Tips for the New Worm Farming Adventure

There are many different types of worms that are both good for you and bad for you.  You must first know the difference before you choose which you invest in for your worm farming adventure.  Worms such as tapeworms, ringworms, and pin worms are not good investments for worm farming.  The types people raise to sell and use are those they can sell for fishing bait, food for birds and reptiles, or those used to help benefit the soil and their by-products.

Worms have no exoskeletons and are not created the same inside as humans and other animals.  A worm has one brain and five hearts.  Earthworms breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide.  They can't control their own body temperatures and can't maintain a body temperature.  When they're in captivity, they must depend on you to help them survive in the right temperature.

Some people grow worm farms for their own personal adventure.  Kids use them for pets.  Gardeners encourage their growth to gain 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 keep the waste down 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 to take!

Earthworms, red worms, catalpa worms, and grub worms all make good fishing worms.  If you want a variety of worms, though, you need to know that not all worms are raised the same.  Not all worms make good bin partners because of the different temperature requirements.

Not all vegetables or food scraps make good food for your worms either.  Strong foods like onion, garlic, and hot peppers are not as readily welcomed.  If the worms don't want to eat them, they'll eat everything else first.  That leaves a smell to your worm bin, which can ruin your new adventure really fast!  It's not like your own mom making you eat all your vegetables when you were little.  These are not children and shouldn't be tortured to endure foods they don't want.  If you feed an animal something that isn't good for it or that it doesn't like the taste of, it can starve itself to death and will just end up resenting you or trying to escape to get to the better food source.  Meat products are not a good idea for your worms either since they can contain diseases, poisons from the animal's system created by the medicines you must give your pet, and also a bad smell when decomposing.

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.

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.

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.

How to Build Your Own Worm Farm

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, are interested in the nutrient rich fertilizing substance produced by the worms, or are 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 bin.

Various models 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.  To figure this out, you'll need to first measure out approximately how much waste you are going to need to use for feeding.  For each pound of waste, you'll need one square foot of space in your bin.  Depth should be at least six to twelve inches. 

A plastic tote or container works well as do wooden boxes.  Metal containers should not be used as irons and chemicals can leach into the soil, harming the worms.  Many worm farmers prefer wooden boxes over plastic as wood is more easily aerated. Plastic can cause more moisture to build up than wood, which can be both good and bad.

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 raise 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. Temperature should remain between 72 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  The bin should not be placed in an area of the yard that will gain excess rain water, either. 

Once the bin has been constructed, bedding has been added and the perfect location has been found, the next step is to add the worms and begin your own worm farm.  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.