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How to raise worms. Breeding earthworms in the garden

In Russia and all over the world, the business of breeding worms is becoming increasingly widespread. This is a new, but rapidly developing type of activity that can bring the owner a high, stable income, since worms are in demand in many areas (for example, pharmaceuticals, fishing products).

Let's consider the main markets for products, the features and profitability of the business, recommendations for the care and maintenance of worms, as well as problems that may arise, so that you can understand whether this type of activity is suitable for you and whether it is really profitable and promising.

Sales market

Potential consumers of the resulting products will be:

The demand for worms and their metabolic products (vermicompost) is great, thanks to which a businessman will be able to obtain a stable customer base and sales market, including regular individual customers.

Business Features

This type of activity is suitable for those who live in rural areas or owners of summer cottages.

The features of the business are that:

Worm breeding activities do not require large financial costs or the purchase of special equipment. When purchasing worms in bulk, there are significant discounts, and leftover food can be used as food. At the initial stage, small a home farm will cost an entrepreneur 4500-5000 rubles.
Unpretentiousness worms that do not require special care and are not demanding in feed and breeding.
A large number of potential clients in various fields. Possibility of creating a permanent customer base.
No need to obtain permits for breeding worms. You just need to go through the simple process of registering as an individual entrepreneur.
High demand and lack of significant competition, since the worm breeding business is a new and not yet sufficiently developed type of activity in Russia.

To get a high income in the shortest possible time, you need to draw up a clear business plan and stick to it. The main components of this business plan will be:

planned volumes of production and sales of products (worms, vermicompost);
production part (costs of purchasing worms);
marketing part (advertising, product prices);
organizational part (information about suppliers, partners, buyers, personnel);
assessment of possible risks;
financial part (sources of financing, planned income);
conclusion (the purpose of drawing up a business plan and carrying out worm breeding activities).

Profitability

Profit depends on production volumes and the size of land plots used. The profitability of this type of activity is high (100-130%), and if there is stable demand, the business will pay off in 8 months - 1 year.

Growing California worms is more profitable than other species if your goal is to obtain vermicompost, as they produce biomass faster, which has valuable properties. The resulting biomass is in high demand due to the content of a large number of enzymes, active substances and microflora. California worms are readily purchased by fisheries and stores, as well as fishermen.

The average cost of one worm is from 30 kopecks to 1 ruble, it all depends on the region; in large cities the demand and cost are higher. If you are raising worms for sale, it is better to give preference to the “miner worm”, which reproduces much faster than the American type.

The income received from the enterprise ranges from 40,000 rubles to 200,000 rubles per month.

The profitability of the business can be increased to 500-700%, but in this case significant financial investments will be required to purchase feed for a large population of worms, which can be reduced if you have a farm for growing vegetables and fruits. In this case, you will have a full-cycle worm breeding farm, which will save you from the cost of feed and the seasonal nature of the business. Additional investments will be required for advertising to find large regular customers, but the result will not take long to reap and it is possible to receive a high income.

Income can be significantly increased if you create your own product sales network. In this case, additional financial investments will be required to rent premises, purchase equipment and hire staff.

Breeding area

Worms are bred in gardens or summer cottages, for which wooden or plastic boxes are used. The optimal height of the boxes is 30-40 centimeters.

If worms are bred in an open area, then it is necessary to fence it with a protective net or you can use a concreted area, otherwise an invasion of moles and other pests cannot be avoided. If the boxes are placed in barns, cellars or other premises, then worms can be raised all year round.

To grow enchitrae (white worms), you can use jars, aquariums, crystallizers and other vessels into which 2-3 centimeters of water are poured. Water can only be used with settled water, aquarium water or rain water, which must be changed daily.

Breeding Californian worms as a business - the video below is dedicated to this.

Features of care and maintenance

It is necessary to maintain an optimal temperature of +15 to +25 degrees Celsius, and air humidity should be 75-80%. The acidity of the neutral environment must be maintained at 7 pH.

The box with worms is covered with a lid, burlap, and hay, which protects them from excessive light and drying out.

