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Live worms. How to start breeding worms for sale

Breeding worms as a business is a great way to generate income without serious financial outlays. Starting capital is minimal, equipment is simple. The technology of growing worms at home does not require special knowledge and skills.

For those who decide to start a business, selling worms is a great way to make a profit with a small start-up capital. High profitability and steady demand will ensure the prosperity of your vermifarm. Learn the features of this process, invest some money and get a stable income.

Is there a demand for who are the buyers of the worms?

Before opening a vermi farm (the so-called place for breeding worms), study who will need your products. Creeping Workers provides several valuable products that can be sold:

actual living worms;
biohumus (fertilizer);
worm tea (vermichay).

For soil fertilization

Valuable organic fertilizer - vermicompost is in demand both by summer residents and large farms. Biohumus increases soil fertility, enriches it with useful substances.

Start small. Use the humus yourself and sell it to your neighbors in the country. The expansion of production will allow reaching more reputable customers.

For fishing

It's rare these days to find a fisherman who spends time looking for worms for an upcoming fishing trip, digging up the soil. Most prefer to come and buy bait from fishing shops. The life expectancy of worms is long, the demand is stable. One individual can be sold for 2 rubles. How many worms do you need for fishing? Minimum 30 pieces. You will sell several packages per day. The conclusion is obvious.

To the pet store

Birds, fish and other inhabitants of the pet store are constantly in need of live food. Worms will be taken from you with great pleasure.

For fish farms

Fish farm owners need a lot of live food. The high nutritional value of worms explains the need for vermifarm products.

For plant nutrition

worm tea- a unique product that allows you to increase the yield of fruit and vegetable crops by more than 2 times. Those who will also become your customers. The waste product of the worms is collected in a container. Natural fertilizer can be used for indoor plants and for open and closed ground (in greenhouses).

About the production of biohumus and its demand is described in this video:

Technology Fundamentals

The scheme is this:

Preparing the habitat of your "pets".
Purchase of breeding stock, consisting of adults, fry and cocoons of worms.
Settlement of the family in the prepared "house".
Processing of compost by worms and turning the latter into biohumus after a certain period of time.
Reproduction of worms.
Collection of fertile layer, worm tea, live specimens for sale.
Adding a new layer of nutrient bedding that serves as food for worms.
The process starts over.

Nuances and secrets in the process of breeding worms

Consider the characteristics of the life of worms. Your task is to create comfortable conditions for their life and reproduction. A quiet, calm place without vibrations and noises will help to achieve good results.

The soil

It is not enough just to fill the box with earth, populate the worms and wait for their rapid reproduction. The soil in which they live can be divided into three zones:

Upper layer- food place. You will need soil enriched with nutrients and organic residues;
middle layer- the space where the bulk of individuals live;
bottom layer- the most valuable. It accumulates products of soil processing and derivatives of vital activity: biohumus and worm tea.

Temperature

Observe the temperature regime in the room. The optimum air temperature is from + 15С ... + 25С. There is a species of worms that breed well at a temperature of + 8C ... + 30C.

Room area

Please note: worms multiply rapidly. Think about whether you can increase the area of \u200b\u200bthe vermi farm. Prepare a sufficient number of new "houses" for transplanting individuals.

Sale

Year-round worm farming will require good distribution channels. Study the market and potential buyers in your area, city, village. Focus on indicators: a stable family, having wintered in good conditions, will increase by almost 10 times!

Basic conditions for breeding worms - what is needed for this business

Study each item carefully. Creating a home vermifarm is quite simple. The advice of specialists and experienced farmers will help you.

Even some pensioners are planning to open a business on breeding Californian worms, the main thing is to study the technology and put it into practice, as described in this video:

What room can be used, requirements for it

Suitable for any heated room with normal humidity:

garage;
cellar;
attic;
economic outbuilding.

The air temperature should not drop below +4C. The worms will hibernate. At temperatures above + 36C, individuals will die.

What types of worms are best to use and why

Various types of worms are suitable for a home worm farm. Pay attention to popular varieties.

common earthworm

Local worms, well adapted to their habitat, are used because of their rapid adaptation to the conditions of a closed farm in their native soil. Reproduction will start faster. The disadvantage is that the vital activity is lower than that of the stronger "pedigreed" species.

