Breeding a worm at home. Worm breeding technology

Since ancient times, people have known that a good and wealthy landowner is considered to be one who cultivated and cultivated the soil, which gave a good and rich harvest. The lands of Russia in the past century were on the verge of depletion due to the use of mineral fertilizers, but nowadays organic farming is slowly beginning to develop.

One of the most fertile soils is one that is rich in animal waste and flora and, as a rule, earthworms make her so. Thanks to them, all organic matter is processed, the soil becomes fertile and turns into humus. In the West, scientists even develop special breeds of worms that work the soil more efficiently and multiply. All this allows us to consider earthworm breeding as a business for the village, which does not require much effort and investment. At the beginning, take care of compiling

Absolutely any kind of worms is suitable for your own home worm farm. You can stop at the most popular varieties. These include: the common earthworm, the Californian red worm, and the prospector worm.

An ordinary earthworm adapts well to any terrain; a closed farm does not become a particular problem for them. Worms of this species multiply rapidly, but also have their drawbacks, their vital activity is much lower than that of more thoroughbred representatives of other species.

A fairly popular species is the California red worm. The main thing, when acquiring this species, is to make sure that the individuals are particularly active and have a rich reddish tint. It is recommended to immediately acquire a breeding stock of 1500 individuals. For one cubic meter soil is required from one to three families. The main features of this species are rapid reproduction and unpretentiousness in food, these worms provide high-quality vermicompost. It is necessary to breed them at temperatures above +10 degrees.

The high activity of the prospector makes this type of worm quite popular among its fellows. The miner processes the necessary food with high quality, quickly gains biomass, and treats temperature changes well and unpretentiously. From one thousand kilograms of substrate, up to sixty percent of biohumus will be obtained.

If you decide to earn money by breeding and selling earthworms, then it is better to choose the last two species - the prospector worm and the Californian red worm, they are more popular among modern farmers.

Choosing the right room

An earthworm breeding business is built effortlessly. So, for example, even the choice of a room for a worm farm will not be difficult.

The most important thing is that the area meets all the needs of an entrepreneur who decides to go into the worm business. It is recommended to breed worms in a well-heated area.

A garage or cellar is well suited to such an area. If this is not done, then the worms in the cold season, at temperatures below +4 degrees, hibernate, it will be possible to forget about breeding earthworms at this time.

Breeding earthworms, as a year-round business, recommends choosing larger areas. The main thing is to calculate the territory taking into account the natural reproduction of these individuals. On large vermifarms, their number reaches up to millions of individuals.

Worms seeding boxes

Breeding earthworms at home can be done in homemade boxes. It is very convenient, depending on the volume you can choose required size in each specific case. Let's consider several options:

• Wooden box. A similar box can be made from boards that will be at least 2.5 centimeters thick. Optimal size the box is 1x2x0.5 m. It is necessary to drill a hole in the bottom, and install the box itself with an inclination on wooden bars. Thus, the outflow of liquid is ensured. To protect against rodents, it is recommended to upholster the box with tin tape. The lid should be knocked down from boards or plywood, the main thing is not to forget to make holes in it for good air circulation.
• Plastic container. This type of crate is well suited for the established entrepreneur. Plastic containers are costly and if you fail in breeding earthworms, it will not be very pleasant to lose own funds. When choosing such a "housing" for worms, it is necessary to ensure complete breathability and fluid drainage. Drill holes around the perimeter of the container and along the surface of the lid.
• old refrigerator perfect for planting worms. The internal contents are removed, and the unit is installed with the lid up. Also, as in the previous versions, it is necessary to make holes for air circulation. You need to install such a box with a slight slope on wooden blocks.
• Cardboard box. This option of a nursery box is perfect for beginner businessmen. Cardboard is environmentally friendly pure material therefore, worms can eat it and fully develop. The only drawback of such a box is its fragility. Over time, the cardboard begins to dampen and the worms feed on it. But the solution to this problem will be another box.
• The most expensive, but also the most convenient is the vermicomposter. This device was created specifically for growing worms, it is equipped with everything you need and is sold by specialized companies.

