decide which is best for you.
Beware of the
current buy-back scams flooding the market. While most
worm growers are honest business people, swindlers have
infiltrated the market. Check the prices of other
growers and avoid high dollars for 'fancy names'. Keep
in mind that it is not necessary to invest thousands of
dollars to start worm growing. Start slow, learn and
determine for yourself if worm farming is something you would
enjoy.
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Good luck with your worms, and if
you have any questions, at any time, please call or
E-mail. |
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