Raising Worms
"How to Raise Worms in the South"
Our Worm Manual can walk you through exactly what and how you need to do to raise your worms. Specializing in information for Southern Growers.
- Our Worm Manual $55.00 Shipping included
Worms are an excellent insect control method for farmers. Worms offer not only a great fly control solution; but also 1 pound of worms can turn ½ pound of waste into useful fertilizer, (65 pounds of worm castings in 100 days). It can also be a very lucrative “home business” with minimal work and start up expenses. It is an easy business to expand as well.
Housing your worms can be done in many ways. You can raise worms in ground beds or raised beds; we use both methods. Raised worm boxes can be built of wood, fiberglass, plastic or metal. Concrete blocks also work well for ground beds. Whatever material you can easily and cheaply obtain can be made to work. The use of lights will help keep the worms “down”. Composting bins are also popular, ready made units are available or make your own using “non-breathing” materials such as plastic, fiberglass or metal containers; they should be perforated with small holes for drainage 2"- 3" from the bottom, filled 1/3 with dampened bedding preferably 12"- 18" deep. Top with a cover or screen to guard against flies. All beds should be kept from direct sunlight.
Boxes built on the ground do carry more risk of “contamination” from other native breeds of worms, as well as predators. We used the ground worm beds under our rabbits to control insects and bagged up the composted worm manure for sale and use in our gardens. Some growers line their beds with hardware cloth or netting to prevent gophers, armadillos, racoons or moles from eating the worms. Use sideboards around the perimeter to contain the beds. Our ground beds are about 5’ wide and 12” high. They line up with the feeders on the outside of the rabbit cages hung above them. We raise most of our Red Wigglers and African Nightcrawlers in the ground beds and use raised beds for the Eisenias to protect them from being taken over by larger and more aggressive species we raise. Be sure to protect your beds from possums, raccoons, armadillos and other hungry critters.
One square foot of surface area can contain one pound of worms. 2’ x 2 ‘ and 12 inches high will hold 4000 breeders, when harvested monthly in ideal bedding. This works out to 1000 breeders per square foot. We work mostly with a 4’ x 8’ boxes. They offer a comfortable reach for harvesting and maintenance. For composting bins, one 18 gallon tub, (72 Quart) will support up to 1 pound of worms.
Nursery quality peat or Sphagnum peat moss (available at Home Depot, Lowes, Tractor Supply and most feed stores) is the recomended medium to to begin beds. We have also used horse manure from barn stalls; it contains a nice mix of sawdust and manure. Shredded paper can also be a cheap medium.
Regardless of the type of container you use - stock the beds with the type of worm you and/or your BUYER WANTS. Not all worms are alike. There are a number of different types of worms. Names often vary by region; worms commonly referred to as “Red Worms” include the Eisenia foetidas, the original choice for composting. Eudrillus eugeniae, (African Nightcrawlers) very prolific, and Pheretima Hawayanus, (known as the “Hybrid Red Worm”), are popular bait worms. These are the hardier worm varieties; and are more tolerant of shipping and handling and are the worms that we sell. The Eisenia Hortensis, (commonly referred to as “Europeans”) are also in the same family, but difficult to raise.
To water your beds, mist heads are the recommended way to go. Usually hand watering can be difficult to distribute water evenly. However, done CAREFULLY, it can work well. You need to maintain a balance of 70 - 80% moisture – 3:1 ratio. The “soil” should be wet enough to squeeze 1 drop of water out of a handful of “soil”. They are not fish! Using an automated timer can be a great way to regulate the water.
Worms need to be fed when the tops of your beds are covered with fine grains of “soil”. This tells you that the worms have “processed” their “food” and an additional amount of feed is required. You can buy a “mashed type” worm feed. If you feed cornmeal, beware of high salt content and oily foods, it can cause problems. We raise rabbits above most of our worm beds and use the droppings as worm “feed” which works very well. You may harvest cow patties or use any other form of animal waste. BE CERTAIN that if you use animal manure that the animal has NOT been wormed recently or you will KILL your worms. Horse manure and rabbit manure seem to be ideal. You may also use cardboard or shredded newspaper for feed. Worm production can be boosted with additional protein feed. One pound of worms will eat 1/2 pound of food every day. DO NOT OVER FEED food waste, kitchen scraps, old vegetables, coffee grounds, egg shells, etc., you could be inviting trouble with ants as well as other critters enjoying a free bite and perhaps eat your worms too! Overfeeding “worm feed” can result in moldy feed and endanger your worms. Be certain to cut up your kitchen scraps into small pieces - they have small, mouths! You should also bury kitchen scraps under a thin layer of bedding to prevent mold and flies.
