How to feed dung worms for fishing. How to breed worms for fishing at home: suitable species and care for them. Cardboard boxes

Residents of rural areas always know how to save worms for fishing in winter. There is nothing surprising in this, since even in the cold season they can be found in the same manure, which is more than enough in a barn or pigsty. Another thing is the inhabitants of cities. It is unrealistic to find worms under the snow, so you need to stock up on them in advance, and then somehow be able to save them before fishing.

Every fisherman understands that the bait must be elastic and always alive so that the fish pays attention to it. Otherwise, the catch will not work. Some might think that storing worms for fishing is a difficult task, but it is not. You can keep the bait in good condition even in a warm apartment. The most important thing is to know some important points.

Many anglers prefer fishing in the summer. Of course, on the one hand, this is very comfortable for humans, but on the other hand, it creates a problem regarding how to save earthworms. Top dressing can deteriorate while in the sun in just a couple of hours, and it is not always possible to get a new one.

First of all, it must be said that dung worms and earthworms cannot be placed in the same box, because they will die. In dung species, mucus is released, which negatively affects the rain "brothers", who, in turn, decompose, kill dung worms.

Therefore, in order to keep the worms in the heat for a long time, you can use several methods.

The first way (using a canvas mitt)

To begin with, the fisherman must find a mitten, and then pour bait there along with the ground. At the top, the product closes tightly so that there is no unpleasant surprise. After that, you will need to put the mitten in the shade of trees or in thick grass. As soon as the air temperature starts to go up, you should lower the glove for a couple of seconds, and then return it to its original place. This manipulation allows the top layer to get wet. At the same time, the earth inside the gauntlet remains dry. When the product begins to dry, the evaporated moisture cools everything that is inside the glove. Thus, earthen or dung dwellers continue to be kept in comfortable conditions.

In the heat, the above manipulation is performed as often as possible.

The second way (using plastic containers)

Surely finding a small bucket made of plastic is not difficult. As in the previous case, you will need to fill the container with earth (wet, but not wet), worms are sent there. And dry leaves and grass are laid on top. After that, you will need to close the jar with a lid, having previously made holes for air in it, and wrap the container with a damp cloth. By placing the container in the shade, you do not have to worry that it will not be possible to keep the worms in good condition for a long time.

The third way (using holes)

If a fisherman goes fishing for more than one day, perhaps he goes on vacation, but does not want to dig worms on the spot, then it will be useful for him to learn about one interesting manipulation.

First of all, you need to take a bag or handbag made of linen (many use ordinary women's tights). Next, you will need to pour earth, dry leaves and moss into the product, and then moisten everything a little and send the harvested worms there. Arriving on a fishing trip, a person will have to dig a small hole in the shade, where this bag is placed. From above, the product is covered with leaves or branches. If the street is very sultry, then it is allowed to lightly water the hole. Experienced fishermen note that in this way you can keep the bait for a week, and nothing will happen to it.

There is another way, but it works exclusively with a dung worm. In this case, a bag made of canvas is taken, filled with wet manure, and then a “fish treat” is placed there. Having tied the product, it will be possible to tie it to any branch of a tree during fishing, which can be easily reached. When the sun begins to shine on the bag, it is sprinkled with water. It turns out that the bag, firstly, is well blown, secondly, it remains wet, and thirdly, the fisherman does not need to go far for the bait.

Keeping worms at home: how it's done

Not every fish is caught in bad weather, so if everything was collected, but the trip did not work out, then you need to take care to keep the worms for fishing at home.

In this case, it all starts with the capacity. Ideally, if you can find a small plastic or metal bowl. At the bottom, be sure to drill small holes. They can range from 0.3 to 0.6 cm. Next, you will need to start filling this basin. For these purposes, you can take 50% of household waste, and 50% of small straw or hay, as well as some dry leaves.

You might think that the preparations are over and earthworms for fishing can be stored for as long as possible. This is not so, you should also take care of the "stuffing". To do this, the fisherman will need to take crushed eggshells and chalk. After mixing this oxidizing agent, water is added to it, at the rate of 1 glass of water, per 8 kg of the mixture. After that, you need to wait until all excess water drains through the holes in the basin.

Such manipulation with watering is carried out within 7 days.

