Understanding the Anatomy of Worms Used in Worm Farming

English: Worms Hovels. The remains of the former dwellings are now used for sheep farming. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Compost making class (Photo credit: Milkwooders)

Compost making class (Photo credit: Milkwooders)

Worm farming is an excellent way to naturally compost waste without adding to the already full landfills.  Vermicompost is produced as a result, providing a nutrient rich substance that greatly benefits gardens, crops and house plants.  The worms 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.

These are cold blooded animals.  Temperature should be maintained 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.  As 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 will be able to hold in the required moisture level through this mucus coating.

The worm's mucus coating is also a protector.  As the worm borrows 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 down 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.  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 aide in the understanding of how unique they are and how to address their needs.

What Do You Know about Worm Farming?

If you have wondered how popular or widespread worm farming is in the United States, or if you have ever thought of starting your own worm farm, you may find the following information interesting.

Worm farms on a large scale exist as follows:  Arizona, Connecticut, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico-1 each.  Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, and the United Kingdom-2 each.  Pennsylvania, Texas-3 each.  Canada and Washington-4 each.  California-15.  Of course, there are many that aren't listed as major farms.  Many people have their own backyard worm farms. 

Any business, including worm farming, will take from 3 to 5 years normally to break even after their initial investment and maintenance costs.  It's essential to be careful with your purchases and to do your research before jumping into any business.  Careful consideration means a better chance of netting profits sooner.

What do you know about breed stock?  You can find good breed stock in a city gardener's basement supply just as well as you can from any established breeder with the same type of worm.  It isn't unusual for someone to try to sell breed stock at an inflated price in any animal business.  The population can take as long as 90 days to double no matter where you buy your breed stock.

How many worms you should start with depends on several things.  How much can you afford?  How big do you want your worm farm?  How much space do you have now?  Are you investing as a second income, for a little pocket money, or are you hoping to grow into a big worm farm?  Can you shield your worms from temperature changes?  Will you be willing and able to ship your worms elsewhere for selling?

Some helpful information to know is:

1. Worms are sensitive to pressure changes in weather.  Finding them in the lid of your worm bin before it rains is no reason to panic.

2. Ants will be more likely to enter your worm bins if the bedding is dry or highly acidic.  Raise the moisture content or keep the legs of your stand in a container of water.  You could try applying petroleum jelly around the legs or adding some garden lime near the ant gathering spot.

3. Cover your fresh worm food with the soil in the bed or lay a layer of wet newspaper over it to get rid of vinegar flies.  If you feed your worms too much for them to finish each day, it will invite the little flies, too.

4. A smelly worm bin is a sign that you may be feeding your worms too much for them to digest quickly.  Stir the waste lightly to allow air flow and space for the worms to travel more easily and feed less.  It may take a little experimentation to figure out how much your worms can process efficiently.  The amount will change as the worms multiply.

As seen on : How to make a CHEAP worm farm.

Where to Find Worms for Worm Farming

Setting up a worm farm requires three things.  The first is an appropriate bin for containing the worms.  The second is plenty of compost materials to keep the worms properly fed.  The most important thing needed for a worm farm is, in fact, the worms. Learning where to find worms is the first step.

It is important to note that worms collected from the garden in the wild should not be used in a worm farm.  Various types of worms are available on the market specifically for worm farming.  These worms are sold for traits that make them more desirable for composting or as live bait.

An established worm farm can require a large number of worms to be efficient enough to compost enough material for a small family.  Most small worm farms need to start out with at least 1000 worms.

The first place to find worms for worm farming should be the local bait and tackle stores.  These places typically sell a variety of worms that can be used for both composting and live bait.  The Red Wiggler is known as being the best worm for composting and can usually be found in establishments such as these.

The Internet provides a mass amount of options for purchasing just about any kind of worm to use in a worm farm.  Red Wigglers, Night Crawlers, Florida Wigglers, egg capsules and even exotic breeds of worms can all be found.  A simple search on any search engine will produce a number of opportunities and choices.