California red worm (CRW)

Popular look. When buying, make sure that the individuals are mobile and red. The breeding stock should be from 1500 individuals or more. For 1 cubic meter of soil, from 1 to 3 families will be required.

Quickly multiplies, gives high-quality biohumus. Not picky about food. It does not tolerate temperatures below + 10C.

Worm Prospector

Direct competitor of the well-known California counterpart. High activity, the ability to process feed qualitatively, and a rapid increase in biomass distinguish the Prospector species.

It tolerates temperatures from + 9C to + 28C. From 1000 kg of substrate, biohumus yield reaches 60%.

Give preference to industrial types of worms: HRC or Prospector. Productivity is higher than that of an ordinary earthworm.

What equipment will be needed

To organize a small home vermifarm, you will need a minimum amount of equipment and inventory:

scales;
sieve for sifting;
wheelbarrow;
bucket;
shovel;
pitchfork;
devices that measure the acidity of the soil and its temperature;
room thermometer;
shelving.

Make the main emphasis on the proper arrangement of piles, pits or boxes for growing worms and preparing compost.

What container and in what cases it is better to use

Where to place newly acquired individuals and where to deposit new families? At home, several types of nurseries are used:

wooden box

Size: 1m x 2m x 0.5m. Boards - from 25 mm thick. Holes in the bottom will ensure the outflow of valuable liquid. To collect it, the box is installed with a slight slope. Below you need a pallet for collecting vermicai. The lid is made of plywood and knocked down boards with holes for ventilation.

old refrigerator

All "insides" are removed, the chamber is installed with the door up. Need holes for ventilation in the door and walls. Be sure to install the "house" at an angle on the bars.

Cardboard box

An excellent option to get started. Cardboard nursery box dimensions: 400 mm x 300 mm. Eco-friendly material breathes well. The worms feed on pieces of cardboard. The box is damp and thinner - bring a new one.

Plastic container

There are many varieties: from a large flower pot to a high-quality plastic container of large sizes. Prerequisite: air access, otherwise the worms will suffocate in too wet soil. Drill holes in the walls and lid. Place a basin or tray to collect the vermicelli.

Special vermicomposter

The most convenient and expensive option for worm breeding equipment. Most small entrepreneurs use simpler homemade options.

How does a vermicomposter work?

Which soil is better to use and why

The activity of individuals, their reproduction and the rate of processing of organic waste depend on the quality of the soil.

Follow the rules:

cover half of the container with a layer of humus. You can add some shredded cardboard;
moisten the mixture. Humidity should not exceed 70-80%;
after 2-3 days, make several indentations in the soil, populate the worms with part of the soil in which they lived before transplanting into the box;
gently level, moisten the soil. Cover the "house" with cardboard;
wait a couple of days;
after successful acclimatization, you can feed.

Always test populate in a small container. Place 50 to 100 individuals in the substrate. After a day, check if they are alive. This way you will know if the acidity of the soil suits your pets.

Optimal score:

from 6.5 to 7.5 pH.

Several dead worms are a signal for a change in acidity.

To help improve your scores:

sawdust or straw;
tops of plants.

To reduce acidity are suitable:

ordinary chalk;
crushed shell;
limestone.

What and how to feed worms

All types of worms do not have special requirements for food. The value of worms is that they speed up the processing of waste rotting on your site in a compost pile for 1.5 - 2 years, several times. Biohumus for sale and grown worms can be collected every 4-6 weeks.

Basic feeding rules

Worms feed on decaying and dead plant debris.

Forbidden:

meat waste;
citrus. Increase acidity;
undiluted kefir. Increases the level of soil acidity, which leads to the appearance of mold;
whole peel of vegetables or fruits, cores (freeze or mince peels to destroy cell walls);
fresh manure. The rotting substance releases a large amount of heat. The temperature will rise to 70C, the worms will die.

plant residues: cabbage leaves, potato peels, banana peels, boiled vegetables;
food waste;
stale bread, pastries;
tea leaves and coffee grounds;
eggshell powder;
water with which you rinsed a jar of sour cream or kefir;
grass, leaves, straw;
fermented manure (cow, horse), chicken droppings. Important: Few nutrients remain in very old manure.

A new portion of food is added after everything is eaten. Excess food waste leads to increased acidity and fermentation in the soil.