How to feed "domestic" worms

Just creating conditions where worms are well stored is not enough. You need to take care of their food, otherwise they will die. Such instances can recycle almost anything. Perhaps someone does not know, but worms are very fond of paper, wet wipes are ideal. If they are not at hand, then the peel from various vegetables or finely chopped bones, as well as coffee and tea leaves, will do.

Important! In the case when it is necessary that the worms be stored longer, it is necessary to add shell or chalk 2 times a month. Without an oxidizing agent, a “fish delicacy” will not live long.

Do not forget to add water once a week, which can serve as a soil moisturizer. Humidity should be at least 70%. It is very simple to determine it: taking a little soil in the palm of your hand and trying to squeeze water out of it, one drop should appear. This is an ideal indicator that everything is fine with moisture.

You should not worry that the worms will remain hungry, so there is no need to pour food in large quantities into the basin. All products poured at a time should be processed during the day. If they were found tomorrow, then there are too many of them and the number needs to be reduced.

It should be understood that the worms grow quickly enough, so if you plan to keep them in the pelvis for a long time, then after a while, most likely, you will have to look for another container where all the individuals can be seated.

We describe the most popular methods for catching various types of fish.

How to keep worms in winter

In winter, you can’t get worms - this is known to all fishermen, so you should take care of top dressing in the summer. To do this, just before the frosts (in different regions they are different, so everyone should be equal to their climate) dig up worms and put them aside. At the same time, you will need to build a wooden box. You need to understand that it should include about 20 kg of earth. Having coped with this, you can go to collect fallen leaves, with which a third will need to be covered with a box. Everything else is covered with soil. Then they put worms in a box and sprinkle them with earth.

Important! There should not be too many worms in the box, otherwise they will soon no longer fit in the box.

Next, you need to wrap the container with a damp cloth and send it to some cool place. It can be anything: a garage, a balcony, an attic, etc. The most important thing is to maintain a positive temperature. Fishing earthworms should be fed once a day.

When going fishing, you can put the bait together with the ground in a special mitten. In order for the bait not to freeze, it is better to hide it under outerwear and take it out as needed.

The golden-tailed, or yellow-tailed, worm is a bait with which you can catch any kind of fish anywhere at any time of the year. And the name "dung worm" is used only for disguise.

The name "dung worm", "compost worm" or "yellowtail" refers to two types of worms. They have the Latin names Eisenia foetida (foetida - smelly) and Eisenia andrei. E. foetida is characterized by bright yellow rings in the tail (the English name for this worm is tigerworm - tigerworm). E. andrei, on the other hand, has a uniform light red color, and its rings are not so pronounced. In addition, the E. andrei worm can withstand higher temperatures than its congener. Since both worms are so similar not only in appearance, but also in terms of living space and lifestyle that they quietly coexist side by side, scientists only in 1972 recognized that these were two different species.

Previously, a large red worm, the dendrobena, was also included in the group of dung worms. It was then given the Latin name Eisenia hortensis; however, it falls out of this cage, as it is noticeably larger, thicker and, in addition, more fleshy than the first two species. For the angler, the difference between E. foetida and E. andrei is practically irrelevant, since both worms are excellent fishing bait. Scientists suggest that for fish, both worms differ in taste, since the composition of the strong-smelling yellow tissue fluid that flows out of them when placed on a hook is not the same. But so far there is no evidence that unambiguously confirms this. Therefore, further we will consider both species as one - a dung worm.

Worms need warmth

Although dung worms are found on all continents, it is assumed that their place of origin is the Mediterranean. Compared to other worm species, they are extremely resistant to high temperatures. Life processes in their body occur most intensively at temperatures from 15 to 25°C, but they also tolerate temperatures of about 30°C. Under such conditions, crawling out with its favorite temperature of about 10 ° C would have died long ago.

The usual habitats of the dung worm are heaps of mixed compost, especially rich in organic matter, in which even in winter, due to the heat released during decomposition, the temperature rarely drops below + 15 ° C, especially if manure from hay-eating horses or rabbits gets into the heap along with plant waste .

In a good compost heap there are so many dung worms (here Eisenia foetida) that there is enough of them not only for fishing on weekends, but also for feeding.