The main secrets of the worm business

Making money on breeding and selling earthworms is quite simple if you follow all the recommendations and adhere to necessary rules. For example, you need to take into account the characteristics of the habitat of worms in the wild, where the soil is divided into three main layers.

The first "level" of the soil has an abundance of organic waste products of the plant and animal environment - this layer serves as a place for feeding and eating. In the lower layer, the waste products of worms accumulate, that is, humus and the so-called worm "tea". The middle layer is the most comfortable habitat, it is in it that the bulk of individuals accumulate.

What kind of soil would you like to use?

The activity of worms, their reproduction rate and the processing of organic waste directly depend on the quality of the soil. It is important to follow the rules when breeding earthworms:

• it is recommended to fill the container up to half with humus, and add a small amount of cardboard, which is chopped into small particles;
• humidity should be at the level of seventy to eighty percent;
• after a couple of days, making small holes in the soil, transplant the worms with a part of the earth in which they lived before moving to the box;
• after the procedure, it is necessary to carefully level the soil and moisten it. Then it is recommended to close the box with cardboard and wait a few days;
• after the worms successfully take root and acclimatize in the new "home", you can begin to feed them.

In order to find out whether individuals will take root in new ground or not, transplant them fifty worms into small containers. In this way, you can track whether the acidity of the soil is suitable for your pets.

The most optimal acidity indicator is from 6.5 to 7.5 pH. If you notice a few dead worms, this is a signal that the acidity has changed.

To increase the performance, you can use sawdust or ordinary straw. Tops from plants are also good.

If observed hyperacidity, it is recommended to reduce it. In such cases, add chalk, ground eggshell or limestone.

Worms food

For breeding earthworms, it is recommended to prepare certain food, namely a compost heap.

Such food is prepared from human food waste, shells, waste from vegetable and fruit crops, tea leaves, coffee grounds, flour products are perfect here. different types grass, leaves and of course manure.

The finished feed mixture should be laid in a thick layer on top of the soil. The layer should be about ten centimeters thick. It is recommended to feed the worms once a week. In order to determine whether they have enough food or not, a newspaper or any other paper that must first be wetted is laid on top of a fresh layer of their food. When the worms begin to absorb this paper, then it is necessary to renew a fresh portion of food.

Reproduction of worms

Worms reach sexual maturity at the age of two to three months, then for four months regularly every week, lay their offspring in the form of cocoons. Cocoons ripen in approximately two to three weeks, then from one deposit somewhere up to twenty individuals can come out, which, after two to three months, already give birth. Consequently, after five to six months, the number of individuals in the nursery increases fiftyfold.

In the event that there are more than fifty adults per liter of soil in the nursery, it is recommended to relocate to another box or start selling the goods and making the first profit. If you do not do this, then the worms stop reproducing and laying offspring.

Sales of finished products

It is recommended to sort the worms after five to six months. To do this, remove upper layer soil and set aside, then the middle layer of worm habitat is removed from the nursery and humus is removed in the same way. After the work done, the most important thing begins - this is the sorting of worms. Mature individuals, as a rule, go on sale or embark on further expansion of the business.

As for the small ones, they return back to the seedling boxes for further growth and development. At the end of sorting, breeding of worms can be continued. It happens that a novice businessman is not entirely clear where you can sell a "freshly baked" product.

• Of course, fishing. Almost every businessman who is going to breed worms comes to mind with this method of selling goods. Since the worm is one of the most common types of bait, in the fishing industry it diverges with a bang. To many, this may seem like a rather stupid idea, but in reality it is far from being the case. AT modern world great amount fishermen, but almost none of them is eager to dig in the ground, but prefers fishing shops where you can buy required amount worm bait. It is in such stores that entrepreneurs breeding earthworms supply their goods.
• pet stores. it Goldmine for people who breed worms. In stores of this kind, worms are quite in demand. They are in demand for feeding fish, birds and other inhabitants of pet stores.
• Fish farms. In such places, all fish is grown artificially, therefore, worms are a kind of delicacy for fish. Such enterprises are wholesale buyers of this type of feed.
• Implementation of humus. This waste product of worms is the main fertilizer for growing any crop. The implementation of humus can be organized by summer residents, garden organizations, or you can use it for your own garden.
• Worm tea. This slurry is practically the most valuable and in demand in the entire culture of worm breeding. To collect this liquid, a special hole is made in the "dwelling" of the worms. In the modern world, the demand for environmentally friendly fertilizers is growing - worm "tea" is one of them.