The following is used as feed:

manure (rabbit, cow, pig, goat);
food waste (residues of vegetables and fruits);
soaked and shredded paper (newspapers, cardboard);
used tea or coffee leaves.

Manure that has been sitting for more than 2 years should not be used, as it contains few nutrients and is not suitable for worms. Rabbit and goat manure can be used almost immediately after receiving, but pig and cow manure must lie for at least six months, otherwise the worms will die.

To speed up the fermentation of pig and cow manure, preparations containing effective microorganisms are used. It is prohibited to use food waste of animal origin (meat, eggs, etc.) to feed worms. Solid food should be ground in a meat grinder or blender.

The worms are fed every one and a half to two weeks. The frequency of feeding depends on the number of individuals and the temperature of their keeping, since at high temperatures the activity of the worms increases.

In addition to feeding and maintaining optimal temperature, humidity and acidity of the environment, it is also necessary to regularly loosen and water the compost in the boxes. For watering, use a watering can with small holes, and for loosening, use a fork with rounded ends; while loosening the compost, you should not mix its layers.

A new batch of worms is placed in moist compost, which must first be kept for a week and watered regularly. The worms in the compost are distributed evenly and after 2-3 days the first feeding is carried out by layering the food on the surface of the compost with a layer of 3-5 centimeters.

Check worm activity regularly, especially after introducing a batch into new compost. The mobility and activity of individuals is a sign of their health and well-being. If the worms are lethargic and do not hide from the light, then it is necessary to move them to new biomass from another source.

In winter, worms can be kept in heated rooms or outdoors. When the temperature drops to -5 degrees Celsius, the compost is covered with a layer of manure (20-30 centimeters), which is watered and covered with a layer of hay on top. The total height of the compost with hay and manure should be 100-130 centimeters, which helps the worms keep warm even in the coldest winter and hibernate. After awakening in the spring, they will feed on the top layer.

Possible problems

Breeding worms is a long and painstaking process, despite the unpretentiousness of the individuals. The main problem that can arise is related to removing the worms from their substrate, keeping them alive is important.

There are several ways to obtain live worms.

Stop feeding them for 3-4 days. After days, new food is placed on part of the biomass, into which hungry individuals move. After 2 days, the layer of food with worms is removed. In order to collect all the worms, this procedure is carried out at least 3 times (once a week). Worms can also be additionally attracted by cut paper dipped in sugar, slicing vegetables and fruits.

If worms are bred to obtain biomass and it is necessary to free it from individuals, then this method is also used: the use of special boxes, for example, with a lattice or mesh bottom, double boxes with a lattice in the middle. Thanks to the design of such boxes, worms crawl from one box to another at the right moment, releasing vermicompost.

Worm breeding is a new highly effective type of business that is highly profitable and is becoming increasingly widespread in Russia. To obtain a stable income, worms can be bred in “home” farms, which are quite easy to organize in a country house or garden plot. But if the goal of the enterprise is to obtain high income and increase business profitability to 700%, then it is worth creating a full circle of production, when worms are bred on farms for growing vegetables and fruits, and also drawing up a competent business plan.

The resulting products (live worms and biomass) can be sold in your own network of stores selling fishing goods, pet stores or points of sale of fertilizers for gardening and summer cottages.

Expanding opportunities in the modern world is pushing people to look for a variety of ways to earn money. To achieve success, you should give up working for your boss and try to open your own business. Business related to agricultural activities is quite popular today, since it provides the opportunity for both additional and main income.

One of the quite profitable activities is breeding worms for fishing, and if fishing is a hobby, this activity will arouse more interest.

The best option for a worm breeding business is the “prospector” type, which takes a relatively short time to be adopted by the market.

Species of worms "prospector"

Perhaps many will wonder why take the risk and breed a new breed. The fact is that the previously popular red Californian worm is not entirely adapted to the climatic conditions of the Russian Federation, and especially to low temperatures.

The “prospector” type of worm is optimal for starting a worm business in harsh climatic conditions. Digger worms are distinguished by their instinct of self-preservation. They go deeper into the soil to avoid the cold.