1000 descendants

Under optimal habitat conditions, the dung worm remains active throughout the year, reproducing and producing up to four generations. The offspring appears on the 16-20th day after oviposition, and a single worm can produce up to 1000 offspring per year. For comparison: hatchlings emerge from the egg only on the 3-4th month. Dung worms are on average 6–8 cm long, in exceptional cases and under especially favorable conditions they can reach 13 cm. The maximum age of a worm is about 3 years.

The dung worm is a kind of "ferrari" among earthworms. It lives intensively, while expending a lot of energy, so it breeds only in a nutrient-rich compost heap, regularly replenished with freshly cut grass, kitchen waste and falling fruit.

Dung worms do not tolerate frost very well. If, due to prolonged cold weather in the compost heap, the temperature drops significantly and stays below freezing for a long time, the worms die. If all the worms in the compost heap are lost, they must be re-bred the next year because spontaneous new colonization by migratory worms is rare.

If the compost heap is sufficiently moist and rich in nutrients in the summer, dung worms survive in it and in the heat. Each lift with a pitchfork brings many worms to the surface.

Easy to breed

If a large number of dung worms is required, they are easy to breed in the backyard and even in the basement of your own house. For self-cultivation in a special box or by placing them in a dunghill, you can purchase dung worms via the Internet. The first offspring under optimal conditions should be expected in about 10 weeks.

Dung worms are dug up with garden pitchforks. When digging with a shovel, many worms are damaged.

Optimal conditions

The first condition for optimal breeding: the compost must be sufficiently moist, about the size of a wrung out rag. If the compost heap is too dry, ants, predatory beetles or wood lice will colonize it. And ants and predatory beetles hunt for worms. On the other hand, the compost should not be too wet either. Stagnant moisture is fatal to worms if they cannot move into the dry parts of the dunghill.

The second condition is the highest possible content of decayed plant residues in the compost heap. The metabolism of dung worms is extremely intense: one individual per day eats rotted plant residues in an amount equal to about half its own weight, and on warm days even twice its body weight. A kilogram of worms thus consumes 0.5–2 kg of rotted plant particles per day. Dung worms are almost never found in ordinary garden soil, and they are not at all in the sand, since there is too little food there. If there is not enough food in the compost heap, the worms will gradually "disappear". Therefore, if you want to have a supply of dung worms at any time, you must regularly provide new portions of food to the dung heap.

Any kitchen, garden and household waste is suitable for composting, especially worms like peeling and waste of unprocessed vegetables and fruits, coffee filters with contents, wet tea leaves, last year's leaves and mowed grass, bedding on which small animals are kept, as well as mixed with straw dung herbivores. Cut tree branches and shredded wood, as well as shavings and sawdust, serve for loosening, but it must be untreated, untreated wood.

If dung worms feel well and are provided with enough food, they form real "nests", the size of a child's head, from which you can very quickly collect a supply of worms for fishing. Avoid throwing orange and other citrus peels, cat litter, roast meats and sauces or other heavily spiced food scraps, ashes, and the contents of a vacuum cleaner bin into the manure pile. Almost fatal to worms is the manure of animals that have just been treated with antihelminthics. Remaining medicines also kill worms.

Another good place to look for dung worms is in waste piles of rotted corn silage. To store food for the winter for dairy cows, many farmers make large silos filled with shredded corn in the fall. In the spring, the remains not eaten by cows fall into a large compost heap, to the right and left of the silo, where it all slowly rots and thickly grows into thickets of nettles and quinoa. In such deposits, an incredible number of dung worms often hide. On such "gold mines" you can get valuable worms for free by kilograms. To dig them up, you need to use not a shovel, but a pitchfork, since a shovel cuts many worms. Damaged worms die and doom healthy specimens to death.

Urban people who do not have household plots, as a rule, do not know how to build compost heaps. Luckily, dung worms can be grown in a crate or plastic barrel in the basement or on the balcony. However, some rules must be observed.

Coolness and aeration guarantee success in urban environments

Adequate aeration is essential. Plastic containers must have ventilation holes not only in the bottom, but also in the side walls, otherwise the compost will start to rot and smell bad. It is also important that the water that is formed during composting does not accumulate at the bottom of the container, but can drain. Although dung worms love a humid environment, they do not tolerate stagnant moisture.

You need to position the container with worms so that it is protected from overheating. A cool basement, north-facing balconies, or shaded all day long are best for this, even in summer.