The effectiveness of economic indicators

During one year of work with breeding earthworms, approximately twenty thousand individuals and more than one ton of humus come out from two square meters of the nursery. One worm costs an average of two rubles apiece, therefore, forty thousand rubles a year, without taking into account the cost of humus, worm "tea" and large seedling areas.

Taking in conditions non-waste production and minimum costs for breeding earthworms as a business - economic efficiency reaches impressive proportions.

The role of earthworms in nature is enormous - they process all kinds of organic waste, turning them into humus. Earthworms swallow particles of biomass together with the earth, thoroughly mixing them during digestion.

What is humus? Humus is the organic basis of the soil, consuming which plants receive the nutrients they need. About 90% of all humus is the waste products of earthworms. The amount of humus in the soil is directly related to its fertility.

In addition, earthworms are a source of complete animal protein for birds and are used as bait when fishing.

Is it possible to artificially breed earthworms?

It's very possible. This technology is called vermicultivation. Earthworms at home feel quite well, provided they are provided with food and support for the climatic conditions they need.
The normal air temperature for worms is in the range from +16 to +24 ° C (the higher, the more active the earthworms behave and the more they consume food).

It is very important to maintain the correct humidity. Earthworms require a humidity level of 75-80% and the water must not contain chlorine or they will die. It is best to use rain water or defend tap water. To determine the level of humidity, you can take the earth in your hand, which contains earthworms, and squeeze: if the moisture does not come out, then the humidity is low, if drops appear, it is high.

The need of earthworms for oxygen is carried out by loosening the soil with the help of special vermicompost pitchforks with rounded ends.

It is recommended to sprinkle the contents of the container with earthworms with straw on top to protect it from drying out and lower the temperature, and the bottom of the container should have drainage holes to remove excess moisture.
Worms do not need lighting, they prefer to be in the dark.

What can you feed earthworms?

First you need to prepare the main nutrient substrate. There are many options for its preparation:

1. Manure of cattle (for a period of 3-6 months). Fresh manure is detrimental to worms, and aged for more than two years has too little nutrients.
2. (for a period of at least one year).
3. Manure obtained from small cattle or - can be used after 1-3 weeks.
4. Kitchen waste other than animal products (meat, milk, eggs): potato peelings, the remains of bakery products, fruits, cereals, tea and coffee brewing. In addition, you can use leaves, grass, straw, paper and cardboard in shredded form.

Earthworms get used to the monotonous food, and it takes time for them to change to a different one. If you want to change their diet, then you need to do this gradually, in small portions adding new food to the usual.

Feed mass is introduced into the boxes in a layer of 5-7 cm every 2-3 weeks, depending on the number of worms and their appetite. The worms leave the processed layer and rise higher to the new food. Thus, a layer of humus remains at the bottom, ready to be used as a fertilizer.

Waste, manure and other matter must be crushed before being placed in the vermiculturing tank.

What is the life cycle of earthworms?

In nature, an earthworm lives for more than 10 years. One adult worm produces about one and a half thousand offspring per year. Approximately once a week, the worms lay a cocoon with offspring, from which 3-8 young worms appear after two weeks and reach sexual maturity in three months.
The amount of processed organic waste per day is equal to the live weight of an earthworm (0.5-1 g).

Dear visitors, save this article to in social networks. We publish very useful articles that will help you in your business. Share! Click!

How to release ready-made humus from earthworms?

When the vermiculture container is filled with humus, earthworms need to be kept on a starvation diet for a week, and then put on a new portion of food, and they will quickly move into this layer. The layer is removed and moved to an empty container, and the humus can be taken away and used for its intended purpose.