This species is most suitable for breeding in rural areas of the country.

The target audience

At first glance, no one seems interested in buying worms. But it is worth taking into account the diverse interests and activities of residents of the city and surrounding areas.

So, we can distinguish 3 main groups of clients with whom cooperation will be most profitable.

I group. This category includes people who want to open the same business. For new farmers, it is necessary to purchase breeding stock of the prospector worm. Indeed, the number of such clients is insignificant. But here it is worth considering the cost of a family of worms.

Group II. The next category of clients is more extensive - gardeners, cultivators and farmers. People involved in agriculture are interested in high-quality fertile soil. Worms, which are producers of vermicompost, help to fertilize the soil naturally. And if production is established, this category may increase thanks to large agricultural enterprises.

III group. Fishermen will be the first clients of the worm farm. Since many lovers of quiet hunting try to purchase the necessary bait, bait in the store, without wasting time and effort searching in the garden. If the quality of the goods sold is decent, the number of customers will quickly increase.

Market analysis

Before implementing the prescribed business plan, you should test the opportunities and demands of the market in the city where you plan to locate the worm farm.

To do this, you need to calculate the number of fishing stores. On average, a riverside town with a population of about 40 thousand people has 3-4 specialty stores. The need for worms in one such store is about 300 boxes per season. For such a volume of goods you can get an average of about 6 thousand rubles. The total income during the warm season will reach 30,000 rubles. The summer heat will rid the professional manufacturer of competitors.

And if to make calculations we take a city with a million population, then income increases several times and reaches more than a million rubles. Moreover, it is impossible to find dung heaps there.

If worm breeding is raised to a higher level and we try to supply not only the regional center, but also nearby settlements, then revenue can be doubled.

If concerns and a huge number of questions arise, it is very easy to carry out monitoring via the Internet. Place an ad on a popular website about selling worms in bulk, for example, 1 kg for 1000 rubles. Retail sales are twice as expensive. Thus, it will be possible to monitor the demand for the product offered.

How to start a worm business?

If the market is understood and the idea can be brought to life. The question arises: what is required to start?

To implement a business plan, you need a plot of land and families of worms for breeding. On average, about five families of worms are needed, which will require an investment of about 10,000 rubles. The number of families depends on the size of the land plot.

The area for a worm farm is calculated as follows. For 50 thousand worms you need 1 square. m.

Important! After a year, the number of worms reaches 5 million, thanks to their high productivity. For such a number of worms, about 100 square meters are required. m. of land.

You can grow worms in open ground. But one should take into account a possible slowdown in production during the cold season. Because the worms become lethargic and hide deeper.

To avoid deterioration in quantitative indicators, the farm should be equipped with the ability to maintain the required temperature. The optimal temperature for high performance is around 25°C and not lower than 10°C.

What is necessary for the life of worms?

Manure. Worms feed on animal waste products. Manure can be easily found in rural areas. You just need to pay for delivery.
Waste. Leftover food is suitable for feeding new pets. But it should be taken into account that they must begin to rot and be natural.
Water. Only clean water is suitable for worms, without chlorine or chemicals. Rain or river water is ideal.
Peace and quiet.
Fresh air.

Secrets of success

Number of worms per 1 sq.m. should not exceed more than 20 thousand individuals.
Soil moisture should reach up to 85%.
To ensure free air circulation, it is necessary to mix manure with straw in a 1:1 ratio.
To activate the reproduction of worms, feeding should be increased.
Ensuring optimal temperature.
To prepare the worm for fishing, you should feed it with leftover fruit and a mixture of parsley and dill. This will improve the quality of the worm and attract fish to the hook.

The worm breeding business has its challenges, but if you are determined to get into this business, you will find your own ways to solve these issues.

Work, rationality and the right approach will help you achieve success and earn your first million.

The development of vermiculture is a fairly promising area of entrepreneurship, since now there is little competition and there is a constant demand for such products.

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Suitable Worm Types

In a home vermifarm you can breed different types of worms. They should be chosen from the possible directions of sale of both the products of their vital activity and the worms themselves.