Purchasing live animals online also means that shipping is something to take into consideration.  Care has to be taken when collecting and packaging the specimens.  Most worms ship well and with ease but shipping methods should be investigated.  Simply ask the supplier what the rate of live arrival is and find out what their shipping methods are.

The local garden centers have proven very helpful as a supply for worms.  Typically they sell other supplies for worm farming as well.  Depending on the geographical location, most garden centers have a full line of the various types of worms available for purchase.  The staff is available to answer questions about worm farming for new beginners.  If a specific type of worm is found to be unavailable at a garden center, an order can often be placed for particular varieties.

A very commonly overlooked option for locating worms is other worm farmers.  Worm farmers often have a surplus of worms and are more than willing to part with them.  Some are willing to offer them up in exchange for taking them off their own hands while others will sell them for a low fee.

Local worm farmers can often be found in the yellow pages under "worm" or "worm farms".  This provides a great source as worm farmers are often more than willing to give tips and hints for a successful farm.

Worm farming can be fun and rewarding.  Knowing where to find good quality worms is essential in maintaining a successful farm.  Once a worm farm is established, it may one day prove to be yet another outlet for those who are new to the worm farming world. 

As seen on : Canadian Nightcrawlers Worm Farm - Storage, Warehouse for Live Bait Fishing Worms

Who Benefits from Worm Farming

As seen on : The Benefits of Worm Farming

Worms have been a benefit to mankind and nature long before worm farming became well-known.  Worms provide food for other animals, help create and maintain healthy soil and plants, enhance gardening efforts, provide fish bait, and help teach our children about pets and other valuable lessons.

Worm farms are a part of natural science.  A nature museum or a zoo would benefit from a small worm farm as a display and to help feed the animals kept there, as well as keeping the scenery bright and fresh because of the benefits to the earth.  A petting zoo could make a worm farm part of their hands-on attraction.  You might start a worm farm as a science project with a class or with your own child.  It would also make a good FFA project.  A small gardening club may want to invest in worm farming. 

A person who raises birds could start a worm farm or buy from a worm farm to provide treats for their birds.  Pet shops could buy from worm farms to feed their fish or reptiles.  Parents could benefit from a worm farm as a way to teach their young children about recycling, their first pets, compassion, the natural food chain, gardening, and about business.

Worm farms are a way to help the economy by buying and selling.  They provide a useful service by increasing the health of soil, they provide a useful product, and they encourage equipment sales.  They increase the sales of the supplies needed to maintain the farms.  They provide an extra income for the seller as well as jobs for any workers needed on the bigger farms.

Catfish farms would benefit from worm farms by starting their own or buying from one for their fish food.  Fishermen benefit from worm farms by using natural resources to fish to help keep down the sales of artificial lures, which cause extra trash along and in rivers, lakes, and ponds.

People who run chicken houses would benefit from worm farms because of the large amounts of food the chickens need.

So, who benefits from worm farms?  We all can.  Even if you never touch a worm, you still eat vegetables or fruit that come from the plants produced in the soil that worms helped make healthy!  Gardeners have known the benefits for years because of the benefits to their compost piles and the results of their flower beds or vegetable gardens.

Worm farms can help a person open up conversations, which creates more acquaintances and possible friendships.  They can bring people together who are nature lovers, fishermen/women, gardeners, recyclers, teachers, and even business owners.

People can learn to respect the hard-working little worms even if they never quite get over their squeamish reactions to them.  Many worms are nature's friend.  For those who aren't squeamish, worms can even be an exotic treat.  They are well-known in other lands as a source of human food.  Then again, many of us found out as children taking dares that eating a worm is a fun way to gross out our peers!

Why Worm Farming is Important

A green compost bin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)It may come as a surprise to some that worm farming is beneficial to our environment.  After some research into the topic it may be shocking to learn how important these hidden crawlers really are.  There is more to them than just crawling through the garden.