If you are going to grow worms yourself, you need to create a “biotope” for them. A drainage layer of finely lumpy clay, fragments of broken flower pots or small broken bricks is laid at the bottom of the container. Having covered it with several sheets of newsprint, a nutrient layer from rotted compost is poured into the container, and on top - an aeration layer of moistened newspaper scraps, paper scraps or sawdust. Then again come the nutrient, and after it the aeration layer; they are alternated until the entire container is filled, not reaching the top of about 10 cm.

Feeding worms

As already mentioned, dung worms should be fed with vegetable kitchen waste. However, vegetables attract fruit flies. Therefore, untreated vegetable waste is better suited, as well as coffee grounds along with filters. To block access to flies, culture medium containers should always be covered with corrugated cardboard, sawdust, several layers of newsprint, or thick burlap. It is important to completely replace the substrate for growing worms several times a year.

If you do not breed worms yourself, but only occasionally take them from a friend who has his own garden, store them in a large bucket. A mixture of damp foliage and earth, to which a few handfuls of compost has been added, will be enough to keep the worms alive for several weeks. But the bucket should be in a cool place, preferably in the basement. A small supply of worms for one fishing day can be stored in bulk boxes with moistened sawdust from wood that has not been treated with chemicals.

Caution - danger of escape!

When growing and storing dung worms in closed containers, one has to face an important problem - the constant readiness to escape if they do not like the conditions in which they are. Too little food, too wet nutrient medium, or just a loosely closed container with worms - and they leave the box, finding and using the smallest cracks. To avoid this, all ventilation openings should be covered with a cloth or thick gauze. This will provide the necessary air exchange, but the worms will not be able to leave.

The way out may be to constantly illuminate the basement with a small energy-saving lamp. Because the dung worms are afraid of the light, they won't leave the box. The danger of escape exists on the fishing itself. A jar of worms, especially when fishing at night, must always be carefully closed, otherwise the worms will escape under the protection of darkness.

The dung worm has always been considered an excellent bait for catching peaceful fish. A few decades ago, it could easily be found in the manure heaps near private houses where livestock was raised. Now fishermen have to spend a lot of time looking for bait. That is why some of them took up the breeding of dung worms. Anglers not only provide themselves with bait, but also sell the surplus to other amateurs.

The dung worm has always been considered an excellent bait for catching peaceful fish.

Benefits of dung worms

Every year there are more and more difficulties with the search for dung beetles. This does not please anglers who are aware of the benefits of this bait. Earthworms are fairly easy to find, but they are not as attractive to fish. This is due to certain features of the inhabitants of dunghills:

• Dung beetles are able to tolerate hot weather. They do not die even when the air temperature rises above 30 degrees. This feature is very pleasing to fans of summer fishing.
• Earthworms die within an hour after hooking, and therefore their attractiveness to fish decreases. Dung beetles attract a lot of fish.
• The inhabitants of the dunghills emit a pungent smell, which is liked by different types of fish. Individuals are able to find bait even in the dark or in a layer of silt.

Basic breeding rules

Some anglers think that worm farming is a very simple matter that does not require financial and time costs, but this is absolutely not the case. First of all, you need to choose the right container. Experts do not advise using metal boxes. It is better to make a container of wood or plastic.

In the bottom of the box, it is necessary to drill several small holes that are needed to drain excess moisture and air circulation. Their diameter should not exceed a few millimeters.

It is worth remembering that dung beetles love a moist habitat, but they do not tolerate accumulations of liquid, so it must flow freely from the box. It is advisable to close the holes with high-quality gauze or mesh so that the worms cannot crawl away.

Dung beetles love a moist habitat, but they cannot tolerate accumulations of liquid, so it must flow freely from the box.

It is worth remembering that dung beetles love warmth. Even in winter, in a heap of manure, the temperature does not drop below 10-15 degrees due to the ongoing process of decay. Therefore, a room is suitable for breeding, the temperature in which ranges from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius. It should be illuminated constantly with a weak lamp. This is necessary so that the individuals do not leave the box. They are afraid of the light and will not try to crawl away if containment conditions suddenly change.

The box must be installed on a flat horizontal surface and covered with sand, with a layer of 2 to 3 centimeters. After that, you need to lay out fresh hay, a layer of 4-5 centimeters. Biohumus is laid on it. It can be purchased at many retail outlets. Owners of summer cottages can use ordinary humus.