What packaging options can be used to transfer worms to customers

Products are packaged in:

dense plastic bags measuring 150mm x 100mm with holes for the breathing of worms. Store at a temperature approaching the lower mark. So the worms will be less mobile. A sufficient layer of soil is required. Convenient for fishing shops or individual fishermen;
cardboard boxes. The weight of the box is within 8 kg. A sufficient layer of substrate is required. Transportation of uterine families is well tolerated. The transfer method is suitable for large consignments of goods.

Please note that you must send the buyer a broodstock consisting of cocoons, fry and adults.

Worms implementation options

Use all channels to attract potential buyers. People need to learn as much as possible about your products.

How to sell:

direct sales method. Go with the goods and offer them to “everything for fishing” stores, pet stores, familiar fishermen, country neighbors, and farmers. Vermichay is willingly taken by amateur flower growers and avid summer residents.
Placement of advertising on the Internet: on free bulletin boards like Avito, in social networks, on a farming or fishing site. Perhaps you have your own website? Use this site too.

Estimated estimated business profitability

Breeding worms as a business is a profitable investment. From 2 cubic meters of nursery for a year of successful work, you can get up to 15-20 thousand individuals for sale and about a ton of biohumus. Only 2 rubles for 1 unit - and you already have 40 thousand rubles. Add the cost of biohumus and vermicai.

Given the small initial investment, the break-even point will be passed quickly -

For those who decide to grow worms for sale, it would be wise to start with a small home farm in an old refrigerator or wooden box.

Having fully mastered the technology, having studied the nuances of the case in practice, having “recruited” clients, you will be able to expand and organize a vermifarm on an industrial scale. More substantial investments are required. At this stage, you can prepare a business plan for breeding worms in order to optimize processes and attract additional funds for development.

A home mini-farm will allow you to make enough capital to open a serious production.

Now you know that worm farming as a business is profitable for you and good for the environment. Learn the technology, establish distribution channels - and your business will flourish.

Discussion (20 )

Hello, I am going to start this business with minimal costs (One mother seed) and further development. I have been studying this issue for a long time, and your article is very good, but I can’t find anywhere information about how much manure (cattle) should lie down in time before urea comes out and how to speed up this process. I would be very grateful if you help or tell me the necessary literature on which you can prepare in more detail and correctly !!!

I didn't know that worms could hibernate in sub-zero temperatures. In our city, many people sell worms right along the highway when we go to visit another city. And not only in summer. It can be seen that this is very profitable, and the hassle is minimal, especially in summer. My husband sometimes buys from me, mostly in autumn and winter. And in the summer he digs.

It's a good thing. First of all, the restoration of ecology, the restoration of the humus layer of the soil. Mother Earth will be healthy and grace to mankind. In a good scenario and a competent alignment of forces, the sweat of labor will shed like a golden rain.

Subject to the availability of a personal subsidiary plot, it is enough to invest no more than 50 thousand rubles in a home business for breeding worms. The main costs will be spent on the purchase of breeding stock and the manufacture of boxes with substance for the winter maintenance of worms. Also, depending on the scale of production, it is necessary to have an appropriate forage base. Otherwise, the business will not be profitable.

I'm on retirement. Tired of traveling on shifts! Maybe also start breeding worms? My son came up with an idea today. How can I not know! Maybe try?

I breed worms in the basement of my house. Started with a small volume. First, a tray near a paid lake - not far from my village. Now there is already a circle of its customers. It's a good addition to your pension. Many fishermen come to the house for bait. Especially in winter and early spring, the demand is good.

By the way, I have also been doing this business for 5 years already, breeding worms for fishing, in my summer cottage. The business is excellent, there are no investments, only time is naturally needed. I also keep a tent in the market to sell worms, they sell very well! We already have our own clientele.

Yes, business is specific. It’s good if there is a steady demand for such products, and you need to live at least in a private house. This is definitely an amateur, although there will certainly be a demand for such exotics.