If the humus needs to be stored, then it is dried, sifted with a sieve, packaged and stored at a temperature of 0 to +30°C.

How else can you use earthworms?

Poultry eats earthworms with pleasure. Can be used as valuable food additive to, and also, possibly, breeding earthworms for fishing - many types of fish willingly peck at such a bait.

Where can you keep earthworm containers?

In warm weather, containers can be placed outside. In the cold season - in a barn, basement or apartment. The finished humus is odorless, but during the processing of biomass, unpleasant odors can be released and attract insects. To avoid this, you can sprinkle the feed layer with ready-made humus and use EM preparations (effective microorganisms), which accelerate the decomposition of organic waste and prevent the appearance of unpleasant odors.

And some secrets...

Have you ever experienced unbearable joint pain? And you know firsthand what it is:

• inability to move easily and comfortably;
• discomfort when going up and down stairs;
• unpleasant crunch, clicking not of their own free will;
• pain during or after exercise;
• inflammation in the joints and swelling;
• causeless and sometimes unbearable aching pain in the joints ...

Now answer the question: does it suit you? Can such pain be endured? And how much money have you already "leaked" for ineffective treatment? That's right - it's time to end this! Do you agree? That is why we decided to publish an exclusive interview with professor Dikul, in which he revealed the secrets of getting rid of joint pain, arthritis and arthrosis.

Lots of food waste people throw it into landfills every day.

Without special difficulties, a family of 3 can only get about 150 kg of effective fertilizer from kitchen waste during the winter, using worms.

This amount of biohumus is enough for both indoor plants and for feeding garden and horticultural crops.

Why breed worms at home

For fertilizing plants in the beds. organic fertilizer, which has a high value - biohumus is useful to both ordinary gardeners and farmers. This fertilizer increases fertility and improves soil structure, enriches it with the most important macro and microelements. Try to use biohumus at least in a small amount in your garden or garden.

Substrate with worms

For plants, they are still preparing - worm tea, a composition that makes it possible even to double the yield. This natural fertilizer is fed to plants growing in the room and in open field.

For fishermen. It is difficult to find a fisherman who does not use worms while fishing, sometimes you have to look for them for a long time. Most of them buy bait in markets or shops, sometimes spending considerable sums. And for ordinary fishing, at least 30 worms are required. The conclusion about the profitability of growing your own bait is obvious.

Pets. aquarium fish, birds, and other residents of the home zoo need live food every day.

For fish farming garden pond . Owners of ponds on their site need live food. The value of worms for feeding fish will be confirmed by any ichthyologist.

Cultivation of earthworms makes it possible to obtain highly effective fertilizer from organic waste and grow a useful supplement to the diet of birds and animals. Medicine is also interested in the biomass of worms for the production of medicines. The best breeds worms for breeding at home are

1. Prospector worm;

2. Red California worm.

During the acquisition of breeding stock, pay attention to the mobility of individuals and their color.

A ton of organic matter after processing by worms supplies about 100 kg of worms and about 600 kg of biohumus. Worms contain the most important amino acids, they include many trace elements, vitamins and enzymes. But 1 ha is the most fertile soil cannot be compared with a hectare of earthworm plantation in terms of protein yield. Worms flour eats well large cattle, pond fish, chickens, pigs, both boiled and raw. The meat of animals obtained with such fattening is of high quality.

In the production of protein flour, the mass of worms is sifted from the substrate, washed, dried, and then ground. According to the set of amino acids, this flour is close to meat, but it contains significantly more essential amino acids. When adding worm meal to the diet of poultry, the number of eggs laid increases by 25%. The growth of fish when fed with worms reaches 33.5%.

Red worm flour is added to aquariums in the form of a special paste, both ordinary and tropical fish are very fond of such top dressing.

To obtain worms, you can use almost any room with normal humidity and heating in cold weather:

Economic buildings;

Attics;

cellars;

The air temperature in the room should not fall below 4 degrees, otherwise the worms will fall asleep, if the temperature is 36 degrees, then all individuals will die.