Some fishermen do not know where to buy worms that can produce offspring. They can be purchased in almost all stores for fishing enthusiasts. Before buying, you need to make sure that the dung beetles live.

There is another way to obtain individuals for breeding. Fishermen who live close to farms or villages may pick up worms in person. It is enough to come to the countryside and find a pile of manure or humus. It is best to transport dung beetles in a wooden box filled with humus.

Before settling dung beetles in a box, it is necessary to moisten the soil well. Warm water should be used, with a temperature of 25 to 30 degrees. After placing the worms in the ground, you need to monitor how they will hide in it. After the last individual is out of sight, a layer of feed is poured, 3 centimeters thick. After that, the box is covered with a layer of cardboard.

It is best to transport dung beetles in a wooden box filled with humus.

Under natural conditions, worms feed on rotting plants. At home, food waste is most often used, for example:

• peel from vegetables and fruits;
• the remains of dairy-free cereals;
• spoiled fruits and vegetables.

It is worth remembering that worms can only absorb crushed food. Accordingly, all residues must be crushed using improvised means. You can use graters, shredders, blenders or knives.

It is worth remembering that long absences are unacceptable during breeding. The dung worm has a good appetite, so you need to regularly add food in the box. Understanding that the dung beetles have eaten all the food is quite simple. If holes appear in the cardboard, then you need to remove it and put a layer of food. Then you should add some water to the box. After 2-3 months, the number of worms will increase significantly.

Resettlement of individuals and sale

Within two months, the number of worms can increase by more than 3 times. Accordingly, they will have to be settled in different boxes. Before this, you need to stop feeding in order to lure the worms to the surface. Then the worms are divided into 3-4 parts and settled in boxes with fresh humus and food. The breeding process can go on indefinitely if marketability is established..

The average recreational angler doesn't need thousands of worms, so many of them sell the surplus.

It is worth remembering that dung beetles can die if not properly stored. It is necessary to agree in advance on the sale of worms with other anglers or representatives of retail outlets. Some anglers have a good income from breeding.

In fishing, both artificial and natural types of baits are used. Regardless of the season and fishing method, the worm is not inferior to artificial bait. It is not always possible to buy the necessary worm in the store, and the price of such a purchase can be too high.

Breeding worms at home is not a very difficult task, it is enough to have the necessary information.

Rules and features of breeding

Varieties and characteristics of worms:

The most popular in the field of worm breeding is the "prospector". This is a representative of one of the species of Californian red worms. It differs from its counterparts in a high level of productivity and fertility. He has a well-developed instinct for self-preservation. At low temperatures, the "prospector" burrows to a safe depth. The breeding temperature range is from +8 to +29 °C. An adult is capable of producing about 1,500 worms per year. The worm is unpretentious in food, quickly gets used to a different type of food. Resistant to many types of diseases.

The California red worm is easy to grow at home. He is less prolific than his fellows. On average, 400 new individuals appear per year. An adult worm reaches 8 cm in length, with a weight of 1 g. Like the "prospector", the main advantage is the speed of biomass production. The resulting biohumus has saturated enzymes, the maximum amount of microelements and active substances. Comfortable conditions for the successful life of the red worm will be a temperature of 15-25 degrees and a relative humidity of the habitat of 60%. In such conditions, he is able to live for about 16 years. The disadvantages of the Californian worm include pickiness in the choice of food, increased thermophilicity and the negative impact of direct sunlight.

The advantage of common earthworms is their good adaptation to the environment. This type of worm is considered a universal bait - more than a dozen different types of fish bite perfectly on it. The length of the grown worm reaches 15-30 cm, specimens that have reached 40 cm are often found. The main disadvantages are low life expectancy (up to 4 years), passivity in reproduction. Despite the shortcomings, earthworms are unpretentious in nutrition and have a fairly active growth.

The flour worm is the larva of the beetle. It tolerates temperature extremes and has a high reproduction rate at home. For development, a comfortable temperature is considered to be 28 degrees, while the humidity should not fall below 50%. In the choice of food, they are not whimsical.

