Farming Redworms

They tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, which make them ideal for composting. Our worms, Eisenia fetida are capable of consuming up to half of their own weight daily in organic waste.

The finely ground digested matter is passed out of the redworms body in the form of rich, nutritious casts. The end result, referred to as worm castings make a great organic soil amendment. During the vermicomposting process, the redworms continually tunnel in and feed on your food scraps, all the while aerating the bin.

Worms tunnel deeply in the soil and bring subsoil closer to the surface mixing it with the topsoil. Slime, a secretion of earthworms, contains nitrogen. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plants. The sticky slime helps to hold clusters of soil particles together in formations called aggregates.

Did you know Charles Darwin spent 39 years studying earthworms more than 100 years ago.

Worms are cold-blooded animals.

Earthworms have the ability to replace or replicate lost segments. This ability varies greatly depending on the species of worm you have, the amount of damage to the worm and where it is cut. It may be easy for a worm to replace a lost tail, but may be very difficult or impossible to replace a lost head if things are not just right.

Baby worms are not born. They hatch from cocoons smaller than a grain of rice.

Even though redworms don’t have eyes, they can sense light, especially at their anterior (front end). They move away from light and will become paralyzed if exposed to light for too long (approximately one hour). If a worm’s skin dries out, it will die.

Redworms are hermaphrodites. Each worm has both male and female organs. Worms mate by joining their clitella (swollen area near the head of a mature worm) and exchanging sperm. Then each worm forms an egg capsule in its clitellum. Worms can eat their weight each day.

If we place a worm on a table we may watch it crawl. The first ten to fifteen segments reach forward, grip the table, then contract, pulling the next few segments forward. These, in turn, do the same and so on, section by section, until the whole body has advanced. Meanwhile, the front end is pushing ahead again to repeat the cycle.

This locomotion is performed by the layers of muscle in the body wall, the circular bands of muscle which squeeze a portion of the body to lengthen it, and the longitudinal muscles which contract to shorten it. The setae, pointed backward, hold on to any advantage gained. If the direction of the setae is reversed, a similar series of muscular actions will send the worm backward.

The redworm breathes through its moist skin, which must not be allowed to become dry. Blood in the skin absorbs oxygen, which is distributed by an intricate blood-tube system to all parts of the body. The blood also distributes the products of food digestion absorbed from the intestine. Waste carbon dioxide is given off through the skin, while nitrogenous waste is eliminated through fine, tubular kidneys, a pair per segment throughout most of the body length.

To coordinate the redworm's activities, especially its muscular actions, there is a nerve cord the full length of the body branches, segment by segment, leading to the muscles and organs.

It might be said that a worm is both male and female, since both kinds of reproductive organ are present in each individual. Nevertheless, it is necessary for two worms to exchange sperm cells before each can lay fertilized eggs. The clitellum secretes a mucus band which slips forward, receiving eggs on passing the oviducts, and then the sperm from receptacles nearer the head end. The egg capsule which slips off the head may develop several tiny worms, but with usually only one survives, the rest being eaten by the first to hatch.

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Redworms

When your food scraps pile up, don’t throw them out. Get yourself some redworms. They are only 1 -3 inches in length, and are about as thin as a pencil lead, but don’t call them little. When these guys group together, they become a voracious force, consuming anything in their path. Mountains of vegetable scraps wouldn’t stand a chance. The redworms will break them one bite at a time.

But don’t fear their powerful passion, encourage it. The food they consume gets digested, and transformed into some of the most nutritious material that lawns and gardens could grow in: worm castings! These worm castings are 7 times richer in phosphates, 5 times richer in nitrogen, and 11 times richer in potash than the average lawn soil. This valuable substance is a result of your trash! Don’t supply local trash heaps with your waste; give it to some red wiggler worm! By far, these guys are the best gardeners on the planet, and will only help out your lawn or garden or both! Decrease waste, decrease the need for earth-destroying chemical, and increase organic production all at the same time! These worms may be small, but provide a large service to saving the Earth!

So What Do Worms Need?

Many people refer to the ideal moisture content of a worm bin as being similar to that of a “wrung out sponge”. This is an easy do-it-yourself determination of moisture content that has been borrowed from the composting (ie ‘regular’ composting – not worm composting) field.

Research has actually shown that composting redworms typically prefer a moisture content higher than that typically recommended for thermophilic composting – even as high as 80-90% (Edwards & Lofty, 1996). That being said, the ‘wrung out sponge’ level of moisture is almost certainly a better approach – especially for those with limited worm composting experience – since it can be very easy to end up with too much moisture in your bin. This is especially true when using sealed plastic bins.