The most common types of cultivation are:

Red Californian worm. This is an ideal solution for home growing. This species quickly adapts to any conditions. The California worm is a hermaphrodite; therefore, even one worm can give birth to offspring. On average, the number of offspring per year from one individual reaches 1,500 copies. This species is also not picky in its diet - it consumes almost all organic waste. Cultivation of the California worm makes it possible to sell it also to amateur fishermen. In addition, the manure that remains after such individuals perfectly fertilizes the soil.
Tubifex- a reddish worm that lives in water bodies. This species feeds on organic matter, and can be found in the muddy bottom. Individuals of this species are in demand among aquarists because they are used as fish food.
Enhytrea- These are white worms that live in the top layer of soil. Their main advantage is their large size from 10 to 20 mm in length. Their breeding is quite simple, but requires maintaining temperature conditions and nutritional rules. Cereals, leftover vegetables, flour, berries, root vegetables, as well as feed yeast diluted with water are excellent for this species as food. Enchytraeas are mostly used as fish food. To feed the fry, the worm is crushed into small pieces. When feeding a whole specimen of enchytrea, the fish will become fat.

All documents for opening such a business are absolutely identical to other areas of emergency. To officially conduct business, you should contact the tax office with the following documents: a copy and original of your passport, a completed application for, a receipt for payment of state duty,. Before submitting the application, the name of this type of activity should be given, since this affects the taxation system.

The necessary conditions

Home vermifarm- this is a simple undertaking, but it requires some conditions.

To successfully breed worms, you should familiarize yourself with the specifics of preparing all the necessary components.

Room

Almost any property is suitable for breeding worms: cellar, garage, balcony, attic. The main requirements for it: heating and normal humidity. Temperature is also an important factor. It is worth remembering that at +4C the worms hibernate, and at +36C the individuals die.

Different types of worms are suitable for self-cultivation. You should choose based on their nutritional and habitat requirements. For example, an earthworm quickly adapts to new living conditions and produces offspring. Main disadvantage- low vital activity, that is, such individuals have a short life cycle.

The California red worm also adapts quickly and produces large offspring. He consumes almost all organic products in his diet, and accordingly produces vermicompost of good quality. The disadvantage of growing it is that it cannot withstand temperatures less than +10C.

Another option is the prospector worm. It is characterized by high activity and high feed processing. In addition, its individuals can normally withstand temperatures from +9C to +28C. In general, it is recommended to choose industrial type worms for cultivation. Because their productivity is much greater.

Equipment

When creating a home vermifarm, the amount of equipment can be minimal: scales; bucket, racks, room thermometer, as well as instruments for measuring acidity and soil temperature.

For breeding worms, it is quite possible to use several types of containers:

Wooden box. It must have holes in the bottom, which are needed to collect liquid - vermicha. It is recommended to make holes in the lid for ventilation. The equipment should be placed with the door facing up, and holes should be made in them for ventilation. It should be placed at a slight slope.
Cardboard box. This option is more suitable at the beginning of worm farming activities. On average, its dimensions should be 400 mm x 300 mm. The box should be chosen from natural materials, since they allow air to pass through well, in addition, the worms will also feed on pieces of cardboard.
Plastic container. You can choose any option, but the main requirement is air access. It is recommended to make holes for ventilation in the walls and lid of the plastic container. A tray should be placed underneath to store vermicelli.
Vermicomposter. This is a professional device that will cost more than other options. It is fully designed for growing worms and has all the necessary accessories.

Priming

The quality of the soil affects the duration of their life and reproduction.

It is very important to follow all the rules for such soil:

The humidity level is no more than 80%.
The optimal acidity level is 6 to 7 pH. Sawdust, plant tops or straw can increase its level. You can reduce acidity by using chalk, limestone, and finely ground shells.

Feed

One of the advantages of raising worms is that they are undemanding when it comes to nutrition. All species consume almost any organic matter. It is strictly forbidden to give meat waste and citrus fruits. The acidity level will increase if you give undiluted kefir.

If you do not follow the rules of feeding worms, this will also lead to mold. Leftover fruits and vegetables should be chopped as much as possible to break down the fiber. Otherwise, when such products rot, heat will be released, which will increase the overall temperature and cause the death of the worms.