This worm is a favorite delicacy of many fish. The yellow liquid inside it has a specific smell that drives the fish crazy. These worms are similar in appearance to red ones. The difference lies in the conditions of detention. To create a habitat, you need: sawdust, manure, rotten hay or straw, black soil, wet leaves. All this is mixed and well pressed. The greater the soil pressure, the more comfortable the worms live there. They have no preferences for temperature and high humidity.

In the selection, there are also specially bred worms for fishing - This type of worm breeds sluggishly, but it has a very fleshy body structure. Care on them has certain difficulties associated with the constant maintenance of increased optimal living conditions.

Worms feeding

Worms feed on rotten or dead plant remains. It is recommended to add potato peelings, stale bread, cabbage leaves, banana skins, kefir diluted with water, grass, rotting straw, the remains of the thick of used tea or coffee, chicken droppings, manure, boiled vegetables to their diet.

It is forbidden to add the following ingredients to the food of worms:

• meat-containing waste;
• citrus peel;
• eggs;
• fermented milk products (the acidity of the environment increases);
• fresh manure (gives off destructive heat up to 70 ° C).

Before serving food, it is well ground in a meat grinder. The composition of the feed must be constant. When changing nutrition, individuals must undergo adaptation for several weeks.

Putting a new serving of food is necessary 2-3 times a month. It all depends on the temperature regime - the warmer, the more often and more worms eat food. Remember, too much food will ferment the soil, making it more acidic.

Worms for breeding

Worms are more often purchased at pet stores, the Internet, and fishing stores. When making a purchase, you should pay special attention to their appearance and general condition. They must be active and solid color.

How to increase the catch of fish?

For 7 years of active passion for fishing, I have found dozens of ways to improve the bite. Here are the most effective ones:

1. Biting activator. This pheromone additive lures fish the most in cold and warm water. .
2. Raise gear sensitivity. Read the appropriate manuals for the particular type of tackle.
3. Lures based pheromones.

Settlement technology and rules for caring for worms

You can breed worms not only in the village or in the country. Any place without noise and excess vibration is suitable for this: in an apartment on a balcony or a “dark” room, in a garage, in a garden or other utility room. The main condition is the observance of the optimal temperature regime and sufficient humidity (70%). Unpleasant odors can be avoided by sprinkling the feed with earth or biohumus.

To breed worms at home, you need to buy a vermicomposter or make a worm hive with your own hands. This design is a plastic or wooden box (box), about 40cm high. Breeding containers must have ventilation holes.

Holes are drilled in the top of the box or lid. The structure is installed at a slight slope so that through a hole drilled in the bottom to drain the worms formed during the life of the worms. An old refrigerator can act as a worm. It is placed with the doors up, pre-drilling holes.

If there is no desire to make a worm, you can purchase a ready-made special product for growing worms - a vermicomposter. It is made in the form of two plastic boxes, installed one on top of the other. Both have holes for ventilation and special slots at the bottom. A tap is mounted in the lower drawer, located on legs. It is used to drain the resulting vermicai.

After preparing the soil mixture, for 2-3 days a deepening is made in it and the first tenants are settled in the wormhole. After evenly distribute the soil and cover with a lid. Feed is added two days after settlement.

To know the required level of soil acidity, we make a trial settlement in a smaller container. For breeding worms, the optimal acidity of the soil sweep will fluctuate in the range of 6.6-7.7 pH. With more acidity, the worms begin to die. Reduce its level by adding eggshells, chalk or limestone to the soil. To increase the acidity, sawdust, straw or plant remains are used.

If within a week the surface of the substrate is clean, and the worms are actively mobile, then the colonization was successful.

Worms are fed every 1.5-2 weeks. The food is applied evenly to the entire surface of the box with a thickness of 5-7 cm. Under favorable conditions, the worms multiply very quickly, so it is necessary to have prepared wormholes for relocation. Monitor humidity constantly. The watering procedure is carried out with warm (room temperature +24 ° C) water, using a watering can with small holes.

With a substrate layer of more than 20 cm, loosening is necessary to enrich the soil with oxygen. Mixing is carried out with a special fork or other tool with rounded ends. This procedure should be carried out twice a week.

As a result of the activity of the worms, the soil, which is located in the box, is divided into three zones. The top layer contains nutrients. The layer in the middle is used by adults for housing. All the products of their active processing are collected in the lower layer, which is why it is so important. This layer grows over time. After 3-4 months, the worms are transplanted into a new container, along with a small part of the substrate of the lower layer. And the process starts all over again.

