How to grow earthworms at home?

Breeding worms at home for beginners attracts with the minimum start-up capital and the simplicity of the equipment used. The cultivation technology is simple and does not require special knowledge. Also tempting is the lack of special breeding facilities. At the initial stage, you can start a business in an ordinary apartment.

If you have already decided to engage in such an unusual business, then you should know that you can sell the worms themselves, vermicompost and worm tea. Vermicompost is an excellent fertilizer.

Worm tea is a unique product that will increase the yield by at least two times. It is effectively used for the cultivation of strawberries, indoor plants, for growing vegetables and fruits both in greenhouses and in the open field. In order for the business to develop effectively, it is necessary to create the most comfortable conditions for the life and reproduction of worms.
How to breed earthworms at home and how to make this activity grow into a business - this will be discussed further.

What are the benefits of worms

Earthworms are soil animals that feed on decaying plant debris and animal excretions. They consume bacteria, algae, nematode protozoa, fungi and their spores. Passing food through their intestines, the worms destroy it and mix it with the ground.

Recycling compost heaps, they leave the most valuable forms of humus with high microbiological activity in the soil. In the intestines of the worm, processes occur as a result of which the decay products of organic substances are converted into molecules of humic acids. The molecules combine with the mineral components of the soil to form calcium humates. These substances make the soil structural.

The soil processed by worms contains many different enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, antibiotics, biologically active substances that disinfect the microflora. And worms play a dominant component in this process. In addition, these animals take an active part in loosening the soil, which makes it water and air permeable.

Earthworms are an indicator of the health and fertility of garden soil. If they feel good on your site, then the harvest will be good. Their normal density should be at least five large worms per 1 square meter of excavated area. If this amount is less, then the land needs organic fertilization.

You should be aware that worms help neutralize the acidity of the soil, since they prefer a neutral environment. They eat straw, loosen the soil, and reduce the number of nematodes.

Types of worms

Consider what types of worms you need to buy for breeding and how they differ.

Plain rain

Earthworms are invertebrates whose body consists of ring-shaped segments with short bristles. The body is smooth, slippery, cylindrical, 15-30 cm long. Leaning on the bristles, the body of the worm moves. The ventral side is flat, the back is convex and dark in color.

The earthworm is hermaphrodite, but reproduces sexually through mating. The thickening at the front is called the girdle. There are glands that secrete a sticky liquid. The animal envelops the eggs with mucus during reproduction. A cocoon of mucus protects eggs from dampness and adverse factors. After a while, small worms come out of it. The life span of an earthworm is 3-4 years.

The earthworm has no sense organs, but it perceives stimuli with the help of the nervous system and reacts to them reflexively. He also has no organs of vision, but perceives light stimuli. Earthworms sense odors and are capable of regenerating lost body parts.

California red

One of the varieties of earthworm is the red California worm, which is often bred at home. Compared to earthworms, Californian ones have many advantages in breeding, growing, feeding. This animal reaches 6-8 cm in length and weighs 1 g. Reproduction takes place at the age of three months.

With proper care, each individual produces up to 500-1500 pieces of its own kind per season. The California worm is distinguished by both high fertility and longevity. Its life span is about 16 years. The only drawback of the Californian worm is that it is very thermophilic and does not crawl deep into the soil when the temperature drops.

Prospector

The prospector worm is the result of selection. This species was obtained in 1982 as a result of crossing the southern and northern dung worms. A distinctive characteristic of an animal is the presence of a self-preservation instinct. At low temperatures, it goes to a safe depth. This species reproduces in a much wider temperature range - + 8 ... + 29 ° С.

Productivity of a prospector worm is higher than that of a normal earthworm. He is unpretentious, does not get sick and differs in perseverance in the substrate. Unlike the red Californian, the prospector worm easily switches from one type of food to another. The reproduction rate and lifespan is the same as that of the Californian, but this species retains high viability and productivity at a high density of the substrate population.

Technology for growing worms at home

In order to get the required amount of vermicompost for fertilizing the garden, you should think about breeding earthworms at home.

The recipe for a fertile soil mixture is simple. It is necessary to add 1 kg of sand and 5 kg of vermicompost to black soil per 1 square meter.