It is worth remembering that a new portion of food should be given only after the previous portion has been eaten, otherwise the acidity of the soil will change.

Growing technology

Creating a worm farm involves the following steps:

Preparing the settlement site.
Purchase of livestock. It is very important that it includes adults, fry and cocoons.
Infestation of worms. They should be placed together with the soil in which they were purchased. In this case, adaptation will take place faster.

The following stages are related to the life process. This is the processing of compost and the creation of vermicompost. After collecting the wormwood and fertile layer, it is necessary to add new nutrient litter.

First– for nutrition: the earth is rich in mineral components.
Average- the habitat of most individuals.
Third, the bottom layer accumulates all the waste products of the worms.

Naturally, it is very important to control the acidity of the soil and its temperature.

Advantages and disadvantages of business

A home vermifarm has its own characteristics in comparison with other business options.

The disadvantages of such ideas include the following:

the need for free space;
constant monitoring of the living conditions of worms;

Despite this, the worm farm has more positive aspects:

minimal investment during the entire cultivation of worms;
low competition among other manufacturers;
wide range of product sales;
ease of creation;

The benefits of breeding worms are quite obvious, since it is practically a waste-free production. So, if you create a nursery with a size of 2 cubic meters, then in a year of work you can get about 15-20 thousand individuals for sale, as well as a ton of vermicompost. On average, the profitability of a worm farm is about 150%. It is worth noting that this is also influenced by low production costs and ample opportunities for marketing products.

Areas of implementation

The profitability of a vermifarm, first of all, depends on the sale of products, that is, attracting potential buyers.

Products can be sold through direct sales.

To do this, you can use the following approaches:

establishing contacts with pet stores, fishing outlets, for direct sales of goods;
posting information on the Internet: on a personal website, in the form of advertisements on trading platforms, on social networks;
distribution of printed materials: leaflets, booklets, advertisements;

Before developing a worm farm, you should carefully study both possible points of sale and the capabilities of your products. The fact is that growing worms allows you to obtain additional products, which are perfectly sold as fertilizer.

Thus, the vermifarm provides several directions for implementation:

Vermicompost as a fertilizer. This component increases the fertility of the soil and fills it with microelements.
For fishing. Anglers prefer to purchase ready-made bait rather than look for worms themselves. Since, on average, about 30 worms are used per fishing trip, accordingly, by selling several packages per day, you can get a good income.
For food in pet stores. This option is the most effective to implement. Worms are excellent food for birds, fish and some other animals.
For feed for farms. Since this requires a lot of live food, vermifarm products will be an excellent solution.
For feeding plants. Worm tea is in greatest demand. This is a unique product that increases productivity by more than 3 times. This fertilizer will be especially relevant for companies that grow fruit crops for sale.

Below we will tell you in detail how to breed worms, how to care for them and get a good income.

To be able to work with large wholesale buyers, your enterprise must be officially registered. The most common options are individual entrepreneurs and LLCs.

In our case, the simplest one is IP, registration will take about a month and require a minimal investment ($70-90).

Worm breeding technology

It is necessary to organize the cultivation of worms in several stages:

Preparing the premises in which your “wards” will live;
Purchase of livestock for rearing;
Preparing “housing” and moving the purchased “family” into it;
Caring for “pets”;
Reproduction;
Collection of vermicompost, vermicompost, sale of adult worms.

Then another layer of nutrient bedding is added and the whole process starts all over again.

Is it worth buying worms?

You can purchase invertebrates at any vermifarm, which is not difficult to find via the Internet. The average cost of a thousand heads is 22-40 dollars, depending on the chosen type and volume of purchase. For a business to be profitable, you need to start with at least 2-3 thousand worms.

If you are going to breed ordinary rainwater, you don’t even have to spend money on buying them and take them in the yard of your own home. First you need to dig a not very deep hole and pour manure or moistened rotting leaves into it. Then the “bait” is covered with a board or cardboard. Within a week, the first invertebrates will appear in this place. They must be transferred to the box along with the soil in which they lived.