Worms have been around since the beginning.  During the age of the dinosaurs, worms ploughed through rotting debris and excrement, composting it into a more usable substance.  Millions of years ago they were efficient creatures and today they remain the same. 

So why is worm farming so important?  There are three common reasons for worm farming both commercially and individually.  The first reason is for composting. 

Worm farming provides an effective and efficient way for composting food waste and other biodegradable items.  On the larger scale, worms are used in place of landfills by commercial companies.  The worms compost waste eliminating unnecessary overflows in landfills.  Certain landfills also use worms to help compost the waste that has build up over time to try to prevent an overflow. 

On a smaller scale, home owners and apartment dwellers are able to run their own personal worm farms.  The purpose is to provide a more natural way for composting discarded food products and other items, instead of sending them to the local landfills.  Various sizes of personal worm farms are available on the market today.  These can typically be used both outdoors and indoors for those with limited space. 

Having a personal worm farm means that individuals are able to employ worms to naturally compost items such as fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, paper products, soaked cardboard, egg shells and hair.  What is given in return by the worms is a naturally nutrient rich organic substance that can enrich soil for gardens, crops and house plants.

This brings us to the next reason for worm farming.  Vermicompost, or worm castings, is the product the worms produce as they compost and digest their provided diet.  These castings are as rich in nutrients as the food items provided to them. This substance is so rich in nutrients that it can be used as an effective plant food for a small pot for up to two months.  Vermicompost is one of the best fertilizers available.

Chemical fertilizers can be replaced by using natural vermicompost.  Chemical fertilizers often produce a fast effect, but when the soil is analyzed, it is found that the nutrients in the soil are being further broken down by the chemicals.  This requires that even more fertilizer be used later on to produce the same effect. 

Chemical pest removers and poisons have led to the destruction and evacuation of worms in many areas.  The worms are either killed by the poison or they leave the area as the soil is no longer healthy enough for them to live in. 

Using vermicompost as a natural fertilizer helps eliminate the need for chemicals that destroy the soil and rid the area of these helpful worms.  Some worms can be used in garden beds, improving the quality of the soil as they plough through pulling water into the soil and aerating the bed as they go. 

Another reason for worm farming is the production of worms to be used as live food and live bait.  Many exotic pets, birds and aquarium fish require the addition of live worms to their diets.  Offering worms for this reason gives pet owners an opportunity to purchase live food that has not been chemically altered or treated. 

Professional fishermen, bait and tackle shops, and the fishing hobbyist are often on the search for good suppliers of various worms that are best suited for live bait in both freshwater and salt water.  Worm farms offer these buyers a chance to purchase organically raised worms that will produce the best results when fishing.

As surprising as it may seem, worms are a very important part of our environment.  Worm farming is just a way to be able to appreciate their effects on a more personal level.  They are hard workers and keeping them happy in a worm farm will help ensure a healthier environment, less overflow of the landfills and a higher level of plant growth.

Facts about Worm Farming

Worm farming is a great way to naturally compost waste and other discarded materials.  As a result, nutrient rich soil is produced and can be used in flower beds, crops, and gardens.  Regardless of all the reading and research one does, issues may arise and can cause some concern. 

Here are a few of the commonly reported questions and issues with worm farms. 

Smell

It is often thought by many that a smelly worm farm is normal.  In fact, it is not.  If worms are kept in an appropriate environment, they will not smell.  If the farm has an odor, the most likely cause is overfeeding. 

Material to be composted is placed on the top layer of soil for the worms to consume.  If too much is given to the worms, it can begin to rot causing a build up of bacteria within the walls of the worm farm.  This is the cause of the smell. 

To remedy the situation, simply discontinue feeding of the worms until any uneaten material is gone.  The soil should also be stirred for aeration and to allow the worms to move more freely.