How to choose a seat

If you decide to start breeding worms, then you should know that this requires a mini-farm or vermicompost. The wormhole can be placed anywhere: on a balcony, in an apartment, in a yard, in a garden, in a garage or any utility room. It should be a place free of noise and vibration. During processing, no unpleasant odors emanate from the structure.The main thing is that the temperature in the room is within acceptable limits.

At temperatures above 36 ° C, the worms will die.

The odor can be emitted by the feed. In this case, it must be sprinkled with vermicompost or earth.

Types of worms

For breeding worms, wooden or plastic boxes made of food plastic with a height of 30-40 cm are often used. Tanks must be ventilated. To do this, use a drill to drill holes in the upper part of the box around the entire perimeter and in the lid over the entire area. The boxes should be installed on the legs at an angle. Then the vermicelli can drain through the hole in the bottom. Place a container to collect it under the hole.

Worms also feel good in cardboard boxes. They feed on pieces of cardboard. True, the boxes get wet, and they often have to be replaced with new ones.
An old refrigerator is also suitable for breeding. It is installed with the door facing up. Don't forget to make ventilation holes.

The most convenient but expensive equipment for breeding worms is a special vermicompost. It consists of several plastic boxes that are stacked on top of one another. Each has side vents and bottom slots for water to pass through. The bottom drawer is placed on legs. In its bottom there is a faucet for draining the vermicom. The top drawer is covered with a duvet to maintain moisture and a plastic lid.

Instructions for making a homemade worm

Consider how to build a vermi farm with your own hands, where to start manufacturing and what tools you need.

For a homemade worm, the same plastic food boxes are most suitable. They fit well vertically and fit into each other. The box must be one-piece, without holes, measuring 60 × 40.

The lower drawer will be used to collect the soil solution, the upper ones to contain the worm. On top, you can put three compartments for growing a worm. In the bottom drawer, a series of holes are drilled from the top of the side pieces with a drill. But in the corners (up to 10 cm), holes should not be made, since the soil solution will drain through them.

In the second box, you need to make the same holes, but around the entire perimeter. In the bottom of the second box, we make cuts parallel to the stiffeners using a grinder (approximately 8 pcs.). We clean the surface from burrs with a chisel. We make 3 boxes of the second type.

At the bottom of the boxes, we lay a row of wooden rods as thick as a finger. They will prevent clogging of the bottom holes. It is necessary to sew bags from spunbond fabric of high density. They are laid on top of the rods. It is necessary to cut out the plastic nets to move the worms to a new box. They are used when 5 cm remains to the full box, and continue to feed the worm. Then, with a full box, the worms will be in the net, and they can be resettled.

We repeat the procedure with relocation three times until the worm is completely caught. We make the top cover from plywood. Using a drill, we make its perforation.

What equipment is needed

To breed worms at home, you need to purchase a small amount of equipment: scales, wheelbarrow, sieve, shovel, pitchfork, bucket, thermometers for measuring soil and air temperature, instrument for measuring soil acidity, racks, boxes for growing worms.

Soil selection

The reproduction and life of worms depends on the quality of the soil. Half of the container must be filled with humus with the addition of crushed cardboard. The soil should have a moisture content of 70-80%. It's easy to check. To do this, take a handful of soil in your hand and squeeze it tightly. If, as a result of compression, 1-2 drops of water are released, then the soil has the required moisture.

Vermifarm preparation

Starting a business, you should not immediately buy expensive vermicomposters. Use a wooden or plastic food box.It is necessary to make a hole in it for the outflow of liquid and ventilation. The room should have a temperature regime within 18-25 ° С, lighting 60 W at 20 m, ventilation no more than 0.5 m / s. Be aware that chlorinated water inhibits worms, so use water containers. Take care of protecting the worms from pests. They are eaten by moles, rats, and other rodents.

Buying broodstock

You can buy worms for breeding both online and from local worm farm owners. When buying a breeding stock, you should pay attention to the appearance of the worm. It should be red and mobile. The broodstock includes at least 1500 worms. The calculation must be carried out from the following ratio: for 1 cubic meter of soil, 1-3 families are needed for breeding.

How to populate correctly

2-3 days after preparing the soil, it is necessary to make a deepening in it and populate the first inhabitants there. Then gently spread the soil and close the lid. After a couple of days, you need to add food.