Warmth Redworms (Eisenia fetida) are certainly amongst the most cold-hardy of the composting redworms. According to Glenn Munroe, author of the ‘Manual of On-Farm Vermicomposting and Vermiculture’ (you will need Adobe Acrobat reader to view), adults of this species have been known to survive being encased in frozen material, and that cocoons are well adapted to survive sub-zero temps for extended periods. I know from personal experience that it is relatively easy to keep a population of Red Worms alive outdoors over the winter with some protection from the cold. Of course, keeping the worms alive is far different than providing them with the requirements for optimal performance! Interestingly enough, optimal temperatures for breeding can be a fair bit different than those for overall worm growth. According to Edwards (1988), the optimal temperature range for breeding Eisenia fetida (red wigglers) is 15-20C (59-68F), yet maximum growth (weight gain) occurs closer to 25C (77F). A similar pattern is reported for other species as well. Speaking of other species, I should also mention that the tropical composting species, such as the African Nightcrawler (Eudrilus eugeniae) and the Blue Worm (Perionyx excavatus) will actually die at temperatures below 10C (50F).

On the other end of the spectrum are the upper limits for worm survival. Eisenia fetida once again outshines the competition, tolerating bed temperatures reportedly as high as 43C (109.4F) according to Reinecke et al. (1992). That being said, it is definitely best to avoid letting your worm bed temperatures go above 30C (86F) whenever possible, as the success of your redworms will decline markedly past this point.

Darkness

Worms prefer it dark – there is no doubt about it! In fact, extended periods in direct sunlight can kill worms. One of the commonly used techniques for keeping worms in a new bin relies on this very principle. If you find that your wigglers are attempting to migrate out of the bin (and don’t notice any obvious hazard that is causing the stress) you can generally keep them where they are by shining a light directly overhead!.

Some guideliness for maintaining darkness for your redworms can include using opaque (ie not ’see-through’) containers, keeping your worm systems in low light areas (not really necessary if you take other measures), and providing ample bedding material to help block out the light. Don’t let this scare you too much though – you can still play with your redworms from time to time without harming them.

If you are keen to observe your redworms for extended periods (ideal for a classroom setting) you can set up your own ‘dark room’ using red lights (this wavelength of light does not bother worms).

Food Source As I’ve discussed elsewhere on the site, it is actually the microorganisms growing on waste materials that provides the main source of nutrition, not the material itself – but of course the worms do manage to slurp up the rotting material in the process. This is the reason I highly recommend setting up your worm bin (with bedding and ‘food’) well before you even get your worms. By the time you add the worms to the system there will be a very rich microbial community waiting. Ever since starting to take this approach myself I had no problems with worms trying to escape from a new bin.

The best food sources are therefore the materials that support the richest microbial population. This helps to explain why animal manures are pretty well the best material to grow composting redworms in! One important factor to keep in mind when considering the potential of various waste materials is the carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio.

Generally speaking, a C:N in the range of 20:1 to 30:1 is going to be ideal (similar to thermophilic composting). Below this range there is the tendency for nitrogen to be lost as gaseous ammonia; above this range decomposition can proceed more slowly, with N being the limiting factor.

Oxygen While way more tolerant of low O2 concentrations than us, composting worms are still aerobic organisms, thus it’s important to make sure your worm bin doesn’t go anaerobic on you. You need to be especially cautious when using plastic containers, since they do not ‘breathe’ the way some other materials (such as wood) do. If you are using a homemade plastic tub worm bin you should probably drill some holes in the top and sides (1/8″ drill bit should work well) – you don’t need to go too overboard though – obviously you don’t want the contents of the bin to dry out, or to let too much light in. If you have some sort of catch tray or lower reservoir (as shown in my ‘deluxe’ worm bin video), drilling some drain holes in the bottom of your bin (perhaps 2-4) will help alleviate the potential for water pooling in the bottom of your bin.

Another great way to encourage increased oxygenation is the use of bulky bedding materials like shredded cardboard, paper and leaves (although paper can sometimes become matted down, thus impeding air flow). This allows air to reach the inner zones of the composting mass, where the worms are typically hanging out. The choice of container for your worm bin is also an important consideration. You will want a container that has a high surface area to volume ratio. A relatively shallow Rubbermaid tub for example, is much better than a bucket since it encourages much greater air-flow throughout the materials contained inside.

Here you will find this video. Check it out it's good.

The activity of the worms themselves will also aid in aerating the system, so unlike a hot composting pile, you won’t ever need to ‘turn’ your worm systems.

So there you have it! As you can see, successfully raising your redworms depends on a small handful of important considerations. If you master these variables you’ll be amazed with the success of your worm population!

