Today, almost everyone is trying to start a business. However, not everyone succeeds. Often, competitors do not allow them to break into a large market, or the occupation is not to their liking. Have you considered breeding worms at home as a business? Not? Then this material is for you.
Which worms are better to choose
First of all, remember that breeding such animals does not require selection by breed. For starters, you can use the local variety. For example, dung worms, the breeding of which does not require special expenses, perfectly adapt to life in nurseries. Such individuals begin to breed much faster. The first conclusion follows: collecting worms is best on their own. The simplest of them are rain. Breeding worms as a business in this situation does not require large expenses.
Where to get the worms
If you decide to start breeding worms as a business, then you should collect them. To do this, dig a shallow hole and place some rotting leaves or manure in it. Be sure to moisten the filler. The main thing - do not overdo it. After that, simply cover the hole with a board or a layer of cardboard. A week later, the first tenants will appear in your “house”. Transfer to a box of individuals along with the soil in which they lived. For worm farming to be profitable as a business, at least one kilogram of invertebrate is required per square meter. This is about 1000 individuals.
Choose a room
When you have collected the worms, you need to consider the place where they will live. For their breeding does not require a specially equipped room. It is important that its area matches your desires. Of course, it is best to breed California worms (or any other) in a heated building. For these purposes, a garage or cellar is perfect. If you are going to raise your pets in a regular barn, then get ready for the fact that a decrease in air temperature to 4 ° C will affect the activity of the worms. They just hibernate. In this case, you will have to forget about breeding worms in the winter. If you want to do this throughout the year, then you should take care of heating and, of course, a large farm. After all, the number of individuals will grow. For example, on large farms, where the cultivation of dendrobene worms is considered as a business, their number can reach 100 thousand or more.
Special nursery boxes
Breeding a California worm as a business is not a big hassle. The main thing is to create optimal conditions for its reproduction. It is best to keep worms in special nursery boxes. You can make them yourself. At the same time, remember that each type of worm requires a box of certain sizes. In such nurseries, conditions are created as comfortable as possible for invertebrates. Boxes can be made of plastic or wood.
Tree nursery
To make it you need boards. Their thickness should be 25 millimeters. If you are breeding an earthworm, then you better make a nursery box that meets the following parameters: 100X20X50 centimeters. When the box is ready, turn it over and drill holes in the bottom. After that, install the box on the bars so that it stands at a slight slope. It is necessary that the valuable liquid ("worm tea" - the product of the vital activity of these animals) gently flows. Cover all seams and corners with tin tape. This will prevent the penetration of rodents into the nursery. Do not forget about the roof. You can just make it from the boards. If not, you can use a sheet of plywood. Make holes in the roof without fail. They are necessary for normal air circulation.
Plastic container
If you have achieved positive results, and breeding California worms as a business brings you income, then you can purchase special containers made of plastic. You should not buy such products if you are just starting out. Since such acquisitions are quite expensive. Agree, if you don’t like the cultivation of dendrobene or ordinary rainworms, then such a purchase will be in vain for you, and you will throw your money away.
If you nevertheless purchased such nursery boxes, then first make holes in them. After all, such containers are completely airtight. Make holes in the roof and on the sides. In addition, there should be a hole for the drain of valuable liquid.
Old fridge
As a nursery, you can use an old refrigerator. To do this, install it with the door up and delete all contents. You do not need it. Make holes in the walls of the refrigerator and on the door. Install it on the bars so that it is tilted. Do not forget to make a hole in the bottom so that the liquid drains.
Cardboard boxes
If you have just started doing this business, and raising an earthworm is something new for you, then you can use cardboard boxes as nurseries. Their sizes should be approximately 40 to 30 centimeters or more. Cardboard is an environmentally friendly material that passes air well and is often used by worms as food. The only minus of such a nursery is its short service life. If the box is damp and begins to fall apart, then you can put it in another.
Discover the secrets of the worm business
Recently, many have been attracted to the cultivation of worms. As a business, this business is quite profitable, if you approach it correctly. In order not to burn out, you should know some simple secrets. First of all, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the natural habitat of the worms, in what soil they live, what they feed on. Their "house" can be divided into three floors. At the top, the worms feed on the organic debris of animals and plants. In the lower tier of habitat, the product of their vital activity accumulates, in another way - humus, as well as liquid, which many call "worm tea." Between these "floors" your pets will feel most comfortable and basically will be there. It is important to fill the nursery correctly. Then the worms will multiply well and increase your profits.
How to fill the nursery correctly
If you consider worm breeding as a business, then first of all you should carefully study all the nuances of such an activity. Many novice breeders make many mistakes, the first of which is the incorrect filling of nurseries. How to do it competently?
Half prepared container half fill with humus. If desired, you can mix it with shredded cardboard or pieces of newspaper. Be sure to moisten the finished mixture. However, do this with caution. If, during compression, the lump does not leak free moisture from it, then you did everything right. Do not immediately populate the worms. The filler from compost for the first few days will release a substance such as ammonia. When it has completely evaporated, you can start settling the nursery.
Make a hole in the prepared filler and lay out part of the soil with worms in it. Carefully level this place, moisten and cover with a piece of cardboard. For several days, do not disturb residents. They must adapt to a new habitat.
If the worms crawled around the nursery, this is the first sign that acclimatization was successful. Then you can make feed. Remember, the place where the worms breed must be calm and quiet. Therefore, install the nursery where there is no strong vibration and noise.
Soil moisture
It is necessary to moisten the nursery soil regularly. However, do not go too far. Remember, earthworms breathe skin. This explains the fact that they crawl to the surface of the soil during rain. They just need it to saturate their body with oxygen. If the ground is too wet, your pets will simply die.
What and how to feed?
Breeding earthworms as a business does not require special expenses. This also applies to their feed. You need to create a bunch of compost. For these purposes, manure, grass, leaves, tea leaves, coffee grounds, flour products, egg shells, vegetable and fruit peelings are perfect. Do not throw cat and dog waste products, manure into the compost heap if animals have been treated for worms, peeling onions, garlic, citrus peels, fats, oils, dairy products, meat and fish waste.
When the food is ready, lay it in a small layer - 10 centimeters thick. You need to feed the worms every 7 days. To determine your pet’s satiety level, you can use a piece of newspaper or regular toilet paper. Lay it on top of the feed and moisten it a little. If the worms began to eat this paper, then it's time to feed them and put a new layer of compost.
How are worms propagated
Earthworms can begin to produce offspring at the age of 2-3 months. For 4 months they lay cocoons. They ripen within a few weeks. From one such cocoon no more than 20 individuals emerge, which after 2 months already begin to actively breed. An exception is the prospector worm, breeding of which is a more complex process. If you count, then after about six months the number of pets in one box will increase by 50 times. Remember, if there are 50 already adult individuals per liter of soil, then urgently you need to either sell them or plant them in new nurseries. Otherwise, their reproduction will cease naturally.
How to make a profit
Sort the worms every 5 months. To do this, carefully remove the topsoil and remove the soil where your pets live from the nursery. After that, you can remove the layer of humus. Send small worms back to the nursery, and adults - either for the further expansion of your enterprise, or for sale.
You can sell the product in the form of bait for fishing, in the pet store as feed. Such goods are in demand by fish farms. You can sell not only invertebrates, but also worm tea and humus. Recent products are in demand among summer residents.
To collect worm tea, you specially made a hole in the bottom of the nursery and drain. This product is very valuable as an environmentally friendly and natural fertilizer. As you can see, there are a lot of opportunities to earn on breeding worms. The main thing is to know the right approach.