To grow earthworms at home, you can use different types of them.

local earthworm. This variety is most adapted to climatic conditions your area, they are mainly used due to the fact that they quickly get used to living conditions in a closed farm. Their disadvantage is that the vital activity of this species is lower than that of "pedigreed" individuals.

California red worm. A common type of worm for reproduction requires a breeding stock of at least 1500 individuals. The species is undemanding to the soil mixture, reacts badly to temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, produces high quality vermicompost, multiplies rapidly.

Worm Prospector. The main rival of the California relative. It reproduces well at temperatures within 9-28 degrees, a very active species, it builds up biomass well and processes the substrate with high quality.

Breeding worms at home: the necessary equipment

Factory vermicomposter

For a small vermifarm, you will need some inventory:

1. Thermometer;

2. A device for measuring soil acidity;

3. Shelving;

5. Shovel;

The main thing is to properly organize boxes, pits or piles for breeding worms and prepare a suitable mixture of organic materials:

wooden box . Dimensions - 0.5x2x1 m, the container is made of boards 25 mm thick, holes are drilled at the bottom to drain valuable liquid - vermicha. A pallet is placed at the bottom of the box, the lid is made from knocked down boards or plywood and ventilation holes are also drilled.

old refrigerator. All the "insides" of the unit are dismantled, installed with the door up, always at a slight slope and ventilation holes are drilled.

cardboard box. Convenient option to start breeding worms. Dimensions - 300x400 mm environmentally friendly and "breathable" material. Worms eat small pieces of cardboard, after the box gets wet and becomes thin, it is changed.

plastic container. Required condition in this case - free access fresh air and good drainage, otherwise the worms in too wet soil can suffocate. Place a drip tray or basin under the container to collect the vermicelli.

Substrate container

Breeding worms at home: where to start

The quality of the organic mixture directly affects the activity of earthworms, their ability to reproduce and the speed of processing the substrate. To successfully breed worms, follow these rules:

Fill 50% of the container with humus, it can be mixed with a small amount of chopped cardboard;

Moisten the substrate slightly;

After 2-3 days have passed, pierce the soil several times and populate the worms;

Level the substrate and cover the container;

After a couple of days, you can start adding fresh organic residues on top.

Always make an experimental colonization of earthworms in a small container. Place about 50-100 individuals in the new soil. After one day, make sure they are alive. This way you can determine if the acidity of the new substrate is suitable for your pets.

The most suitable soil indicator for worms is in the range of 6.5-7.5 pH. If several dead worms are found, this is a clear signal that the acidity is not suitable for them.

You can acidify the substrate if you add:

1. Vegetable tops;

2. Chopped straw or sawdust.

You can reduce acidity by adding:

1. Ground limestone;

2. Shredded egg shells;

3. Plain chalk.

Worms eat dead and beginning to rot parts of plants.

It is forbidden to add to the substrate:

Parts of citrus;

Waste after cutting meat.

Tank for breeding worms

Breeding worms at home: why doesn't it work?

It is impossible to add components that strongly increase acidity to the mixture for feeding worms:

Kefir - increases the level of acidity, and can cause mold;

Not chopped peel of fruits and vegetables, large cores (keep them in the freezer or chop them in a meat grinder, this will destroy the walls organic cells);

Fresh manure - it gives off a lot of heat, the temperature may rise to 70 degrees - as a result, the worms will die.

It is desirable to add to the substrate:

Potato and cabbage peelings, boiled vegetables and banana peels;

food waste;

pieces of baking, stale bread;

coffee grounds and tea leaves;

Water, after washing the container from kefir or sour cream;

Decomposed manure, chicken manure.

Attention: in the long lying under open sky manure is too low in nutrients.

Add food for worms only after they have mastered the previous volume. Excess food waste in the substrate can increase its acidity and lead to fermentation.

In order for earthworms to multiply faster in the substrate, it is desirable to add dairy products. The feed must be thoroughly mixed with the soil, and not just scattered over its surface. It is necessary to constantly monitor the humidity of the substrate. Do not place a container with worms close to heaters, otherwise they will die. It is possible to contain both earthworms and dung worms in one container, they will get along well together. But to make it more convenient to care for them, place individuals of different “colors” separately.