I could not get past this topic, because I remember a real example from the late 90s, when our friend was able to unwind in this business and rise from scratch. Now he is already a seasoned businessman. And then it was an ordinary teacher of labor at a vocational school, then state employees were not paid salaries for several months, and even then, if they were waiting for payments, then these were pennies. On which you can't feed your family. And he decided to engage in the cultivation of worms, and right in our vocational school, in the back room. The director was aware, but turned a blind eye to it, then everyone survived as best they could.
I remember how we all walked and looked at these worms, if I'm not mistaken, they were red Californian (I remember exactly that they were not the usual earthworms). The men teased our businessman, the women farted and turned up their noses. But nevertheless, everything was borrowed from him until paycheck to paycheck, since the profit from this business was obvious, he sold it to pet stores, gardeners, fishermen, he didn’t break the price, and they willingly took it from him.
And he was busy with them, as with small children. And he constantly monitored the temperature, set the boxes with the material at different levels, observed the ventilation modes. There was once a tragedy that derailed his business - they told him that it was necessary to add eggshells to the ground for food. Only they didn’t specify that it should be finely ground, just into flour. And he threw it into the ground just mashed, the worms simply cut themselves when they moved in the soil. This is now a lot of information on the Internet, and such mistakes can be avoided, but then our businessman collected information bit by bit from the same amateur businessmen in magazines and calling them up around the country.
What I am leading to is that this business is really profitable, the sales market is huge and wide, there would be a desire. But you should not rank it as one of the easy and fast payback, there are risks, as in any business.
But, something that does not require a huge start-up capital and is even a pensioner's strength is obvious.

Even the idea of earning money by breeding worms would not have crossed my mind. I read the whole article, everything turned out to be more than real. But I don’t think that there will be a constant stable income from this occupation, so you can do it as a hobby, in your free time or for pensioners in order to earn extra money and not sit idle. By the way, I think it’s better to breed worms in the city, because in order to sell “finished” products it’s better to have regular customers who are unlikely to go to your village for a jar of worms. But still, the income from this may well be, and if you wish, you can carefully study all the points and nuances and try to make money on it.

A very interesting business.
Low cost, simple and cost effective.
The pitfall of this business, I think, will be the sale of products in Russia.
I understood from the article that everything is happening in Latvia.
But what about our 35 degree frosts (I live in the northwest)?
Thank you very much for your valuable information.

It seemed to me that in our small town there was already nothing to do, all the ideas had already been sorted out, but what unexpected ways there are, and you really need to think of such a simple solution! We need to think carefully about this, of course, some pitfalls will come up, but I think everything is completely solvable. The main thing is that no one is doing such a thing with us yet, so we need to hurry. As they say, everything ingenious is simple!

Worm Canadian creep (large) 25g. Canadian Night Crawlers in a foam breathable box.

Worm length (at rest): up to 15 cm.
- Worm diameter (at rest): up to 10mm
- Storage temperature: from +2°С to +4°С.
- Temperature of active life: from +6°С to +15°С
- Maximum storage time of the package: 4-5 weeks. (at +2 °C)
- *Life time on the hook when alive: up to 15 hours underwater.

*If the body of the worm is damaged, no more than 3-5%

To catch a fish, you need to interest it, and to catch a big fish, you need to interest it strongly. There is a formula: "The bigger the worm, the bigger the fish." This approach perfectly matches the life aspiration of the fish (to eat) and the goal of the fisherman (to catch). Canadian Night Crawlers differs in the gigantic sizes, it is the real heavyweight among a live bait. The average weight of one individual is 5-6 g! Of course, this worm is designed for large fish. Imagine what you can catch on such a giant! Its length is up to 15 centimeters. You can recognize Canadian night crawlers by their flattened tail and large head. Approximately half of the worms sold in the world are Canadian creeps.

This type of worm is not bred in captivity - they are collected from natural conditions. There is only a limited region in Canada where this famous fishing worm lives. It is harvested in hundreds of tons, placed in huge refrigerators and then distributed to all fishing countries through a well-established distribution system. Each country has a certain supply quota. Storage and transportation of Canadian vypol-zoks is carried out only under strict temperature conditions. The presence of a refrigerator at the point of sale is essential. This worm is very sensitive to temperature changes even by 1-2 degrees. So, already at +6°C it becomes active and requires a lot of space and a lot of food. At this temperature, it cannot be stored in standard packaging for more than one week.
However, at a temperature of +2°C. the life processes of the worm are slowed down and Nigth Crawlers can be stored for 4-6 weeks. At the same time, all this time he does not need to replace the substrate. And only if you need to store the Canadian for a longer time, a replacement of the substrate is necessary. In this case, well-decomposed peat of medium fraction can be used as a habitat for worms.