Reproduction of worms

A new generation of worms emerge from cocoons. One female can lay only one cocoon per week. A month later, newborn worms appear. An average of 20 worms hatch from a cocoon. In two months, they grow to the size of an adult. During the year, the worm lays up to 24 cocoons. During the growth period, the worms actively feed, so you will have to feed more often.

Comfortable conditions for reproduction: temperature in the range from +20 to +24 degrees, humidity 70%. It is desirable to keep different types of worms in separate boxes.

1. It is better to cover the bottom of the box with a mesh, so it is more convenient to weed out biohumus.
2. In one wormhole, you can keep earthworms and red worms together.
3. Cow dung becomes suitable for nutrition only after 6 months.
4. The resulting biohumus is effectively used for fertilizing strawberries, vegetables in the greenhouse and indoor plants.
5. Some types of worms are used to obtain medicines.

A lot of food waste is thrown into landfills every day.

Without too much difficulty, a family of 3 can only get about 150 kg of effective fertilizer from kitchen waste during the winter, using worms.

This amount of biohumus is enough for both indoor plants and for feeding garden and garden crops.

Why breed worms at home

For fertilizing plants in the beds. An organic fertilizer of high value - vermicompost is useful for both ordinary gardeners and farmers. This fertilizer increases fertility and improves soil structure, enriches it with the most important macro and microelements. Try to use biohumus at least in a small amount in your garden or garden.

Substrate with worms

For plants, they are still preparing - worm tea, a composition that makes it possible even to double the yield. This natural fertilizer is fed to plants growing in the room and in the open field.

For fishermen. It is difficult to find a fisherman who does not use worms while fishing, sometimes you have to look for them for a long time. Most of them buy bait in markets or shops, sometimes spending considerable sums. And for ordinary fishing, at least 30 worms are required. The conclusion about the profitability of growing your own bait is obvious.

Pets. Aquarium fish, birds, and other inhabitants of the home zoo need live food every day.

For breeding fish in a garden pond. Owners of ponds on their site need live food. The value of worms for feeding fish will be confirmed by any ichthyologist.

Cultivation of earthworms makes it possible to obtain highly effective fertilizer from organic waste and grow a useful supplement to the diet of birds and animals. Medicine is also interested in the biomass of worms for the production of medicines. The best breeds of worms for breeding at home are

1. Prospector worm;

2. Red California worm.

During the acquisition of breeding stock, pay attention to the mobility of individuals and their color.

A ton of organic matter after processing by worms supplies about 100 kg of worms and about 600 kg of biohumus. Worms contain the most important amino acids, they include many trace elements, vitamins and enzymes. But 1 hectare of the most fertile soil cannot be compared with a hectare of earthworm plantation in terms of protein yield. Worm flour is well eaten by cattle, pond fish, chickens, pigs, both boiled and raw. The meat of animals obtained with such fattening is of high quality.

In the production of protein flour, the mass of worms is sifted from the substrate, washed, dried, and then ground. According to the set of amino acids, this flour is close to meat, but it contains significantly more essential amino acids. When adding worm meal to the diet of poultry, the number of eggs laid increases by 25%. The growth of fish when fed with worms reaches 33.5%.

Red worm flour is added to aquariums in the form of a special paste, both ordinary and tropical fish are very fond of such top dressing.

To obtain worms, you can use almost any room with normal humidity and heating in cold weather:

Economic buildings;

Attics;

cellars;

The air temperature in the room should not fall below 4 degrees, otherwise the worms will fall asleep, if the temperature is 36 degrees, then all individuals will die.

To grow earthworms at home, you can use different types of them.

local earthworm. This variety is most adapted to the climatic conditions of your area, they are mainly used due to the fact that they quickly get used to living conditions in a closed farm. Their disadvantage is that the vital activity of this species is lower than that of "pedigreed" individuals.

California red worm. A common type of worm for reproduction requires a breeding stock of at least 1500 individuals. The species is undemanding to the soil mixture, reacts poorly to temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, produces high quality biohumus, and multiplies rapidly.

Worm Prospector. The main rival of the California relative. It reproduces well at temperatures within 9-28 degrees, a very active species, it builds up biomass well and processes the substrate with high quality.