Capacity with earthworms does not exude bad smell, but they can be attacked by harmful insects. The container with the substrate should be well ventilated, have good drainage and minimize the risk of spreading worms. As drainage, materials that quickly absorb moisture are suitable - rotted leaves, peat, moss or coconut fiber.

Feed earthworms with fruit and vegetable scraps, especially banana and melon rinds. Do not leave leftover food that is not embedded in the substrate, this will become a bait for harmful insects. You can’t feed the worms too much, large doses of food will pollute soil mixture, can cause worms to become averse to food, which can kill your crop as a result. If other living organisms start up in the same dish with worms, do not panic. They won't be able to harm the worms you breed.

Given the number of people who want to relax by the pond with a fishing rod, breeding worms can be a very effective business. Earthworms today are used not only as food for fish, but also in the process of maintaining farming. They allow you to significantly increase the yield of the soil, which makes them a sought-after product in large quantities.

Given the number of people who want to relax by the pond with a fishing rod, worm breeding can be a very effective business.

Therefore, if you take a large scale approach to the implementation of this project at home, then breeding worms will turn out to be a profitable undertaking. The implementation of such a technology does not require the owner of a mini-farm, special skills, experience and knowledge. And in terms of preliminary costs, breeding such living creatures at home costs minimal initial investment, which is very profitable in comparison with other types of business today. Now we need to take a closer look at ways to breed worms for fishing and use their waste products in the process of making a profit.

To start growing and breeding earthworms at home, it will be necessary to create an optimal temperature regime and habitat for them. This will require a constant temperature at the level of + 15 ... + 25 ° С, the presence of a sufficient amount of food, and air humidity at the level of 80%. There are species that actively begin to mate and breed in large temperature ranges (within + 10 ... + 30 ° С). If the indicator falls below + 4 ° С - the worms will burrow into hibernation, but the excess temperature regime above +35°C can cause their death.

Earthworms today are used not only as fish food, but also in the process of farming.

In addition, you need to carefully monitor what to feed the earthworms. Feeding is carried out using such common ingredients:

• food waste;
• fallen leaves;
• hay;
• fermented manure;
• tea leaves;
• eggshell.

For beginners, it is important to remember that not all types of worms are equally well bred at home. Therefore, before you start growing worms, you need to familiarize yourself with their "productivity", the minimum requirements for habitat, nutrition, and other important characteristics.

The worms most suitable for a novice entrepreneur are Californian or miners. To grow them, you need minimal conditions, but in terms of performance, they are able to surpass all the wildest expectations. After all, 1 adult prospector is able to breed up to 500 descendants per year. Other types of worms can only dream of such performance.

In order for the cultivation of worms to really give a good income, the business owner may be required to comply with some additional points, in particular:

• combine this activity with other types of farming;
• to care for the plantation, use biohumus from the excrement of domestic animals (in particular, cattle);
• the grown product is actively sold to neighboring farmers, fishing enthusiasts.

Breeding worms at home (video)

Potential consumers

Of course, at the beginning of the journey, you will need to outline a business plan, determine the cost part at the start of the project, and calculate potential consumers of your products. This will give you the opportunity to fully plan the size of the upcoming case, the choice of site for work, the type of worms for breeding, as well as the final product that you will receive. This could be:

• actual earthworm;
• biohumus from worms;
• special worm tea.

If you open your small point of sale of this product in portions, then a flow of customers will be provided all year round. You can enter into an agreement with a specialized fishing store and supply products in bulk. In this case, its cost will be slightly cheaper, but the breeder will have a lower level of rental costs. commercial premises, content sellers, less will be the loss of their own free time. As a rule, in the end, when calculating the income and expenditure parts, almost the same amount of profit will come out in both cases.