In conditions of multi-day fishing, when it is impossible to use a refrigerator, it is necessary to place the worm in a cool place and give it enough space. At the same time, you will be able to keep the worm in good condition for 10 days. Remember that this worm cannot tolerate sunlight. The same applies to all other conditions usually used for keeping other types of worms.

Choose the best location and environment. If you don't mind living near crawling critters, your basement can be one of the best places for worms to live. A warm, dark and dry home is best. At the same time, the worms are quite hardy and can withstand temperatures from 4 to 27 degrees Celsius. Even though the environment should be humid, it shouldn't be too wet, so make sure the rain doesn't get in there. Also, make sure the worms are out of direct sunlight. If you arrange the container well enough, they can survive at lower temperatures, but you can not deprive them of care.

Build a container for your new pets. This does not require anything special. If you can't make your own, buy a pre-made one, there are a wide variety of worm containers on the market, from plastic to wood. Wood is considered the best material, as it absorbs some of the moisture and is a good insulator, unlike plastic, in which the compost can get wet. Chances are you have something at home that you can use, like old toy boxes or dresser drawers. Anything that can accommodate a sufficient amount of filling will do. You will need to drill holes in the bottom to remove moisture. If the water is not drained properly, the worms can easily drown.

Prepare a good mix to fill the worm container. Crumpled newspapers are excellent material; Crumpled cardboard, leaves, and other yard debris also work well. A couple of shovels of earth is enough. Worms need some dirt as tough material to digest their food. Use a variety of filling material; the worms will have more fun, the amount of excrement they excrete will be a confirmation of this. Make sure whatever filling you use is organic, like paper, and non-toxic. Moisten and wring it out so it is slightly damp but not wet. Fill the container about 3/4 full and keep it loose so that there is enough room for the worms to get oxygen and odors to escape.

Select the worm type for your new venture. This essentially means that you have to decide on the type of customers you will supply worms to. For fishing, large thick night creeps, such as Canadian mammoths, are suitable. They do not build a large number of mounds, like, for example, red worms. Red worms, on the other hand, are great for creating compost, which is considered a good standard of fertilizer by agricultural farmers. By searching the internet, you can find good suppliers and choose exactly what you need.

Load the worms into the container, following the ratio of worms to the volume of the filler. The golden rule in this matter is a ratio of worms to daily food of 2:1. If you have about 2 thousand night crawls, then your container should be roomy enough.

Feed the worms daily. A family of four usually produces enough food waste to feed the worms daily. Any kind of food will do, except for meat, dairy, excessively fatty and grain products. These foods are offensive and attract flies. You'd better not deal with them. Great for coffee grounds; it has sufficient weight and is inexpensive as a food source. No less good is the eggshell. These substances tend to absorb moisture, so by using them you create a good environment and get a quality fertilizer in return. Peeling and cores of vegetables and fruits is also a good option. You can also toss crumpled wet newspapers.

Place worm food in one corner of the container. The worms will crawl and eat it. There is no need to scatter food all over the container. When the container is filled with excrement and good compost, you can move the worms to a new container and start over. And you will have a good product to sell in your hands. With the reproduction of worms, they will also need an increase in area. You can drill a hole in the side of both containers and connect them together with a plastic pipe. The end of the pipe attached to the container where the worms now live should be closed. When you need to relocate the worms, simply open this end of the tube and fill the second container with food. Worms will start migrating there. This is a longer process, but it is simpler, less time consuming and more accurate. Thus, you are the owner of a profitable business.

