This article is aimed at those who intend to use their basement or home garden to breed fishing lures for personal use, for profit, or simply for the sake of seeing something born from a "do it yourself" project. In the southern regions, for example, where the winter is not particularly harsh, or in areas where the average temperatures range between 10 and 25 degrees, vermiculture can become particularly fun and also a good way to get rid of leftovers and other wastes using them to feed the worms.
Ingrediants
Food for your worms. The matter is not complicated. Any organic material can be used as food. Just avoid all products that are acidic or that could easily turn sour. Always use organic compounds as a food source. Beware of moldy foods, even if some of them, such as bread and derivatives, can be used safely
Steps
Step 1. Remember that worms ARE living beings, and consequently they perform all 4 basic functions of life itself, namely:
they eat, digest, secrete and excrete. In this sense, you should start with a handful of worms and then increase the number according to your needs and what you want to do with them. You can quickly expand your project and follow the guidelines in this and other articles to make a good profit.
Step 2. Decide what you want to use to create your vermiculture bins, and determine if they will be able to last, and even if the climate and where you live will help the life and efficiency of the bins you intend to use
Pretty much anything can be used to make good vermiculture bins. Wood and clay pots with thin holes in the bottom and sides can rot, but are perfect as vermiculture bins. Clay pots also absorb water, so remember to add some if you plan on using them for this purpose. Majolica should be avoided, as it may contain lead. You can use plastic tubs, such as those you can find on a construction site, or if you live near an apartment under renovation, or, whether you live on the upper floors of a building or on the ground floor, 10 or 10 plastic buckets. 20 liters will do just fine. Remember to make holes in the bottom to let the water out, and some on the rest of the bin for ventilation as well, especially on the sides. Either way, make sure they don't contain any potentially dangerous chemicals, insecticides, or paints. Lacquers, solvents, turpentine, plasterboard and their putty, and most cleaning chemicals are caustic and cause worm death. * It is also best not to use glass as it can break easily.
Step 3. Prepare your substrate; any organic material will do
If you have a paper shredder you are already halfway there. Newspapers, uncoated magazines, paper bags, padding, or paper packaging are fine once they have been reduced to small pieces. The glossy pages of some magazines should be avoided, as they can contain toxic inks. If you really have to use this type of paper, tear and shred the pages, then immerse them in boiling water and leave them to soak for some time, drain the water and then repeat the procedure with hot water until the ink stains are no longer visible. in water. Repeating this 4 or 5 times should be enough. Make sure you soak them in COLD water for at least 5 to 6 hours before using them to form the substrate. Coated paper may be destroyed when using hot water. In this case, use it ONLY to make compost. Their use is fine in this case, but it is not recommended for bins. If, on the other hand, the coated paper does not destroy, then you can use it in the bins.
Step 4. Add a mix of shredded wet paper, clay, silt and sand, untreated wood sawdust, peat moss or bark chunks, and if you like, add dry wet grass to your clean, sterilized and dry bins., hay, or rye left to soak, whether you've made them with a 20-liter bucket, wooden bins, or plastic tubs
You could also add potting soil, but DO NOT use potting soil that also contains plant fertilizer. In fact, your worms would surely die as this type of soil contains many acid products. If you use grass, make sure it has been dried in the sun. Adding a few tufts of cut green grass to the substrate can help provide the worms with fresh food. Subsequently, you can mix the tufts of grass with the substrate.
Step 5. Use a mason's trowel to stir and add any shapes of substrate you want to use
The trowel, or similar utensil, works better than a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, but don't use it to dig for your worms. Use your hands and gloves. Add a couple of solid trowels or at least 300g of pulverized limestone to the substrate. Mix everything well, running the trowel along the edges of the tub, or, if you are using flat plastic or wooden bins, mix well, and then pour the contents into another bin and start mixing again from below. Make sure the substrate is very moist but not soaked - the worms could drown. You can add more limescale to the substrate if you wish. Be generous with powdered limestone. The wooden bins absorb a large amount of water due to their porous nature.
Step 6. Add the worms
The type of worm is your choice, there are some that can grow quickly and reproduce often. Dendrobaena veneta, or Eisenia hortensis, appears to be the most common type. The Canadian earthworm must be kept at a temperature between 5 and 10 ° C. These little earthworms are delicate and sensitive to heat. Eisenia fetida is an excellent bait for fishing and reproduces quickly. These worms are best for composting, but they can also be used in bins. They are sold by weight and are easy to hold. Make sure they are indeed Eisenia fetida earthworms, as some vendors tend to pass off other types of worms for these. If they seem too small for the hook, then they are not good for fishing.
Eudrilus eugeniae are a great choice, but reproduce more slowly than others. They can withstand moderately high temperatures, but are sensitive to cold. These worms are indicated if your vermiculture is in a cellar or in an enclosed area where the temperature does not drop below freezing. At temperatures below 5 ° C they become inactive and do not reproduce. Regardless of the species of your choice, worms do not survive long exposure to the sun or high temperatures. Keep them in the dark and in a relatively cool place
Step 7. Feed them often and watch them grow
You can buy ready-made foods on the market, or you can prepare food for your worms by making a mixture of manure, coffee grounds, tea bags, leftover food (except meat or bone), and oatmeal., wheat or simple corn; if it contains other ingredients such as salt or baking soda, wash it well using a coffee or paper filter before adding it to the food. The water will dissolve the bicarbonate and salt, eliminating them. The resulting flour can be made neutral by adding a little limestone powder. Be generous with limestone, since it is calcium carbonate, it helps reduce acidity in the soil, and acids are not good for worms. In addition, limestone brings large amounts of calcium to the substrate, which is essential for the reproduction of worms. In addition, if possible, it is best to use rainwater to wet the substrate.