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Redworms Pay

At back to basics nothing goes to waste. Do you realize living a back to basics life is so less stressful,much more rewarding. Plus you can practice all your business skills. Just selling redworms can pay your taxes. Not to mention selling your young livestock,eggs,vegetables etc. It truly is a great life. Ever wanted to work from home? Ever wonder how your going to continue on with the economy the way it is? Here's what I did.

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Some Great Sources I Use Regularly Recommended

Another great source we use,to find movies,electronics,DVD'S,Kitchen tools,and on and on. I just feel secure using Amazon I save money and it's delivered to my farm.

Songs I listen To While Doing Chores This is Just A Few

Collection of Gardening Books

Some Of My Favoriate Links

Here is a link that will help you big time.This Person is a certified horticulturist. Check it out!!

Drought Smart

OK Now MealWorms

How to Care for Your Mealworms

If you plan to use all of your mealworms within a couple of weeks, you can either store them in the refrigerator or in a cool part of your home. If you plan to refrigerate mealworms, we suggest that you do so in a container with no substrate for ease of collecting them for feeding. You should take them out of the refrigerator at least once a week and allow the mealworms to get warm and feed them as noted below.

If you plan to keep your mealworms unrefrigerated, they should be kept in a bedding material. We use wheat bran which is available in our Supplies Section. If you dont want to use it, you can use uncooked oatmeal (the "old fashioned" kind, not instant). For moisture, provide the mealworms with a small amount of apple, carrot, melon, etc. Remember, that with this, more definitely is not better! A quarter of an apple or an equivalent is sufficient for 1,000 mealworms. We never use lids on our mealworm bins as they can not climb the plastic and need the air circulation that an uncovered container allows.

Want to try growing your own mealworms? It's not difficult to do, just follow our simple instructions.

Mealworms are not really any type of worm at all but rather the larva form of the adult beetle. They are insects. The mealworms (actually larva) will grow, then turn into pupa and finially emerge as beetles.

Mealworm beetles start off a light ivory color but soon turn dark brown, almost black. They lay multiple clutches of eggs that are too small to really see. The beetles can fly but given food and moisture, very rarely do. We never use screens or lids on our growing bins.

A good number of mealworms to start your own project is 1,000. For that amount, use a Rubbermaid or Sterilite storage box approximately 10" X 17" X 6". Put in about 1 =-2 inches of wheat bran or oatmeal substrate as mentioned above. We feel that the wheat bran is better, but the oatmeal will do. Remember, no lids!

Cut 2-3 sheets of newspaper to cover approximately 2/3 of the surface area of the container, leaving space between the edges of it and the container sides. Mealworms will often crawl between the sheets of paper. Spray the paper (only) once or twice a day using care not to soak the paper and/or moisten the bedding. Keep the container warm (the warmer, the faster you will produce beetles and then worms) and soon your mealworms will begin the morphosis process to pupae and then beetles. Replenish the substrate as it is eaten and add veggies as explained above for moisture. Soon you will be harvesting your own mealworms!

Giant Mealworms are an alternative live food source for small mammals, reptiles and birds when you need a larger worm than the standard common mealworm.

Giant mealworms are simply common mealworms that have been treated with an insect growth hormone to discourage them from morphing into beetles, thus they grow significantly larger. Some will morph into beetles, however they are sterile. Therefore, giant mealworms grow twice the size and definitely much fatter than a standard common mealworm.

Giant Mealworms make Excellent bait for pan fish including Trout, Bass, Crappie, Perch and Bluegill.

I love fishing and I want to share this with you the large ones are great for bait.

Here at back to basics I use them to feed the birds,along with suet and seed. If your a bird lover than teust me when I say you'll see birds you've never seen before. Keep your Camera ready.

Again I hate to keep bringing my earning, but do you relize the money your family can earn from all the information given on this site,just from working at the homestead, you can earn from mealworms,red worms, eggs, baby live stock, vegtables just to name a few. Check out the prices they get for them. Folks their sold by the tens-of-thousands each and every day. Here is a sample.

Prices:

1,000 mini $ 18.99 1,000 sm $ 19.99 1,000 med $ 21.99 2,000 mini 26.50 2,000 sm 27.50 2,000 med 28.50 3,000 mini 32.00 3,000 sm 33.00 3,000 med 36.00 5,000 mini 42.00 5,000 sm 46.00 5,000 med 48.0010,000 mini 59.9710,000 sm 59.9910,000 med 69.99

It does not take a very smart person to see that country living is a very profitable one. Unlike the redworms, meal worms are not as messy to handle. Redworms take more space,also redworms require a little more food. I'm not discouraging redworms no way they pay my taxes. I'm just giving you a heads up about redworms,they require more attention.

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