I dug up interesting things about worms:

01.03.2010, 07:35

I'll try to describe in more detail. Slowly collect your thoughts, so as not to miss the details ..
I have been breeding them for several years, I have little experience, but because not a biologist, everything I write is purely my IMHO. There are many types of worms, before you try to breed, you need to be able to distinguish them from each other. I must say right away that we are talking about earthworms and creeps, not about dung and subspecies, like Californians. These are completely different worms, they should not be confused, much less kept together. It will end in the death of both. I also kept dung and subspecies, but I consider them a pale shadow of rain and therefore there is no point in stopping. Moreover, they are easy to get on any cattle farm or in a fishing store.
Whoever mined earthworms himself knows that you don’t meet them one at a time, but several at once in a small area. This is their family or colony. It is believed that around them they form a certain habitat, with a certain acidity or bacterial - this is a question for biologists. The point is, if you want to breed, you can't mix:
1) different types of worms
2) worms from different terrain
If the coexistence of different types unequivocally ends in the death of all, then the mixing of the same type of worms from different localities may end in death or degradation, or may even pass. It’s not worth the risk, this is a passed stage, so it’s better not to repeat the mistakes of others. Therefore, for your colony of worms you need to take in one area. In one city park, in a dacha, it is not important not to plant worms on them, for example, from a friend's dacha left after fishing. It is better to keep such mixed ones separately, so to speak, for urgent expenses. Even in one container, they will be divided into colonies, a stranger who gets into another colony quickly dies.
About crawling speech is separate. Strange, but in nature they usually live together with ordinary rain, although they differ greatly from them. You often meet them in the usual "family" of raincoats, sometimes separately. But they are much less common, about one in 30 earthen ones. Accordingly, they can be kept with ordinary rain from the same area, or they can be planted. It is quite easy to distinguish vypolkov, even very small ones. Firstly, they are much darker than an earthworm, this is more reminiscent of a dung beetle. Secondly, their body proportions are thicker and shorter, even in small ones. And the main distinguishing feature is that they have a flattened tail at the end. According to this feature, even a very small creep can always be distinguished from earthen (rain) or dung. Conversely, under certain conditions, doges grow to enormous sizes, so they can be confused with crawling out, but you can always tell them by the tail.

About reproduction.
Earthworms are known to be hermaphrodites, that is, they contain signs of both male and female. But at the same time, they cannot reproduce alone; this necessarily requires another worm. In this case, a light ring is formed on the first third of the body of the worm in the form of a mucous thickening. Then this ring comes off the body and a light brown hard round cocoon is formed. The size of a match head to a small pea. After some time, small worms appear from the cocoon. Like that.
Accordingly, the following conclusions follow from this. In order to form a fruitful colony, worms, for example rare creeps, must accumulate a certain amount. Then they will bear a certain offspring. According to experience, this number should reach thirty or more adults in order for the younger generation to begin to appear. And yet, if you find cocoons and small worms in the humus, then the worms have adapted to the environment and feel fine. If the content environment causes problems for them, accordingly, there will be no talk of any reproduction, although they also do not die immediately. In general, there will be some time to think about the conditions of detention.
Creeps breed hard and grow slowly. More than two months to a more or less adult. It is understandable, such a piece of meat still needs to be worked up. From this tz. vypozok is a "precious" worm, so I have not seen recommendations on the Internet for breeding these worms. Only in terms of content, which immediately leads to certain not too optimistic conclusions.

Earthworm breeding is one of the most promising options for starting your own business, due to the fact that with minimal investment, the worm farm is highly profitable, and the final product is in constant demand among summer residents and farmers who prepare compost.

It is worth noting that worm breeding can be done in the basements of private houses or on plots, and the technology of growing them does not require highly specialized knowledge, so that minimal investment in such a business can bring consistently high profits. However, lack of awareness leads to the fact that most potential breeders do not know about the worm business: where to start, how to properly feed and breed them.

What does a novice earthworm breeder need to know?

Growing worms requires a long preparation. First of all, you need to decide for what purposes you will grow worms, since different types are in demand for different activities.

Earthworm

A worm that lives in your area. Perfectly adapts to the soil, quickly adapts to the conditions of the nursery, effectively multiplies. However, the earthworm has a low vital activity in comparison with other species.

Red Californian

Among the owners of vermifarms, this type of worm is very popular due to its unpretentiousness in food, high vitality, and rapid reproduction. It is worth noting that the standard number of red worms reaches 1500 units. When choosing a family, attention should be paid to the color and mobility of individuals. A distinctive feature of red worms is an increased amount of vermicompost formed as a result of vital activity.

Prospector Worm

Unlike "Californians", "prospectors" are more resistant to sudden changes in temperature. High activity, efficient feed processing, rapid growth of biomass, unpretentiousness in feed, excellent substrate performance and a huge amount of vermicompost determines the high popularity of this type of worm.