In order to determine the required acidity of the soil and check whether the worms will take root well in the new house, it is necessary to do a trial settlement in a small container. Based on the results, you can determine whether the optimum acidity level has been reached or needs correction.
The optimum acidity level for breeding worms should be in the range of 6.6 - 7.5 pH.

If there are a lot of dead worms, then the acidity must be changed. It is increased by adding straw, sawdust, plants. To reduce the acidity of the soil, it is necessary to add chalk, limestone, shells.
Within a week after settling, it is necessary to check how the worms feel in the new home. If the surface of the substrate is clean, and they are mobile, then the resettlement was successful.

What to feed

How to feed the worms at home?
Worms are not picky about food. They feed on dead or decaying plants. It is recommended to give potato peels, cabbage leaves, banana peels, stale bread, tea or coffee grounds, straw, grass, water from a container washed from sour cream or kefir, chicken droppings.

Worms can be classified as vegetarians. Citrus fruits, meat, eggs cannot be added to their food. Fresh manure should not be added to worms, as it generates heat up to 70 ° C.

All the food you give to the worms must be minced. They cannot process it in solid form. A constant feed composition should be maintained. Worms tune in better to the food they have tasted for the first time in their life. When food changes, individuals must adapt over a period of time.

Care rules

Growing and caring for worms at home includes feeding, maintaining a favorable temperature regime, watering and loosening the substrate.

The first feeding is carried out a few days after settling. For this, feed 3-5 cm thick is applied on a fourth of the surface and evenly distributed. Next time, the food is applied 5-7 cm thick on the entire surface of the box.

Feeding the worms is added every 1.5 - 2 weeks, as they are eaten, until the box is filled to a height of 50-60 cm. The frequency of feeding depends on the number of worms and on the temperature of the housing. It is necessary to keep worms at a temperature of + 15 ... + 25 ° С. The worms reproduce quickly enough, so it is necessary to have prepared transplant boxes. One family after overwintering increases 10 times.

It should be remembered that worms need moisture. Therefore, the substrate must be watered regularly. Optimum humidity should be 80%. This procedure must be done using a watering can with fine holes with settled water or rainwater at a temperature of 24 ° C.
 
 
 
 
Worms need oxygen, so if the substrate layer is 20 cm or more, it is necessary to regularly loosen it.This procedure is carried out with special forks with round ends. For this, the substrate is pierced without stirring the layers twice a week to the depth of occurrence of the worms.

As a result of their vigorous activity, the substrate in the box is divided into three zones.

The top layer contains nutrients and organic debris. The middle layer is designed to house the worms. The bottom layer is the most valuable. It collects all the products of soil processing, which are used as vermicompost and worm tea. As the worms work, the lower layer is constantly growing. The duration of the complete processing process in one box is 3-4 months. After that, the worms with a part of the old substrate are transplanted into another container, and everything starts all over again.

What and to whom to sell from the worm farm

The main advantage of the vermi farm is that you can get valuable fertilizer and good income from unnecessary waste. To do this, you need to study the market and potential buyers.

To fertilize the soil

To fertilize a plot with an area of ​​3-4 acres, it is enough to purchase 1.5 - 3 thousand worms. Throughout the year, they will produce the required amount of vermicompost. This valuable fertilizer can be sold to neighbors and acquaintances. When expanding the vermi farm, it can be offered to specialized stores, farms.

For fishing

It is also profitable to grow worms for fishermen and sell in bazaars or take them to specialty stores, since this is part of the vermi business. A fisherman rarely takes the time to dig up the soil in search of a worm. It's always easier to buy it. Fishing shops will borrow from you because the worm has a long lifespan and demand is strong. The main thing is that the packaging promotes the life of the worms not for a certain period. The worm is the most valuable product for fish. Therefore, real professionals often breed worms at home for fishing.

To the pet store

The pet store also needs a constant supply of fresh worms and vermicompost. Worms are used there as food for fish, birds and other inhabitants.

For fish farms

For the efficient operation of fish farms and the normal growth of fish, it is necessary to use live food for its feeding. Therefore, the need for a worm as an irreplaceable product with a high nutritional value is constantly growing.