Breeding worms at home: the necessary equipment

Factory vermicomposter

For a small vermifarm, you will need some inventory:

1. Thermometer;

2. A device for measuring soil acidity;

3. Shelving;

5. Shovel;

The main thing is to properly organize boxes, pits or piles for breeding worms and prepare a suitable mixture of organic materials:

wooden box. Dimensions - 0.5x2x1 m, the container is made of boards 25 mm thick, holes are drilled at the bottom to drain valuable liquid - vermicha. A pallet is placed at the bottom of the box, the lid is made from knocked down boards or plywood and ventilation holes are also drilled.

old refrigerator. All the "insides" of the unit are dismantled, installed with the door up, always at a slight slope and ventilation holes are drilled.

cardboard box. A convenient option to start breeding worms. Dimensions - 300x400 mm environmentally friendly and "breathable" material. Worms eat small pieces of cardboard, after the box gets wet and becomes thin, it is changed.

plastic container. A prerequisite in this case is unhindered access to fresh air and good drainage, otherwise the worms in too wet soil may suffocate. Place a drip tray or basin under the container to collect the vermicelli.

Substrate container

Breeding worms at home: where to start

The quality of the organic mixture directly affects the activity of earthworms, their ability to reproduce and the speed of processing the substrate. To successfully breed worms, follow these rules:

Fill 50% of the container with humus, it can be mixed with a small amount of chopped cardboard;

Moisten the substrate slightly;

After 2-3 days have passed, pierce the soil several times and populate the worms;

Level the substrate and cover the container;

After a couple of days, you can start adding fresh organic residues on top.

Always make an experimental colonization of earthworms in a small container. Place about 50-100 individuals in the new soil. After one day, make sure they are alive. This way you can determine if the acidity of the new substrate is suitable for your pets.

The most suitable soil indicator for worms is in the range of 6.5-7.5 pH. If several dead worms are found, this is a clear signal that the acidity is not suitable for them.

You can acidify the substrate if you add:

1. Vegetable tops;

2. Chopped straw or sawdust.

You can reduce acidity by adding:

1. Ground limestone;

2. Shredded egg shells;

3. Plain chalk.

Worms eat dead and beginning to rot parts of plants.

It is forbidden to add to the substrate:

Parts of citrus;

Waste after cutting meat.

Tank for breeding worms

Breeding worms at home: why doesn't it work?

It is impossible to add components that strongly increase acidity to the mixture for feeding worms:

Kefir - increases the level of acidity, and can cause mold;

Not crushed peel of fruits and vegetables, large cores (keep them in the freezer or grind them in a meat grinder, this will destroy the walls of organic cells);

Fresh manure - it gives off a lot of heat, the temperature may rise to 70 degrees - as a result, the worms will die.

It is desirable to add to the substrate:

Potato and cabbage peelings, boiled vegetables and banana peels;

food waste;

Pieces of pastries, stale bread;

coffee grounds and tea leaves;

Water, after washing the container from kefir or sour cream;

Decomposed manure, chicken manure.

Attention: there are too few nutrients in manure that has lain under the open sky for a long time.

Add food for worms only after they have mastered the previous volume. Excess food waste in the substrate can increase its acidity and lead to fermentation.

In order for earthworms to multiply faster in the substrate, it is desirable to add dairy products. The feed must be thoroughly mixed with the soil, and not just scattered over its surface. It is necessary to constantly monitor the humidity of the substrate. Do not place a container with worms close to heaters, otherwise they will die. It is possible to contain both earthworms and dung worms in one container, they will get along well together. But to make it more convenient to care for them, place individuals of different “colors” separately.

A container with earthworms does not exude an unpleasant odor, but harmful insects can fly into them. The container with the substrate should be well ventilated, have good drainage and minimize the risk of spreading worms. As drainage, materials that quickly absorb moisture are suitable - rotted leaves, peat, moss or coconut fiber.

Feed earthworms with fruit and vegetable scraps, especially banana and melon rinds. Do not leave leftover food that is not embedded in the substrate, this will become a bait for harmful insects. You can’t feed the worms too much, large doses of feed will contaminate the soil mixture, they can provoke an aversion of the worms to food, which can, as a result, destroy your culture. If other living organisms start up in the same dish with worms, do not panic. They won't be able to harm the worms you breed.