Raising Worms
A Beginner’s Guide To Raising Worms
Raising worms is an excellent pastime for any avid fisherman. It is not difficult and can provide thousands of worms each season to be used as bait for many fishing trips. Worms can also be raised for composting and to make some extra money on the side.
These quick tips on raising worms will help any newcomer get started with worms. The first thing that needs to be covered is what to raise the worms in. The container can be a wooden box or Rubbermaid tote; some people even use an old bathtub. Just be sure to create some drainage holes in the bottom or on the sides to help air flow and prevent mold or too much moisture in the soil. Lay a piece of cheese cloth or cardboard on the bottom of the container to help keep the moisture in but still allow drainage.
Next fill the container with the worm bedding, which will provide nutrients to the worms. This can be made up of shredded paper or peat moss, or it can be purchased at the store with worm food mixed right in it. Combine the worm bedding with some ordinary potting soil for the worms to dig into. Try to keep the soil and worm bedding moist but not wet for the best conditions for raising worms.
Your worm container must have a cover, because worms need darkness and cannot be exposed to light for any length of time. For a new worm farm, you will want to keep it covered and wait a few days before adding any food. Worms are pretty flexible about their dining choices, so feeding should not be a problem.
Worms like to eat anything that is decomposing, like old leaves or plant roots, which is why they naturally live under the soil. Your container worms will eat anything that you would ordinarily put on the compost pile. This includes both cardboard and paper, grass cuttings, leaves, weeds and plant trimmings, even used coffee grounds and left over fruits and veggies.
When feeding the worms, be sure to place the food in different spots around the worm container. In general, larger worms stay to the edges of the box, so put the bigger food items toward the outside. The younger worms seem to prefer digging into the center of the worm container, so be sure to leave smaller bits of food around the middle of your bin for the little guys.
Always keep your worm container watered, but never allow it to be wet or muddy. A light watering every few days should be sufficient as long as the container stays closed. Check the soil daily to make sure it is the right consistency.
Your worms will reproduce and double in population every 3 or 4 months. In order to prevent overcrowding, be sure and thin out the worms when their numbers begin to grow.