It is recommended to start a worm business with “pedigreed” species: their efficiency and productivity are much higher than those of ordinary earthworms living in local soils. At the same time, these varieties are distinguished by an increased amount of by-products, which is also one of the most important conditions for keeping a vermi farm.

Secrets, nuances and subtleties of breeding earthworms

The main task of a novice breeder is to create acceptable conditions for the life and reproduction of individuals. Particular attention should be paid to several important parameters: land, conditions of detention and temperature conditions.

Earth in a nursery

The high vital activity and normal life activity of worms, especially thoroughbred species, requires the provision of the most optimal soil conditions by dividing the soil in the nursery into three main zones:

1. The lower layer, in which side worm tea and biohumus are formed and accumulate;
2. Middle layer, the main habitat of individuals and families;
3. The top layer, with which the worms are fed. The choice of soil for the top layer must be given special attention.

Rules for the use of soils

The quality of the soil determines the activity of the worm, the rate of reproduction and food processing. Maximum efficiency can be achieved by following a few simple rules:

The breeding container must be covered with a dense layer of humus mixed with crushed cardboard;
Make sure that soil moisture does not fall below 75 and does not rise above 80%;
Settle the family 2-3 days after laying the soil in the container;
Cover the nursery with cardboard;
After acclimatization of the worms, apply bait.

In addition, special attention should be paid to the level of soil acidity. For breeding worms, the optimal indicator should be within the established norm of 6.5-7.5 pH. In case of detection of dead worms, it is necessary to measure the level of soil acid. It is possible to increase acidity through impurities from straw or sawdust, while chalk, eggshells or limestone helps to reduce the indicator.

room

The choice of premises also needs to be given special attention, because the high rate of reproduction over time will require the expansion of the vermi farm. Any heated room with high humidity is suitable for breeding the worm. As a location you can use:

Basement or cellar;
Garage or outbuilding;
Attic room.

With the development of business, most vermifarmers are faced with the need to expand. It should be noted that a separate room for the farm is relevant only when it is required by a high volume of products sold.

Temperature regime

With a sharp decrease in temperature to + 4C, some individuals die, the rest fall into sleep. That is why the most acceptable temperature for maintaining the activity of earthworms is considered to be + 15 ... + 25 degrees. Nevertheless, on modern markets there are species whose peak activity falls on temperatures from + 8C.

Equipment for breeding earthworms

In the initial stages, a worm farming business requires a basic set of equipment. In addition to packaging, it is important to purchase or find:

1. Industrial scales;
2. Sieve for sifting soil;
3. Wheelbarrow for transportation of containers;
4. 10 l. bucket for soil transfer;
5. Shovel, pitchfork and rake;
6. Devices for measuring soil indicators;
7. Room and soil thermometer;
8. Racks for storing containers.

Container for breeding worms at home

As a hotbed at the initial stages of organizing a business, you can use:

1. Wooden nursery.

The best option is a wooden box measuring 1x2x0.5 m with a board thickness of 25 mm or more. The lid for such a nursery is made in accordance with the materials and dimensions of the box. Don't forget about ventilation. To ensure a stable supply of worm tea, it is necessary to drill several holes in the bottom of the structure, and also adapt the container to collect the liquid.

2. The chamber of the old refrigerator

The most optimal option for a nursery for beginner vermifarmers. The old refrigerator, devoid of internal parts, is installed horizontally, the bars are tilted. The influx of fresh air requires the presence of holes in the door.

3. Cardboard boxes

The least expensive option for organizing a nursery. In addition to being one of the most environmentally friendly and breathable materials, cardboard is also used by worms as food. In case of soaking or thinning, it is enough to bring a new box, a little larger than the one used as a nursery.

4. Plastic container

Plastic is one of the most popular materials for making a worm bed. At the same time, both ordinary flower pots and large containers can be used, however, in both cases, ventilation of the container must be ensured.

5. Professional vermicomposter

One of the most expensive and effective nursery options, which has a lot of advantages. The tiered design, including multiple waste compartments, a liquid sump, soil moisture maintenance, and an advanced earth venting system, ensures maximum worm breeding efficiency.