For plant nutrition

The vermicompost obtained from the vermi farm can be used for growing indoor flowers, seedlings, vegetables in the greenhouse and in the garden, for planting fruit crops, grapes, and medicinal plants. Vermicompost is especially valuable in greenhouses, since it is important to exclude the likelihood of diseases. Don't worry about worms in flower pots. Worms cannot cause any harm to plants. Since the use of vermicompost is wide enough, the demand is obvious.

To expand the assortment, you can also offer vermicelli. It is made in worm farms by slowly passing water through a stack of containers or with a recipe. To do this, mix vermicompost with water in a ratio of 1: 10. Saturate it with oxygen for good bacteria growth. This can be done with an aquarium compressor. Insist during the day at room temperature, after which the solution is defended and filtered. The sediment can be used as fertilizer, and the solution can be used for foliar and root feeding.

Vermicelli should be used within 4 hours after turning off the compressor. With its further storage, bacteria die, the effectiveness of the solution decreases, and it emits an unpleasant odor.

How to prepare vermi farm products for sale

• worms;
• biohumus;
• worm tea.

To prepare products for sale, they need to be properly packaged and stored. Worms can be packed in tight plastic bags with ventilation holes.Store them in a cool place to avoid excessive worm activity. A sufficient amount of soil must be added to the bag.

It is good to pack mother colonies for sale in cardboard boxes. The family should be composed of cocoons, fry and adults.

Vermicompost is a dark-colored smearing mass. After removing the worms, it is collected with a scoop, dried to a moisture content of 40-50%, sieved with a sieve and packed for storage. Vermicompost can be stored at temperatures ranging from -20 to + 30 ° C. So that the fertilizer does not lose its biological activity, it is still not worth freezing it.

Vermicelli is packed in plastic bottles before being sold. Do not forget to indicate the expiration date of the solution.

Calculation of profitability

From 1 cubic meter of nursery, you can get up to 10 thousand worms and about 0.5 tons of vermicompost per year. When selling 1 worm for 2 rubles, you can get 20 thousand from the sale of worms alone, not taking into account the profit from vermicompost and vermicelli. Calculating the profitability of the business, we get 150%. As you can see, the revenue is quite decent.

Is it possible to make money on a business like growing strawberries all year round in a greenhouse? Let's try to answer this question in a separate

article

.

Champignons lend themselves well

growing

in artificial conditions. The demand for champignons in the food market makes them attractive for entrepreneurship.

Pros and cons of business

Breeding worms is a profitable and rewarding business. This business is associated with minimal risks, so if you are interested, then you should try first in an old refrigerator or wooden box. Having mastered breeding worms at home through video and in practice, having studied all the subtleties and working with the sale of products, you will decide whether to expand your business. There are practically no shortcomings in the business based on worms, as evidenced by the reviews of entrepreneurs. With a serious approach, the business will generate significant income.

Soil, as you know, is the basis of all living things and developing on our planet, the basis of life. In order not to dry up its strength, soil fertility must constantly be restored, and the most important workers in this direction are earthworms. Everything ingenious is extremely simple - the quality of lands, their fertility and high crop yields directly depend on the waste product of an ordinary earthworm. How to breed it at home, how and what to feed and what kind of care to take will be described below.

Reasons for breeding earthworms at home

Breeding worms at home is not at all difficult. And the case can become a very serious business, and there are at least two good reasons for this:

• creepers multiply very quickly, gain useful biomass and are excellent feed for poultry (poultry farms, poultry farms and egg production);
• the product of active life is vermicompost - the highest quality and environmentally friendly fertilizer for farms and greenhouses.

In addition, in pharmacology, these animal organisms are also used for the manufacture of medicines. The use of vermicompost in personal household plots and in households will significantly increase the egg production of poultry, soil fertility, increase the productivity of vegetables and fruits without the use of chemical fertilizers.

Worms produce the most natural biohumus

Varieties of annelids

The most common common representative of bristle annelids is the earthworm. But it is they, which are freely found in nature, the least suitable for reproduction in artificial conditions. Representatives of this subspecies reproduce rather slowly, with difficulty adapting to new conditions and unfamiliar food, they live relatively little. They, perhaps, are suitable only for breeding a personal backyard for their own needs.