The best types of worms

Each type is good in its own way. By providing proper climatic conditions and good nutrition for your wards, you can breed several species at once.

Earthworm

It has the best adaptation: both to climate change and to life on a closed farm. But his activity, compared to other “breeds,” is somewhat lower. It produces fewer offspring and forms vermicompost more slowly than its “brothers”.

California red

One of the most popular species due to its mobility and rapid reproduction. California red produces excellent vermicompost and is not very picky about food. But it is sensitive to temperature. If it drops below +10 degrees, you may lose your livestock.

Worm prospector

An excellent choice for beginners. This species is active, quickly processes food and substrate. The prospector feels good at a temperature of +9…+28 degrees.

Worm breeding room

A worm farm requires a minimum of space, literally a few square meters. You can arrange it in a garage, cellar, attic or outbuilding.

Even a summer cottage can become a springboard for growing invertebrates. In this case, it is necessary to comply with some requirements:

To prevent business from “freezing” in winter, you need to take care of heating in advance;
The room should not be too humid, but not dry either;
The farm should be located in a quiet place, away from the road, noise, and vibrations.

Housing for worms

For comfortable keeping of pets, it is best to build special boxes. You can make them yourself from wooden or plastic containers. The wall thickness of the wooden box must be at least 25 mm. Standard nursery parameters are 1x2x0.5 meters. You need to make holes at the bottom of the box to collect humus and tea, and place a tray. The top of the nursery is covered with a lid with holes.

To save space, boxes are installed on racks that can be made from metal profiles.

There are several more ways to build a home for worms with your own hands:

From an old refrigerator. It is necessary to remove the internal contents from it, make ventilation holes in the walls and door, and install the refrigerator with the door up and at a slight angle.
From a cardboard box. The simplest and cheapest option, plus in the box, due to the natural thin material, there is very good air circulation and enough oxygen for invertebrates. As soon as the “creeping workers” begin to feed on pieces of damp cardboard, the box needs to be replaced.
From a plastic container. Any plastic container can become a “house”: from a flower pot to a basin. The main thing is not to forget about ventilation and collection of humus and vermicelli.

If you wish, you can purchase a fully equipped vermicomposter, its cost is about $200.

Conditions for growing worms

Pets should be housed based on the norm of 1000-1500 individuals per cubic meter. This will ensure optimal nutrition and substrate processing. There are certain requirements for the maintenance and care of these creatures.

The soil

The substrate must consist of three layers. The top layer is the most nutritious, that is, the soil should be enriched with organic matter. Invertebrates spend most of their time in the middle layer.

And worm tea and vermicompost accumulate in the bottom. Worms will reproduce well only in high-quality soil. How to prepare it?

Choose a container to contain it and fill it halfway with humus, add a little shredded newspaper. The mixture needs to be slightly moistened, the total humidity level should be no more than 80%;
A few days later, depressions are made in the soil, where the individuals settle along with part of the soil in which they lived before transplantation;
The soil is leveled, moistened, the home is covered with cardboard and left for a couple of days;
When the “residents” adapt, you can add food to the soil.

There is a great way to check the quality of the substrate. Place 50-100 individuals in a small container with prepared soil and observe them for 24 hours. If they are alive and remain mobile, it means that the acidity and moisture of the soil suits them. The required acidity level is 6.5-7.5 pH. Tops, straw, and sawdust increase the acidity level. Reduced - limestone, chalk, ground eggshells.

Temperature for keeping worms

These creatures feel best at temperatures +15…+25 degrees. Critical indicators: +4 degrees (individuals will hibernate or die), at +36C and above, invertebrates also die.

At the right temperature, your wards will reproduce well and produce vermicompost.

Feeding the worms

Feeding should be done once a week. The food is placed on soil 10 centimeters thick. Place a piece of newspaper or toilet paper on top of the food. As soon as your charges start eating it, you can feed them again and lay a new layer of compost.

