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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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If you are from the southern portion of the United States, you may not know about catalpa worms, but chances are you've at least heard of them.  Catalpa worms are not really worms, but they are lumped into the worm family anyway.  Try telling the redneck fishermen these little buggers aren't worms!

Catalpa worms are usually called "Catawba worms".  Although it isn't likely you'll find many catalpa worm farms, this may be a very good reason you should start one of your own.  It's a way to enlighten the public and provide something unique for consumers.

Catalpa trees are the way to get Catalpa worms.  So, a tree farm of catalpas is your first investment.  Other things you may need to invest in are:  sprinklers, wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, containers, a business license, fertilizer for your tree crop, and advertising.

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Your catalpa trees are going to make quite a mess with litter, so you'll want to decide how to handle that as well.  It's an idea to turn this litter into a profit.  Toss it into your compost pile to help build up some valuable food for your trees.  Sell it for seeds to others who may want to grow a tree.  Use it to start campfires.

One tree can provide a worm farmer with hundreds of worms.  They're a hot commodity for southern fishermen.  The fat worms draw catfish like crazy.  Their juices are the enticement for the fish.  They just can't seem to resist.  The best way to use the worms is to break them, tear them, or cut them somehow to allow the juices to flow.  Place them on your hook and put the hook as near to the bottom of your fishing hole as possible.  This keeps the juices close to the bait instead of allowing it to float down and away, which causes the fish to also go down and away to chase after the juice instead of the bait!

If you invest in a freezer, you can also freeze the worms to sell out of season. The caterpillar stage only lasts about three weeks.

You can buy a starter tree from the Arbor Foundation for $9.  If you're lucky enough to have a relative or friend who has a tree, you can try growing your own from the seed pods that hang from the limbs.  Your best bet for starting the worms is to harvest eggs from a tree that is already established and attach them to your own tree.  The caterpillars emerge in the spring, so you'll want to attach them in February or March.  You could try ordering the catalpa sphinx moth yourself from an insect source of some kind.  This is what the catalpa worm evolves into, so obviously it would lay the eggs to start more!

The downside to catalpa worms is their ability to devour leaves.  All species of the catalpa tree are subject and can be host trees.  You'll have to guard against small wasps and parasites that can destroy your worms.

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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.

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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.

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Worm farming is done for a couple of reasons. Composting, the production of nutrient rich soil and providing live bait are 3 of the most typical reasons for worm farming. Some worms do a better job at their obligations than others so it's very important to find out how to pick the right worms for your worm farm.

Composting is one common reason for worm farming. Worms are used to compost waste and dropped material naturally and without adding to the local landfills. To do this, the worms eat fruit and plant scraps, with other compostable items like paper products, leaves, cotton rags and egg shells. If composting is the most important reason for setting up a worm farm, decisions should be made for the correct kinds of worms that are referred to as being the best for this option. The Red Wiggler, or Eisenia fetida, is allegedly the best worm for composting. These worms reproduce simply and are very hardy. The feature that makes them best as compost worms is their ravenous appetites. Due to their passion to devour anything eatable, Red Wigglers produce a quality substance leading to a nutrient rich soil that's so fascinating with worm farming. Maybe raising worms for the aim of providing live bait is the target of a worm farm. Bait can be raised for private use or supplied to local fisherman thru bait and tackle shops. The best worms for this reason are the Western European Night Crawlers.

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These worms can be used for baiting fish in all sorts of conditions, even in saltwater. The Western European Nightcrawler is reported to be one of the hardiest fish available for worm farming. They may also be used as a live food source for other animals such as birds, reptiles, exotic pets and aquarium fish. They may be employed in a composting type worm farm but work well as live food and bait. Night Crawlers are freely available and have similar care needs as the Red Wigglers. Worms used for garden and lawn farming are usually available in sets of 3 different types of worms. The Red Wiggler and the Night Crawlers are sometimes a couple of the kinds of worms in these sets. The 3rd worm is generally Pheritema, or Florida Wiggler which are worms that burrow deep into the soil. Over three thousand sorts of worms exist. The worms discussed here are the most typically used and freely available on the market today. They can be discovered at diverse online distributors. Local worm farmers can be discovered thru online directories or by looking up the subject in the local phone book. Most sorts of worms are usually supplied as adult worms, young worms and egg capsules. Usually sold by the pound, the amount of worms per unit will alter depending on their age and size. Egg capsules yield a larger number of worms per unit once hatched. A worm farm will be most successful when the proper worm is selected for the job to hand.

While most worms will compost dropped items and waste and act as live bait, some have some tiny characteristics which make them the best choice for a worm farm with a specific purpose.