Should you have ants in your beds, dig out the marauders or spot treat them with a granulated ant killer. Remember, ants are not elephants, use sparingly; a little bit goes a long way. Do not over load your beds with chemicals, it will kill the worms. Granular Calcium Carbonate or Dolomite can be used to maintain a favorable pH level of 5.6 to 7.0. Red Mites are another enemy of the worm. Prevention is the best solution – a high mite population generally reflects over watering/poor drainage or over feeding. Less feed and/or allowing the bed to dry out can resolve this problem. Depending on the type of worm you raise, a general rule of thumb is that they will mature in 90 days and begin laying eggs with ideal conditions. They produce an average of: 3 - 4 eggs each month. The eggs hatch in 21 days and each capsule may contain 2 - 20 worms each. Under ideal conditions they can triple their numbers every 90 -120 days. Allow 4 - 6 months for the worms to grow to the size most fish bait consumers’ desire. Be careful to allow your beds to reach a high level of productivity and egg lying BEFORE YOU BEGIN HARVESTING. If you harvest too soon, you may unknowingly wipe out your adult breeders and therefore, future production. Harvest regularly, every 30 days, when conditions are right, worms will reproduce quickly. Your worms need to be turned over to stay “healthy”. GENTLY use a pitchfork, not a shovel, A worm cut in half does not = two worms; it equals 2 dead half pieces of a worm. Always replenish the harvested bed with fresh bedding to assure continued production.
Worms will “leave “a bed that is not maintained to their liking. They will “go down” during cooler temperatures in the winter and come up as it warms; but will run off if a bed is too hot or dry or wet. It is best to raise worms in a cool area –under shade trees, a covered barn, etc. Some growers use fans, misters or air conditioning units in a storage area to assure the temperature does not get too high. Constant lighting is recommended to keep the worms from “running”. NEVER refrigerate the types of worms we have mentioned! 50 – 70 degrees is the ideal temperature for your worms.
We recommended that new growers enter the business on a smaller scale. We can provide you with a good starting amount depending on your goals. You should get the hang of raising worms successfully before increasing production. Be certain to buy your foundation stock from an established grower and have your market connections firmed up early.
Housing your worms can be done in many ways. You can raise worms in ground beds or raised beds; we use both methods. Raised worm boxes can be built of wood, fiberglass, plastic or metal. Concrete blocks also work well for ground beds. Whatever material you can easily and cheaply obtain can be made to work. The use of lights will help keep the worms “down”. Composting bins are also popular, ready made units are available or make your own using “non-breathing” materials such as plastic, fiberglass or metal containers; they should be perforated with small holes for drainage 2"- 3" from the bottom, filled 1/3 with dampened bedding preferably 12"- 18" deep. Top with a cover or screen to guard against flies. All beds should be kept from direct sunlight.
Boxes built on the ground do carry more risk of “contamination” from other native breeds of worms, as well as predators. We used the ground worm beds under our rabbits to control insects and bagged up the composted worm manure for sale and use in our gardens. Some growers line their beds with hardware cloth or netting to prevent gophers, armadillos, racoons or moles from eating the worms. Use sideboards around the perimeter to contain the beds. Our ground beds are about 5’ wide and 12” high. They line up with the feeders on the outside of the rabbit cages hung above them. We raise most of our Red Wigglers and African Nightcrawlers in the ground beds and use raised beds for the Eisenias to protect them from being taken over by larger and more aggressive species we raise. Be sure to protect your beds from possums, raccoons, armadillos and other hungry critters.
One square foot of surface area can contain one pound of worms. 2’ x 2 ‘ and 12 inches high will hold 4000 breeders, when harvested monthly in ideal bedding. This works out to 1000 breeders per square foot. We work mostly with a 4’ x 8’ boxes. They offer a comfortable reach for harvesting and maintenance. For composting bins, one 18 gallon tub, (72 Quart) will support up to 1 pound of worms.
Nursery quality peat or Sphagnum peat moss (available at Home Depot, Lowes, Tractor Supply and most feed stores) is the recomended medium to to begin beds. We have also used horse manure from barn stalls; it contains a nice mix of sawdust and manure. Shredded paper can also be a cheap medium.