For industrial cultivation and production of vermicompost, the Russian scientist, Professor AM Igonin bred a special breed “Prospector”. By crossing various breeds of species living at a sufficient distance from each other, he was able to get individuals with completely new qualities:

• long life expectancy - from 4 to 16 years;
• multiplies rapidly;
• easily tolerates the change of feed (you can use any type of food - from fallen leaves and grass to human food waste).

Prospectors adapt as quickly as possible to the conditions of artificial reproduction and give an excellent increase in biomass and humus.

Another variety that meets industrial production requirements is the California red worm. Individuals of KKCH also reproduce very quickly, increase the useful mass, process various organic waste of human life into vermicompost, serve as an excellent protein feed for agricultural and fish farms.

The prospector worm is the fastest breeding individual. In 1 year can produce offspring of 1500 worms

Household breeding technology

Necessary equipment and breeding area

If you decide to start breeding worms, you first need to carry out preparatory work - choose and prepare a place or container. The container can be wooden, plastic or cardboard boxes (it is clear that the cardboard container will have to be changed often), piles.

They are placed in a barn, garage, any other specially designated place where it is possible to comply with the necessary conditions - the substrate moisture content is at least 70-80% and the temperature is from 12-15оС to 22-24оС. You can also breed worms in an ordinary compost heap, a pit.

You can breed worms in simple boxes at home in the basement.

One convenient option is to use two or three perforated boxes stacked on top of each other. The lowest one - with holes along the perimeter at the top of the sides. This box is intended for vermicelli - a liquid component of vermicompost. A box with perforated walls and a bottom is placed on top of it, a nutrient medium for worms is laid in it and individuals are settled, on top the boxes need to be covered with burlap or other "breathing" cloth, since creepers love dark and damp places.

Making a worm

You can breed individuals on the street, right in the garden, separating a certain place for this and fencing it with boards or other improvised material.

Approximate dimensions of the wormhole: width 1-1.2m, height 30-40cm, arbitrary length. A thick layer of compost is placed on the bottom, leveled and well moistened. Then cover the compost heap with air-permeable material for 5-7 days.

It can be an old burlap, cardboard, a layer of straw, which need to be watered from time to time with rain or well-settled water (at least 2-3 days).

Chlorine must completely evaporate, as it is a poison for worms of any kind.

After a week, each square. m, a recess is made in which the creeping ones are placed, and again the wormhole is covered with an air-permeable material.

A wormhole can be either a box or other options.

Compost preparation

Mixtures of rotted manure, poultry droppings, peat, straw, leaves and stems of vegetables and weeds, crushed eggshells and food waste can be used as compost for laying in boxes or pits.

In no case should fresh manure be used, it contains a large amount of ammonia and individuals die. Rotted manure from 2-3 years ago will also be of little use, since it already lacks useful nutrients.

All organic materials suitable for breeding are collected on a heap (or in a specially designated place), covered and, periodically moistened, kept for 1.5-2 months.

Worm Box Diagram

Own vermi farm

If you decide to acquire your own small worm farm, then, first of all, you need to equip a place for keeping worms, stock up on containers, prepare compost and provide comfortable conditions for breeding.

The purchase of the broodstock is of decisive importance. The most suitable species, as already mentioned, are the California red worms or prospectors. One family is 1500 individuals. In order to populate 1 cubic meter. m of compost, 1-3 families of broodstock are needed.

Moving into a new location must be done with great care. First, a few individuals are introduced into a small amount of prepared soil in a separate container, the soil is leveled and the dishes are closed. After a couple of days, you need to add some feed. If all the worms are active, mobile, with a characteristic red color, the entire livestock can be colonized. If dead individuals are found, then it is necessary to correct the acidity of the soil (the most favorable environment is considered to be an acid indicator of 6.5-7.5 PH).

Growing worms

How to feed earthworms

Ringed earthworms are real vegetarians and they do not tolerate protein foods: meat, fish, eggs. When buying a broodstock, it is necessary to find out what the seller fed his wards, since the most common is the feed that they have tried "from birth". However, they quickly get used to new foods, especially Prospectors. It takes some time to get used to a certain type of feed, therefore, new components should be introduced into the feed base gradually, allowing the worms to adapt.