These creatures feed on rotting organic matter.. The diet of worms must be formed from the following products:

Plant remains: peels, vegetables (boiled), potato peelings, etc.;
Bakery;
Ground eggshells;
Food waste;
Water with remaining kefir or sour cream;
Tea leaves;
Straw, leaves, grass;
Cow and horse manure, chicken droppings. It is important that the manure is of medium freshness and contains many nutrients. Very fresh manure will raise the soil temperature and the livestock will die.

Do not use under any circumstances meat scraps, citrus fruit scraps, fruit and vegetable peels.

Reproduction of worms

Proper maintenance of worms involves creating favorable conditions for their reproduction. They begin to give birth to offspring at the age of two to three months.

Over the course of 4 months, cocoons are formed, ripening in a few weeks. One cocoon is 15-20 new worms. If we roughly calculate the dynamics of reproduction, it turns out that in six months the number of invertebrates in one box will increase 50 times.

It is very important to regularly place individuals in new containers. If the population density is high, they will simply stop reproducing.

Equipment for breeding worms

Equipment required for growing:

Boxes or other containers;
Shelving;
Sieve;
Wheelbarrow, shovel and pitchfork, bucket;
Scales, thermometer, device for measuring soil temperature and acidity.

Selling worms

Your farm on several points at once: from the sale of live individuals, the sale of vermicompost and vermicelli. “Young growth” and vermicompost are collected for sale every month and a half. Who should I sell to?

Live specimens to pet stores for animal feed, fish farms, and breeding;
Vermicompost and vermichay for farms to fertilize the soil and feed plants.

You can create your own website and engage in retail sales yourself.

Costs and profits

If you equip containers for growing yourself, then the main costs will be inventory (no more than $100) and the purchase of three thousand individuals to begin with ($80-100).

Materials for the “houses”, food, soil will require no more than $50. Preparing food does not require any special expenses. In total, including registration, the investment amount will be about $350.

For 3 thousand individuals, two to three cubic meters of soil are needed. Every month and a half they will produce about 30 thousand worms for sale ($900) and approximately 1000-1500 kg of vermicompost ($700-800). You can earn about $600 more by selling vermicha. Monthly income will be $1500-2000.

Growing worms is quite simple and very! These creatures live a long time, are unpretentious in many respects, and the costs of setting up a vermifarm are minimal.

Conditions necessary for breeding earthworms

Every gardener knows that earthworms are very useful and very easy to breed to obtain valuable vermicompost and routine soil care.

To breed worms you need dig a small square hole with side dimensions from 30 to 50 cm, fill it with leaves, waste paper and fill it with kitchen slop. Let the preparation brew for 7 days, and then place a small number of worms on the surface. Together with the pits, you can use boxes placed in a barn or basement of a summer house.

Worm care consists of:

✓ regular humidification with water at a temperature of 25 ° C, supplied to the worm shelter from a watering can. You should also keep in mind that the water should be either settled or rainwater, since fresh tap water is harmful to them. In winter, vermicularia does not need to be watered; it is enough to insulate it with manure and a thick layer of straw (up to 0.5 m);

✓ regular feeding of crushed plant materials (fermented manure, kitchen slops (tea leaves, potato peels, etc.), soaked paper, bread crumbs). The first feeding of the worms after they are placed in the compost is carried out after a few days, and subsequent feedings - every 2 weeks. The thickness of the new layer of feed is usually about 5 cm;

✓ regularly loosening the compost to supply oxygen (2 times a week); ^ monitoring the health of pets (healthy and happy worms are active and clean).

A few months after the worms are introduced, the contents of the box become completely converted into vermicompost. Then it needs to be removed from there. Manually removing worms is inhumane, disgusting and very time consuming, so it is better to do otherwise:

✓ let the worms starve for several days, and then put in a portion of food - they will all quickly crawl to it. For better attraction, you can additionally place pieces of paper soaked in sugar water on top. In the meantime, you can remove the new layer along with the eating worms into a new box, and put the finished humus into storage;

✓ It’s even more convenient to use boxes with a mesh bottom: when the time comes to move the worms to a new place, a new one with a mesh bottom is placed on the old box and sprinkled with food. The worms crawl into a new box, and the old one goes to you.