Bugs and other pests

Using a container with a tight lid can help prevent many pests from infesting the worm farm but some are sneaky enough to make it in regardless.  Small vinegar flies are often a complaint among worm farmers.  This type of fly is of no harm to the worm farm but typically is a result of overfeeding.  Large flies appear when there is an abundance of food. 

Ants are also a common issue.  If ants are seen in the worm farm, the chances are pretty good that the soil is too dry.  Adding water to the soil to increase the moisture can help eliminate ants.  If using a worm farm that stands on legs, simply apply some petroleum jelly to the legs to prevent the ants from being able to climb up. 

Maggots can be found in worm farms where meat is offered to the worms.  The best scenario is to eliminate meat from the diet altogether.  If maggots have made their way into the worm farm, they can be eliminated by placing a milk soaked piece of bread into the farm; the maggots will be drawn to it and can simply be removed. 

Worms leave the farm

This topic leaves it up to the worm farmer to figure out what the problem is and fix it.  If a worm is leaving, he is unhappy with his environment and is in search of a more suitable one.  Worms will escape for reasons such as the soil being too dry or there isn't enough food.  On the other hand, soil that is too wet could also be affecting the worms, causing them to want to leave. 

The source of the problem should either be eliminated or fixed.  If the soil is too dry, fresh water should be added to the farm.  If it is too wet, the excess should be drained and new bedding should replace the old.  Locate the cause of the excess moisture and eliminate it. 

Ensure that the worms are getting enough food and the farm is in a location where the temperature will remain constant. 

Feeding

There may be some confusion on what to feed worms.  Appropriate foods to feed include fruits, vegetables, egg shells, greens, tea bags and coffee grounds and filters.  Non-food items can also be fed to the worms and include soaked cardboard, paper products, cotton rags, leaves, dirt and hair. 

More important are the items that should not be fed.  Dairy products, meat, citrus, onions and garden waste that has been treated with chemicals are all things to avoid in a worm farm.

These are just a few of the common topics when it comes to worm farming.  Although they are pretty easy to care for, it is important to realize the reason for some of the changes or issues noticed within the worm farm.  Problems should be corrected early to prevent the loss of the worms. 

Providing a proper environment, correct food, appropriate moisture level and temperature will help ensure a supply of happy and healthy worms.

A Different Kind of Worm Farm

Image via WikipediaWorm farms are in effect in different states all over the United States.  Because of the interest in recycling and the eco-system, these farms make sense.  Landfills get less bagged waste, crops are improved, other animals are fed a natural food, and the worms provide natural bait for fishing. 

Worm farms can provide many things besides worms.  Worm gifts, worm candy, worm flour, worm breads, worm cookies, books, dvds, cute worm songs on cds, worm-related toys, fertilizer teas, compost, potting soil, cupped fishing bait, and hands-on activities for youngsters are some ideas.

Worm farming is technically known as vermiculture.  It can be a lucrative business, but it is not a way to make a lot of money quickly.  It takes patience, education, money, space, and marketing skills. You can't just toss a handful of worms in your yard and expect them to go to work and make you rich!

If you want a different kind of worm farm, you first would want to research the other worm farms that are in the market.  If you make your worm farm unique and fun, you'll draw families.  Families spend money on souvenir type items and knick knacks as memoirs of their adventures.  Kids like games.  Maybe you could create some playground equipment for your little visitors with designs that are based on worms.  Demonstrations can make your worm farm different. 

You can make your worm bins decorative as well to help maintain public interest.  People like "eye candy".  Things that are brightly colored and designed catch the eye.  A person dressed in a worm suit to chat with the children would be a fun addition to make your worm farm different.  A small worm farm museum would be interesting for school groups to visit, which would increase public interest and make your worm farm different.

You might want to figure out how to have a worm festival on your worm farm.  Provided you have enough room for parking and someone to direct traffic, this could provide advertisement and fun for you and for your visitors.  Worm contests such as who can eat the most worm cookies or design the best worm poster, the most creative worm art made with playdoh, or races in worm shaped cars are some ideas.