As a top dressing, plant residues, potato peelings, cabbage leaves, various food waste from the kitchen of plant origin, tea and coffee grounds, straw, grass, dry bread are suitable. Only whatever you add to the compost heap needs to be shredded for easier and faster processing by creepers. Otherwise, the process of acidification, fermentation or rotting of products may begin.

You need to feed it every 2-3 weeks. Pour the top dressing on the entire surface of the boxes or piles, evenly, 7-10 cm thick, until the thickness of the processed humus reaches 50-60 cm and the substrate takes the form of uniformly processed biomass. The approximate cycle time is 3-4 months from the time of the settlement of the livestock.

Fertilize the worms every 2-3 weeks

Care and reproduction

The main care in worm farms or in wormhouses is to comply with the temperature regime, timely feeding, and maintain the humidity level when watering with warm rain or settled water.

In favorable conditions, the worms begin to multiply. In the compost, they lay cocoons - small balls of yellow-sandy color. Each of the cocoons contains several eggs, of which small worms appear 2-3 weeks later, and after 7-8 weeks they are ready to produce offspring themselves. The unsurpassed leaders in reproduction rate are the Prospectors - one individual produces 1,500 offspring per year.

Possible sales markets

Growing worms can indeed be a profitable business if you worry about the market for processed products and increased livestock in advance.

1. Vermicompost is an environmentally friendly fertilizer, highly effective in terms of increasing crop yields, growing seedlings, flowers, etc. Therefore, the consumers of vermicompost can be farms, greenhouses, flower greenhouses, as well as private entrepreneurs engaged in plant breeding.
2. Live biomass is a valuable nutritious protein feed for poultry and poultry farms.
3. Live food in the form of worms is an indispensable nutritious product for fish farms.
4. Worms are in great demand as pet food for zoological shops.

Worms can be sold to poultry farms

Production profitability

According to the estimates of earthworm farmers, the profitability of the worm farm is in the range of 150%. One Prospector per year gives offspring of 1500 individuals and about 100 kg of the most valuable fertilizer - vermicompost. From 1 ton of harvested compost, you can get up to 600 kg of high-quality fertilizer and 10-15 kg of new individuals.

Farms for growing worms and producing vermicompost is not only profitable and profitable farming, but also enrichment of the environment with useful substances, the possibility of obtaining environmentally friendly food products.

Today, almost everyone is trying to start their own business. However, not everyone succeeds. Often, competitors do not allow them to break into a large market, or the occupation is not to their liking. Have you considered breeding worms at home as a business? No? Then this material is for you.

Which worms are better to choose

First of all, remember that breeding such animals does not require selection by breed. You can start with a local variety. For example, low-cost manure worms adapt perfectly to life in nurseries. Such individuals begin to reproduce much faster. Hence the first conclusion: it is better to collect worms on your own. The simplest of them are rainwater. Breeding worms as a business in this situation will not require large costs.

Where to get worms

If you decide to start breeding worms as a business, then you should collect them. To do this, dig a shallow hole and place some rotting leaves or manure in it. Be sure to moisten the filler. The main thing is not to overdo it. After that, simply cover the hole with a board or a layer of cardboard. A week later, the first tenants will appear in your "house". Transfer the individuals to the box along with the soil in which they lived. For worm breeding as a business to generate income, one square meter requires at least a kilogram of invertebrates. This is about 1000 individuals.

Choosing a room

When you have collected the worms, you need to consider the place where they will live. For their breeding, a specially equipped room is not required. It is important that its area matches your desires. Of course, it is best to breed California worms (or any other) in a heated building. A garage or cellar is perfect for these purposes. If you are going to raise your pets in an ordinary barn, then get ready for the fact that a decrease in air temperature to 4 ° C will affect the activity of worms. They will simply hibernate. In this case, you will have to forget about breeding worms in the winter. If you want to do this throughout the year, then you should take care of heating and, of course, a large farm. After all, the number of individuals will grow. For example, on large farms where the breeding of dendroben worms is considered a business, their number can reach 100 thousand or more.

Special nursery boxes

Breeding the California worm as a business is not a big deal. The main thing is to create optimal conditions for its reproduction. It is best to keep the worms in special nursery boxes. You can make them yourself. However, remember that each type of worm requires a box of a certain size. In such nurseries, the most comfortable conditions for invertebrates are created. Boxes can be made of plastic or wood.