Feeding earthworms

Worms are extremely unpretentious to food, however, properly selected food can accelerate the release of substances responsible for the production of vermicompost. The most optimal food for an earthworm is dead or rotting plant debris. To increase vital activity, worms are recommended to be fed:

plant residues;
food waste;
stale pastries;
eggshell powder;
residues after washing containers from kefir or sour cream;
fermented cattle dung or bird droppings.

However, some feeds can lead to a decrease in worm activity, an increase or decrease in soil acidity, as well as the death of certain species. Thus, it is forbidden to use as food for worms:

1. Meat waste;
2. Citrus fruits (affects the acidity of the soil);
3. Kefir, not diluted with water;
4. Whole cores, unground plant residues;
5. Fresh manure generated heat during the process of decay.

It is important to remember that a new portion of food should be added only after the old one has been eaten. In the presence of excess, the process of fermentation of the soil is activated, due to which a significant increase in pH values \u200b\u200bis observed.

Earthworm breeding business scheme

The scheme for breeding a worm for further sale is as follows:

1. Site preparation;
2. Acquisition of breeding stock (family);
3. Settling in the nursery;
4. Processing of compost into humus;
5. Reproduction of individuals;
6. Collection of soil, liquid and worms for sale;
7. The introduction of nutrient litter for further reproduction.

After that, the cycle can be repeated.

Sales of finished products

Before starting a business, you need to decide on the category of buyers of products. In addition to the worms themselves, the by-products of their vital activity are also very popular. For example, humus, formed as a result of the activity of worms, is actively used in agriculture as one of the best fertilizers. No less popular among summer residents and gardeners is worm tea for feeding indoor, greenhouse and outdoor plants.

At the same time, the main clients of vermifarmers are considered to be:

Gardeners and summer residents who turn to breeders for humus and vermichaem - fertilizers that increase soil fertility and crop quality;

Fishing store owners. Based on how much fishing worms cost, modern fishermen prefer to purchase them in specialized stores. The rather long lifespan of the earthworm ensures a constant demand for these products;

Pet shop owners using worms as food for animals, fish and birds. It is worth noting that pet stores prefer to buy worms in bulk;

Owners of fish farms in need of huge amounts of feed. Unlike pet stores, representatives of fish farms buy worms in bulk in large quantities from several suppliers at once.

That is why the cultivation of earthworms can bring profit, albeit small, but stable, since the worms themselves, like the products of their vital activity, are in great demand.

Breeding worms is a cost-effective and profitable business

With minimal investment during the year, growing worms as a business allows you to get up to 40 thousand rubles on worms alone, because today the cost of one individual fluctuates within 2 rubles, and 2 cubic meters. m. the nursery has the potential for 15-20 thousand individuals. In addition, about a ton of biohumus and several hundred liters of worm tea are collected from the same nursery. To start a business, it is better to immediately buy 2-3 families of worms, the cost of such an acquisition will be from 3,000 rubles. It will take 1-3 families to populate 1m3 of soil.

The high rate of profitability and the potential of the vermifarm is explained by:

Absence of production waste;
minimal feeding costs;
fast reproduction;
low production costs;
availability of materials;
extensive markets;
steady demand not only for worms, but also for fertilizers.

It is worth noting that worm breeding as a business pays off by optimizing production capacity and expanding the number of nurseries.

Advantages and disadvantages of a worm farm

Most worm farmers claim that earthworm farming as a business has no drawbacks. Starting with a small home farm, using an old refrigerator, cardboard box or plastic utensils as a hotbed, you can master all the nuances and subtleties, gaining a client base. Over time, the cultivation of earthworms can be expanded, but this will require more serious investments. However, statistics show that the worm farm passes the break-even point quite quickly, so worm breeding, a business plan drawn up by a specialist, is able to attract serious investment.

Starting from a home mini-farm, you can stop at a stable income, but the money collected from the sale of worms and fertilizers should be enough to open a more serious production.
In addition, the breeding of worms is very beneficial for the environment, because fertilizers sold by breeders have a positive effect on the soil, as well as plant growth and increased yields. To date, entrepreneurs receive the main profit from growing worms for fishing, since summer residents still do not know how to make compost correctly and what is the role of a worm in obtaining high-quality soil for growing vegetables.

By the way, a business on worms can become a business in the form of an addition to the main one. Good luck!