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The value of worms.

They tend to be slimy, slithery things, but worms, and where they are cultivated--worm farms--play a crucial role in the ecological environment. Worms conveniently live and thrive under the soil they fertilize. A soil enriched by their presence tends to be good soil for farming, which farmers have known for so long. Apart from helping produce better crops simply by living in the soil, worms also balance our ecological space and help preserve our environment.

The concrete and specific benefits of worms are diverse. Fishermen makes use of worms are their fish-lures. Gardeners need worms for enriching their gardens. In some areas of the world, worms are part of the menu of edible produce. These are but a fraction of the many uses of worms, so it makes sense that people invest in building and taking care of worms in well-designed worm farms.

Worm farms are often constructed and maintained to make decaying and fertilized (food for farming) soil. Although this can be done in small scale in any backyard, the optimal set up (one that can be maintained for optimal produce) is the countryside. There, entire areas like barns are allotted to setting up worm farms that produce worms all year long. Think of livestock that doesn't care much and is not affected by the weather, because they live under soil, and you have a good idea how neat it is to raise worms in a good worm farm.

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Worm farms are simply plots of soil where worms are allowed to increase their numbers. So, setting up a worm farm, as has been mentioned, not merely becomes a source of income for some people (not all worm farmers are actually farmers), but also helps preserve nature's delicate balance.

Building a worm farm. If you fish a lot or are a gardening enthusiast, it would make sense to cultivate your own worm farm. That way not only will you always have a source of good worms (because you are aware of the conditions that you raised them), but you can even supply other people and earn in the process. Here's how to set one up.

Get the right kind of worms. You can't just get any worm and throw them on dirt. That won't do. You want Red worms or Tiger worms as the usual easy-to-find worms won't do.

Visit plant nurseries near your area, they'll probably have the worms you need.

Plan the worm farm well. You need some materials you can use to segregate your worms. If you don't think you need a large worm farm, just use some waterproof large jugs. Otherwise, you can use plastic bins, wood, and even crates. Just make sure you don't get materials that have been exposed to pesticides. So if you get materials from livestock-producing farms, you'd better be careful. So you might as well get stuff from your house or garage.

Putting the farm together. Use just enough soil for the quantity of worms you've acquired. The top bin must be lined up with old newspapers you shredded and then lined with soil once more. Add the worms and put there some scraps of food. The upper bin must be moist and kept away from bright lights. Now let the worms be for about 2 weeks to allow them to settle in. Then come back and add more scraps of food. Don't overfeed your worms. Worms love cool and dark areas, you take off the cover to your worm farm only when feeding them and when pouring fresh water into the soil.

Avoid onions and citrus fruits as scraps. Stick to these tips and your worm farm will be thriving in no time.

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Worm farming is a great way to recycle your kitchen and food garbage. Worms will eat almost everything of your kitchen’s waste and convert them into quality fertilizers. The output fertilizer created from your worm farm is great for garden soil and potted as well as indoor plants. The fertilizer is great for a vegetable patch as well if you have one in your backyard.

For a small scale worm farming project, all you need is box with holes at the bottom to allow excess water to drain and bedding materials. Newspapers, leaves, and even cardboard are good materials to create layers of bedding in the box. The bedding should be a little moist when placed inside the container. Don’t wet it too much just sprinkle with some water. Place your red or tiger worms inside the container and follow it up with scraps of food from your kitchen. Just start off with a small amount of food and increase the amount as your farm grows bigger.

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It would be best to know your worms when you’re starting your project. For worm farming, earthworms are not the best worms to use. Red, tiger, or compost worms are the most ideal for farming and creating castings for fertilizers. These types are more adaptive in living in enclosed containers and are good in digesting organic matter which is what you’re going to fed them, kitchen scraps.

Castings are not the only product of your farm. The water that comes out from the drain or holes of your container is a great liquid fertilizer as well. Some would customize their containers and place collecting basins underneath the holes to collect the liquid that passes through. Believe it or not, when worm castings and water residue are used as fertilizers, flowers tend to bloom earlier. When used in a vegetable patch, the produce are much better and some would attest that the vegetables themselves are tastier.

Worm casting is technically called vermicompost and the process of creating it is referred to as vermicomposting. This is already an established field and there are experts in this area as well as commercially available resources where you can get materials like worm farm containers and supply of worms.

After several months, the worms should have created some suitable castings on the top layer. A good time to harvest the casting would when its almost full. There are several techniques in harvesting the castings. One way would be to open the lid and expose the container to light. The worms are quite sensitive to light and by allowing a significant amount of light to hit thee surface of the container, the worms will burrow deeper into the container. You can then scrape the castings after you notice that worms are no longer visible on the surface.