Tree nursery

You will need boards to make it. Their thickness should be 25 millimeters. If you are breeding an earthworm, then it is better for you to make a nursery box corresponding to the following parameters: 100X20X50 centimeters. When the box is ready, turn it over and drill into the bottom of the hole.After that, set the box on the bars so that it stands at a slight slope. This is necessary so that the valuable liquid ("worm tea" - a waste product of these animals) flows down gently. Cover all seams and corners with tin tape. This will eliminate the penetration of rodents into the nursery. Don't forget the roof. You can simply make it out of planks. If not, then you can use a sheet of plywood. Be sure to make holes in the roof. They are necessary for normal air circulation.

Plastic container

If you have achieved positive results, and breeding California worms as a business generates you income, then you can purchase special containers made of plastic. You shouldn't buy these items if you are just starting out. Since such acquisitions are quite costly. Agree, if you don't like the breeding of dendroben or ordinary rainworms, then such a purchase will be simply in vain for you, and you will throw your money down the drain.

If you nevertheless purchased such nursery boxes, then the first thing to do is make holes in them. After all, such containers are completely airtight. Punch holes in both the roof and the sides. In addition, there must be a hole for the drain of valuable liquid.

Old refrigerator

An old refrigerator can be used as a breeding ground. To do this, install it with the door facing up and remove all contents. You don't need it. Punch holes in the walls of the refrigerator and on the door. Place it on the bars so that it is tilted. Do not forget to make a hole in the bottom so that the liquid can drain.

Cardboard boxes

If you are just getting started in this business, and breeding an earthworm is something new for you, then you can use cardboard boxes as breeding grounds. Their dimensions should be about 40 by 30 centimeters or more. Cardboard is an environmentally friendly material that is breathable and is often used as food by worms. The only drawback of such a hotbed is its short service life. If the box is damp and starts to fall apart, then you can place it in another.

Let's reveal the secrets of the worm business

Recently, many have been attracted by the breeding of worms. As a business, this business is quite profitable if you approach it correctly. In order not to burn out, you should know some simple secrets. First of all, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the natural habitat of worms, in what soil they live, what they eat. Their "house" can be roughly divided into three floors. At the top, the worms feed on organic remains of animals and plants. In the lower tier of the habitat, the product of their vital activity accumulates, in another way - humus, as well as liquid, which many call "worm tea". Between these "floors" your pets will feel most comfortable and will mostly be there. It is important to fill the nursery correctly. Then the worms will multiply well and increase your profits.

How to properly fill the nursery

If we consider breeding worms as a business, then first of all, you should carefully study all the nuances of such an activity. Many novice breeders make many mistakes, the first of which is incorrect filling of nurseries. How to do it correctly?

Fill the prepared container halfway with humus. You can mix it with shredded cardboard or pieces of newspaper if you like. Be sure to moisten the finished mixture. However, do this with caution. If, when squeezing a lump, free moisture does not flow out of it, then you did everything right. Don't immediately populate the worms. The filler from the compost will release a substance such as ammonia for the first few days. When it has completely evaporated, you can begin to populate the nursery.

Make a hole in the prepared filler and put some of the soil with the worms into it. Carefully level this place, moisten and cover with a piece of cardboard. Do not disturb the tenants for several days. They must adapt to their new habitat.

If the worms have spread over the nursery, this is the first sign that acclimatization has been successful. Then you can add food. Remember, the place where the worms breed should be calm and quiet. Therefore, install the nursery where there is no strong vibration and noise.

Moistening the soil

You need to moisten the soil of the nursery regularly. However, do not overdo it. Remember, earthworms breathe through the skin. This explains the fact that they creep out to the surface of the soil during rain. They just need it to oxygenate their bodies. If the soil is too wet, your pets will simply die.

What and how to feed?

Breeding earthworms as a business is not expensive. This also applies to their feed. You need to create a bunch of compost. For these purposes, manure, grass, leaves, tea leaves, coffee grounds, flour products, egg shells, vegetable and fruit peelings are perfect. You should not throw the waste products of cats and dogs, manure into the compost heap, if the animals underwent a course of therapy for worms, peeling onions, garlic, citrus peels, fats, oils, dairy products, meat and fish waste.