The next direction is when the worm grown by one's own hands is further processed into fertilizer. It may seem that this is unprofitable and unpromising, but in fact it is not. The final product is actively used in horticulture, on summer cottages, in specialized flower shops where a highly concentrated plant fertilizer is required. The soil fertilized in this way significantly increases its fertile characteristics.

The cultivation of earthworms is actively supported by representatives of numerous pet stores, where they are used as food. For feeding fish in specialized fish farms, in the process of improving the soil exotic plants by saturating it with special worm tea, the product is also needed.

All this gives a very real understanding of how it will be possible to effectively conduct such a business.

The most frequent buyers of live dung worms are fishermen

A bit about technology

Before you start breeding unusual "pets", it is advisable to get a full understanding common technology how it will all happen, how much time and resources will be required for these purposes.

Growing begins with a simple preparation of the place where your wards will live and breed. Such a farm should have not only prepared soil, stable temperature and humidity, but also worms specially selected for this purpose. The worm farm should consist of adults, cocoons and fry, which must be placed in a “house” originally prepared for life.

For supporting normal conditions the life of worms will require the constant presence of fresh compost, which they will gradually process into biohumus. In this environment, it will be necessary to constantly monitor their reproduction, behavior, and monitor their general condition.

If the created conditions are favorable, then in a few months it will be possible to start collecting the first results of their work in the form of living individuals, a fertile layer as a fertilizer, worm tea. In order for worm farming to be successful, the work schedule should be scheduled in such a way as to enable the remaining individuals to restore the population and increase the resources already used earlier. To this end, it is necessary to monitor the constant availability of fodder litter, a sufficient amount of soil, conditions that activate mating and reproduction.

It must be understood that the soil for breeding worms cannot be completely homogeneous. As a rule, it consists of 3 main layers:

• upper, serving to feed the worms;
• middle, where is the place of their permanent habitat;
• the lower one, where the waste products of worms (biohumus, worm tea) accumulate.

Common types of worms for reproduction

Earthworms, used as the main breeding product, can be divided into several of the most actively used species. Each of them has its own advantages, because of which it is chosen as the main "actor".

To begin with, we should consider the usual "local" worms. Catching them does not require any equipment or effort. They quickly adapt to the created habitat conditions, because of this, their reproduction begins earlier, which makes it possible to quickly get a return on the running process. True, there is also a small drawback here - such worms have a reduced vital activity, which is much inferior to special "pedigreed" individuals.

Further it is worth considering individuals of the Californian red worm. This is a very popular and productive look. When buying, you should carefully choose the livestock (it should be dark red). Here it must be remembered that for a normal breeding process, the breeding stock should be kept at a level of at least 1500 individuals. A small minus of this species is that if the temperature drops below + 10 ° C, the probability of losing the entire livestock increases.

worm prospector for home breeding today is considered the most popular species. Basically it is a direct competitor of the one described above California worm. It has a fairly high activity, develops rapidly, multiplies well, keeps freely in the temperature range from +9 to +28°C. Provides a sufficiently high performance in the process of processing the substrate (per 1000 kg " input material» accounts for about 60% of vermicompost).

Required packaging and accessories

To start the production of worms at home, you must have a minimum number of tools and fixtures. To do this, you may need shovels, buckets, a wheelbarrow, scales, a sieve, as well as things such as racks, devices that help determine the acidity of the soil, a thermometer, and special boxes.

Among general rules, which should not be forgotten, it is recommended to remember the following points:

• the nursery should have an area, based on the fact that for every 1000 adults, at least square meter soil;
• the air temperature in the room where the pets will be kept should not fall below + 4 ° C;
• containers should have a minimum depth of about 30 cm, and it is advisable to use wood, cardboard, and in rare cases plastic as a base.

If at the same time cultivation is planned in one place a large number worms, then you can use a plastic container, which is initially supplied with a sufficient number of small holes to allow air ventilation. If it is not planned to breed a large family in one place, wooden and cardboard boxes are quite suitable.

As an alternative, old bathtubs, refrigerators, special containers can be used for the base of residence. We must not forget that worms love wet soil, rain can be replaced by an ordinary plastic watering can. The concentration of water in the soil should be dosed, because its excessive amount negatively affects the life of individuals.