Other people place food on one side of the container and allow the worms to move into that area. After a few weeks, the worms will move into the area and then you can scraped off the castings left on the other side.

You worm farm should constitute a regular diet of fruits and vegetables. Do not feed them citrus fruits for this will make the container and castings acidic which is not good for the plants or for the farm. Egg shells, leaves, paper and shredded and soaked cardboards are good food for your worms. Adding dirt into the containers is a good idea as well as long as everything is done in moderation.

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Worm farming is gaining popularity. If you want to get into the business, you have to learn how to take care of red worms which happen to be the best producers of fertilizer for the soil.

To do that, you have to build your own worm bin. This consists of several boxes, shredded newspaper, and a strip of insect screen as well as the red worms. You can probably find the first two in your garage, the third from the hardware store and the last in a nursery.

When you have all the materials, put a few holes on the top and bottom of the bin and then throw in the shredded newspaper inside the container to serve as the bedding. You can also potting mix or use both at the same time. Once the red worms are inside, cover the top with a lid because these creatures don’t like sunlight.

Unlike the cat, dog or fish you bought from the pet store, you don’t have to feed red worms right away. You can wait about 3 to 4 days before giving them food and since you don’t know yet how much they can consume, put in a small amount first and then gauge how much more should be added to their diet.

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If there are big and small red worms, put some food on the outside edges since the adult red worms prefer to hang out there while the younger ones prefer to get food from the center.

The food that is given to red worms is much different that what you will normally find in the pet store. This is because they only eat things that will naturally compost. A few examples of these include coffee grounds, grass clippings, manure, rabbit pellets, vacuum dust and vegetable matter. Never give your red worms dairy products, meats and certain vegetables like onion.

Just like other household pets, red worms also need some water so water them from time to time but make sure that it is not too soggy. Although they like water, too much could drown your little pets.

What sort and type of worms to use

Red worms are sold by the pound and one pound is about 1,000 red worms. That population will double in 2 to 3 months and while some say that they have a way of regulating their population, it wouldn’t hurt to transfer some to another container.

If there is no space anymore to relocate your red worms, you can try out what other people have done and that is to sell red worms. After all, the waste or vermicast they produce are great for the soil so you can help others save money by trying out this home made fertilizer instead of buying this from the store.

The other option to control the red worm population is to use them as fish bait. Although some people will argue that another variety of worm known as the European Night Crawler is better to catch fish, you will surely be able to catch a few with your homemade variety.

Raising red worms takes a lot of hard work so watch them regularly. Make sure that there is sufficient food available and their bedding is just right because this is the only way to have a successful worm farm.

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Red Wrigglers have become quite popular nowadays. The worm is also known as the Eisenia Fetida. It is related to the common earthworm, but this worm is specialist at feeding on decaying manure and vegetation. The red wriggler is rarely found squirming the dirt. It usually makes it home in places other worms cannot survive.

The scientific names it has been given comes from the odor it release when handled. Hundreds of thousands of these worms are sold commercially each year. The reason the worms are so popular is because they are efficient at turning organic matter into compost. The compost the worms produce is packed with plant growing goodness. The process that worms use to transform organic matter into rich compost is called vermiculture.

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The red wriggler grows up to 2 ½ inches long. As well as the compost they produce, anglers use them to catch pan fish and trout. In addition, they are used to feed fish in ponds and aquariums. Other animals including turtles and birds also enjoy this worm as a food supply.

The worms make a good fishing bait because they are active and can live beneath the water longer than other earthworms. The worms are hardy and able to survive extreme changes in the climate. A safe temperature range to keep the worms is anything between 38 to 95 degrees.

Red wrigglers improve the soil by conditioning it as they move through it searching for food. They emit a nitrous fertilizer that has 5 times the nitrogen you will find in 6 inches of soil, 11 times the potash and 7 times the phosphorus. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash are essential nutrients plants need to grow and remain healthy.

If you were to buy a pound of these worms you would get between 800-1000 worms and their eggs. If you are planning to start a compost bin in your yard, the red wriggler is the worm you want. They also are prolific breeders that reproduce incredibly fast. A starter supply of 1000 worms can grow into 3000 in only a few months.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/is-the-red-wriggler-the-worlds-best-composting-worm-1081013.html

Author: Steve Habib

About the Author:

Steve Habib is an active gardener and researcher on the subject of growing and caring for a variety of plants. You can find more insights and receive our FREE BOOK “How Do Plants Grow” at HOME PAGE To discover the full story on RED WRIGGLERS visit here

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