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RED WORMS RAISING WORMS There are
many 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 variety of a red worm. Raised as a bait worm, but
also for organic gardening and reptile food, composting worms live,
breed and work in groups while living in and eating organic
waste. They live and breed mostly in the top
four to six inches of bedding. 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. Back to the section index 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. Called a 'night crawler,
the African is not a 'true' night crawler, such as the Canadian. The
African would be best described as a tropical composting worm.
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.
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.
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. 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. 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. 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. Good luck with your worms, and if you have any questions, at any time, please call or E-mail us.
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