For the past 20 years, I have been feeding household food scraps to earthworms. I used to collect them in a garden arranged compost heap, adding chopped grass, leaves, manure and earth. And now breeding earthworms at home allows you to get excellent vermicompost all year round without leaving your home.

You can place a vermicomposting container in your pantry, kitchen or even your living space. However, for this it is important to have a container that would serve its purpose. It can also be made on your own.

In this case, wood-shaving materials, in the production of which pressure impregnation was used, as well as those in which chemicals were previously stored, should not be used - they are detrimental to worms.

To make the container last longer, it is better to make it from plywood suitable for outdoor use. In the bottom you need to make holes for aeration, and cover the top with a regular black plastic lid.

Preparing bedding for worms

As a bedding for breeding earthworms at home, it is better to use a material that includes fiber. Its fibrous structure provides moisture retention and aeration. In search of food, earthworms make passages in the litter, while eating it. In its place, a black mass of excrement of worms is formed (in everyday life we ​​call them heaps that worms leave near the passages).

You can make bedding from shredded corrugated cardboard or from old newspapers. To do this, cut them into strips (use only newspapers without color printing) 4 cm wide.

For a 30x60x90 cm box, you will need about 4.5 kg of cut newsprint. To this amount must be added 4 liters of garden soil (preferably a type of silty loam), which, due to its coarse grain, is necessary for digestive system worms, as well as about 16 liters of water, which will provide a moisture content of the mass of about 75%, which is exactly what worms prefer. Some people add a little bit of leaf litter to this mass so that the microorganisms contained in it help the decomposition of the litter (and also serve as additional food for the worms).

Choosing the type of worm

Now you have to choose desired view worms. Of the 3,000 to 4,000 earthworm species, each has a preferred habitat. Some live buried deep in the ground, others prefer garden soil, still others live in the forests under decaying logs of fallen trees. You only need a red earthworm, which is often called strongylida or dung.

These earthworms are ideal for vermicomposting. They are able to process large quantities organic material, are well reproduced in culture and are resistant to significant temperature changes. They breed rapidly in a dark box with warm, moist and rich litter. I recommend starting with 1 kg of red worms (approximately 1200-2400 individuals).

How does vermicomposting work?

Once you have placed the worms in the bedding box, you can immediately start feeding them kitchen waste. They may include vegetables, potatoes and apple peels, watermelon rinds, coffee grounds, leftover food scraped off plates, citrus peels, crushed eggshells, etc.

Vermicomposting bins should be kept free of meat, bones, and dairy residues to avoid rotting and bad odors that attract rodents and other animals.

After the worms adapt to the new conditions, they will freely process 2.7-3.6 kg of organic waste per week.

In a new box, I begin this procedure gradually, first dumping about 1 kg of food waste into it, then, after a week, the same amount. To put the waste, you need to make a hole in the bedding and put the garbage into it, then sprinkle it with bedding material and cover the box with a lid. So, gradually dropping garbage along the walls of the box, you will avoid accumulating them in one place.

After 2-3 months, the volume of material in the box will decrease. It should be remembered that the worms eat not only decaying food, but also the bacteria and bedding material in the box. Passing all this through their digestive tract, they excrete excrement. So every 2-3 months. it is necessary to pour fresh bedding into the box. When the contents of the box darken, the smell of dampness and earth will appear. The resulting vermicompost is very rich in nutrients and is ready to be applied to the soil for plants in your garden. In addition to nutrients, it contains "cocoons" from which young worms will subsequently appear.

Ready vermicompost should be raked to one wall of the box, and a well-moistened bedding mixed with fresh waste should be placed on the vacated place. It should take a few weeks before the worms crawl into this fresh batch, and only then take the ripe vermicompost out of the box and use it in the garden.

To prepare the potting mix, you need to pour vermicompost on the ground in a pot with houseplant or mix it with peat moss, sand, garden loam and/or vermiculite.

When planting seedlings of broccoli, tomatoes in the soil or when sowing seeds, you can add a handful of vermicompost.