When the food is ready, lay it in a small layer - 10 centimeters thick. You need to feed the worms every 7 days. You can use a piece of newspaper or regular toilet paper to determine your pets' satiety level. Place it on top of the food and dampen it a little. If the worms start eating this paper, then it's time to feed them and put a new layer of compost.

How worms reproduce

Earthworms can begin to produce offspring at 2–3 months of age. They lay cocoons for 4 months. They ripen within a few weeks. No more than 20 individuals emerge from one such cocoon, which after 2 months already begin to actively reproduce. The exception is the prospector worm, which is more difficult to breed. If you count, then in about six months the number of pets in one box will increase 50 times. Remember, if there are 50 adults per liter of soil, then urgently you need to either sell them or plant them in new nurseries. Otherwise, their reproduction will stop naturally.

How to get profit

Sort the worms every 5 months. To do this, carefully remove the top layer of soil and remove the soil where your pets live from the nursery. Then you can remove the humus layer. Send the small worms back to the nursery and the adults either to expand your business further or to sell.

You can sell the product in the form of bait for fishing, in a pet store as feed. Such a product is in demand by fish farms. You can sell not only invertebrates, but also worm tea and humus. The latest products are in demand among summer residents.

To collect worm tea, you made a hole in the bottom of the nursery and a drain. This product is very valuable as an environmentally friendly and natural fertilizer. As you can see, there are a lot of opportunities to make money on breeding worms. The main thing is to know the right approach.

Table of contents:

1. Where to get suitable earthworms
2. Breeding room and nursery
3. How to feed the inhabitants of the farm

Earthworms, which produce humus that increase soil fertility and are almost universal bait for fish, are easy to breed at home. Such "pets" do not require much attention and are even capable of generating income for their owner: earthworms can be taken to a pet store, sold to summer residents and fishermen.However, to get meaningful income, you will need to set aside enough space for the worm farm and regularly sort the individuals. It is much easier to breed an earthworm and keep it not in "industrial" quantities, but for their own needs - fishing or improving the quality of the soil at their summer cottage.

Where to get suitable earthworms

Breeding does not require any special, adapted individuals. Local worms, which can be collected in a forested area, work well. They quickly get used to the closed space of the farm, since in their natural habitat the earthworm does not leave an area of ​​up to 2 square meters throughout its life. m.

To collect worms, a small hole should be dug in the ground and rotted leaves, vegetable, fruit peelings should be placed in it. In this case, you can not use citrus fruits, garlic, onions. Next, the food filler is moistened, the pit is covered with a board or a sheet of cardboard. After about a week, you can collect the earthworms that have settled here. They should be transferred along with part of the soil in which they lived.

Breeding room and nursery

In order for earthworms to hibernate at home, but to grow and multiply, the temperature in the room should be above + 4⁰С. The area of ​​the nursery is determined so that for 1000 individuals (about 1 kg) there is at least 1 sq. m of surface area. The depth of the breeding container is usually 30 cm. The nursery box can be wooden, cardboard, plastic.

If you are going to contain a small amount of worms, it is better to use a wooden or cardboard container. In this case, it will be easier to ensure correct air exchange. So that earthworms do not suffer from a lack of air, there must be holes in the nursery.

Plastic breeding containers are more often used when a large number of individuals are kept for a long time. This container is easier to clean than a wooden or cardboard container. The latter allows air to pass through best of all, but is essentially disposable: it will quickly damp and become unusable. In this case, it makes sense not to transfer the worms to a new nursery, but to place the damp box inside another.

If you have a turtle, then you will definitely need houseworms: How to care for a turtle at home?

How to feed the inhabitants of the farm

How to breed an earthworm? Individuals will reproduce well with proper and sufficient nutrition. For feeding you can use:

• food waste - eggshells, potato peelings, flour products and others, except citrus fruits, garlic, onions;
• coffee grounds, tea leaves, herbs, leaves;
• rotted manure - cow, horse, goat.

Fresh manure cannot be used because it contains a large amount of ammonia. An excess of ammonia, in which there is little oxygen, can kill the worms.

It is often not recommended to use meat, fish and milk waste for feeding. In addition, salty foods should not be given to worms: pickled tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage canned with a lot of salt.

The feed is crushed and placed once a week in a 10 cm layer on the soil surface in the nursery.