Regardless of the type of container you use - stock the beds with the type of worm you and/or your BUYER WANTS. Not all worms are alike. There are a number of different types of worms. Names often vary by region; worms commonly referred to as “Red Worms” include the Eisenia foetidas, the original choice for composting. Eudrillus eugeniae, (African Nightcrawlers) very prolific, and Pheretima Hawayanus, (known as the “Hybrid Red Worm”), are popular bait worms. These are the hardier worm varieties; and are more tolerant of shipping and handling and are the worms that we sell. The Eisenia Hortensis, (commonly referred to as “Europeans”) are also in the same family, but difficult to raise.
To water your beds, mist heads are the recommended way to go. Usually hand watering can be difficult to distribute water evenly. However, done CAREFULLY, it can work well. You need to maintain a balance of 70 - 80% moisture – 3:1 ratio. The “soil” should be wet enough to squeeze 1 drop of water out of a handful of “soil”. They are not fish! Using an automated timer can be a great way to regulate the water.
Worms need to be fed when the tops of your beds are covered with fine grains of “soil”. This tells you that the worms have “processed” their “food” and an additional amount of feed is required. You can buy a “mashed type” worm feed. If you feed cornmeal, beware of high salt content and oily foods, it can cause problems. We raise rabbits above most of our worm beds and use the droppings as worm “feed” which works very well. You may harvest cow patties or use any other form of animal waste. BE CERTAIN that if you use animal manure that the animal has NOT been wormed recently or you will KILL your worms. Horse manure and rabbit manure seem to be ideal. You may also use cardboard or shredded newspaper for feed. Worm production can be boosted with additional protein feed. One pound of worms will eat 1/2 pound of food every day. DO NOT OVER FEED food waste, kitchen scraps, old vegetables, coffee grounds, egg shells, etc., you could be inviting trouble with ants as well as other critters enjoying a free bite and perhaps eat your worms too! Overfeeding “worm feed” can result in moldy feed and endanger your worms. Be certain to cut up your kitchen scraps into small pieces - they have small, mouths! You should also bury kitchen scraps under a thin layer of bedding to prevent mold and flies.
Should you have ants in your beds, dig out the marauders or spot treat them with a granulated ant killer. Remember, ants are not elephants, use sparingly; a little bit goes a long way. Do not over load your beds with chemicals, it will kill the worms. Granular Calcium Carbonate or Dolomite can be used to maintain a favorable pH level of 5.6 to 7.0. Red Mites are another enemy of the worm. Prevention is the best solution – a high mite population generally reflects over watering/poor drainage or over feeding. Less feed and/or allowing the bed to dry out can resolve this problem. Depending on the type of worm you raise, a general rule of thumb is that they will mature in 90 days and begin laying eggs with ideal conditions. They produce an average of: 3 - 4 eggs each month. The eggs hatch in 21 days and each capsule may contain 2 - 20 worms each. Under ideal conditions they can triple their numbers every 90 -120 days. Allow 4 - 6 months for the worms to grow to the size most fish bait consumers’ desire. Be careful to allow your beds to reach a high level of productivity and egg lying BEFORE YOU BEGIN HARVESTING. If you harvest too soon, you may unknowingly wipe out your adult breeders and therefore, future production. Harvest regularly, every 30 days, when conditions are right, worms will reproduce quickly. Your worms need to be turned over to stay “healthy”. GENTLY use a pitchfork, not a shovel, A worm cut in half does not = two worms; it equals 2 dead half pieces of a worm. Always replenish the harvested bed with fresh bedding to assure continued production.
Worms will “leave “a bed that is not maintained to their liking. They will “go down” during cooler temperatures in the winter and come up as it warms; but will run off if a bed is too hot or dry or wet. It is best to raise worms in a cool area –under shade trees, a covered barn, etc. Some growers use fans, misters or air conditioning units in a storage area to assure the temperature does not get too high. Constant lighting is recommended to keep the worms from “running”. NEVER refrigerate the types of worms we have mentioned! 50 – 70 degrees is the ideal temperature for your worms.
We recommended that new growers enter the business on a smaller scale. We can provide you with a good starting amount depending on your goals. You should get the hang of raising worms successfully before increasing production. Be certain to buy your foundation stock from an established grower and have your market connections firmed up early.
Be wary of buying other feeds they may contain salt1