How to Make a Small Worm Farm
Red worms are a common species of earthworm---these are the wrigglers you usually see on your driveway after the rain. They are extremely valuable as composters---animals that eat garbage and produce fertile soil---and bait. Raising them in a home or "farm for profit" situation is very simple. Follow a couple easy steps to build your worm farm. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Box or bin, 2 by 3 feet
- Shredded newspaper, 10 lbs.
- 1 gallon garden soil
- Drill
- Water
- Red worms (approx. 2 lbs. per 1 lb. of garbage)
Instructions
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1
Drill at least 12 holes in the bottom of the box you've chosen for drainage. Holes should be approximately 1 inch in diameter.
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2
Shred newspaper, using only the black-and-white sections---colored dye is toxic to red worms. Spread the paper around the box you've prepared.
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3
Add your garden soil to the newspaper. This soil gives the red worms edible "grit," which aids their digestion. Add approximately 4 gallons of water to the red worm bedding. Your stew should now be moist but not boggy. Let the bedding settle for two days.
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4
Purchase your red worms. Red worms are available for mass purchase through bait shops, pet shops and local worm wholesalers. Purchase approximately 2 lbs. of red worms to start your box. Spread them across the compost bedding you've prepared. They will burrow down into the mixture and make themselves at home.
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Feed your red worms as often as you like. To feed the worms, push back a layer of soil, lay the garbage scraps in the hole and cover it again. Red worms eat anything derived from plants. Avoid meat products, as they will make your box smell and attract dogs and cats.
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Change out the soil every two months. This is the time to harvest the larger red worms. Return the smaller red worms and egg cases to the new bedding, and continue feeding them. Sell the larger red worms to bait shops.
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Tips & Warnings
The box will be odorless, but most people prefer to keep it in their garage or basement. It should always be accessible from your kitchen. Red worms breathe through their skin, which needs to be moist for adequate breathing, so keep them in a constantly moist environment. Maintain good air circulation around your red-worm box. Protect red worms from freezing temperatures. The ideal temperature is between 55 and 77 degrees F.
If you build your own box for your red worms, avoid pressure-treated wood. The chemicals used to treat the wood are toxic. The market for worms is not as active as many people believe. Anyone going into worm farming should do research on local market conditions. Do not be fooled by a wholesaler's promise to buy worms back after you've raised them---this promise depends entirely on the honesty of the wholesaler.