- Tap water contains chlorine and for this it must be left to settle for about a day in order to eliminate it. While not the best choice for your worm substrate, in an emergency, if the bin is too dry, you can use a small portion of lightly chlorinated tap water, but the less you use the better.
- Alternatively, you can go to a farm produce or feed and seed store, and see if they have chicken, cattle, or horse feed that is not enriched and does not contain salt. Some feeds, called pastoni, are fine, but are generally sold in 20 kg bags! This is a lot of food IF you don't intend to feed the worms even in winter! You can moisten a handful of these foods and mix them once a week to your worms, adding some of the aforementioned ingredients, at a specific time. Also remember to sprinkle the food on top of the substrate. Do not mix it with substrate, straw or soil. Remember to FEED them often if you don't intend to use them for composting.
Step 8. Make sure your bins have adequate ventilation
If you use plastic tubs, make holes in the bottom to let excess moisture out and thus prevent the bin from deteriorating. Worms can die if the bins are too wet. Collect the water that has come out of the bin in a tub that can be used as a fertilizer, but remember that these are organic liquids that contain high levels of nitrogen. Sometimes, the bins can attract other insects.
Step 9. Beware of parasites
There are some parasites that should NOT enter the bins; some of these are even dangerous for humans.
- Millipedes and centipedes are dangerous for humans. Millipedes can release a strong acid, and some are able to burst when caught, releasing the acid on the skin of those who took them. Centipedes have powerful pincers that can inflict painful bites on hands and fingers. Paying close attention, remove these parasites with pliers. Centipedes also pose a threat to your worms, but remember that both parasites are carnivores and therefore will kill and eat your worms in no time.
- Slugs and snails might get into your bins too, but a simple copper wire wrapped around the rim of the container can be enough to keep them out of the way. If you find one in the bin, remove it immediately.
- Ants, cockroaches, molds and fungi are nothing new to worm farmers. Use cockroach and ant traps and poison, but keep everything well away from the bins.
Step 10. Every 3 weeks or so, empty your bins using your hands with rubber or plastic gloves, and see how the growth is progressing
If you notice small white strips, handle them very carefully: they are the little ones of your worms! Gently remove any small larvae you find and place them in a new substrate or another bin. Check if there is enough food and add more if you don't find any on the surface. Collect ONLY the worms you want to use, replace the old substrate and vermicompost. Place the breeding worms in the new substrate and let nature take its course. Worms can't live in their own waste, so replace the substrate whenever you notice large amounts of vermicompost. This is not just a good hobby. In fact, thanks to this activity, you can transform leftovers and waste into something productive and useful, for example by creating a liquid organic fertilizer for flowers and small garden plants.
Advice
- Remove moldy food and add freshly to the substrate. Remove any fungus or mold and check the pH level. The recommended pH must be neutral, around 7.0; if the levels get too high or too low, they could kill the worms. Add abundant powdered limestone and dry the surface of the soil for a day or two. To kill mold and mildew, you can expose the bins to sunlight, as long as it's not too strong.
- Collect the worms you want to keep in late fall. It is also the best time to release the worms you don't want to keep during the winter. As for vermiculture in the cellar, remember that you will have to feed them throughout the winter, until spring arrives and the temperature rises again. You cannot expect them to survive without food. Without food and a little attention they will surely die during the winter months.
- It doesn't take a genius to grow worms, and you'll find that some of them will learn to recognize your voice, however absurd it may sound, and if you keep them long enough, you'll see them come to the top of the bin to receive food. They obviously don't like being touched, and you can't think of treating them as pets, but they seem to get smarter over time.
Warnings
- Choose your worms carefully when you go fishing. Do not use the healthiest and strongest ones that are better suited for breeding.
- Use plenty of limestone, broken egg shells, and check the pH often. If the soil is too acidic, add a generous portion of crumbled limestone.
- Pay attention to parasites: slugs and snails can eat the food of the worms before they can reach it.
- DO NOT USE CALCIUM HYDROXIDE AS IT IS A COMPOUND PRODUCED BY DRY HYDRATION, AND YOUR Worms WILL DIE ON CONTACT! Use only powdered limestone, with at least 95% calcium carbonate. Do not replace powdered limestone with cement.
- There are worms that are not native to some areas and that have been found in various gardens. This is the case, for example, with some types of flatworms, such as the New Zealand flatworm that feeds on annelids. It features an arrow-shaped head and a petite body. It is a carnivorous and cannibal animal, capable of destroying an entire bin in a few days. It feeds on small worms, but can also eat larger ones, including eggs. It does not appear to be present in Italy, but it has been spotted in other areas of Europe: if you find one in your vermiculture bin, or if you should see a worm different from yours, remove it immediately and move your worms to another bin with a new substrate. THIS AS A PRECAUTION IN THE EVENT THAT IT WAS REPRODUCED IN YOUR SUBSTRATE, and small parasitic worms were growing inside the bin. Get rid of parasitic worms in any way. Do not leave them free, they could in fact reproduce. Furthermore, these worms are not suitable for fishing either. To escape they are able to break apart on their own, and can survive and reproduce even with their body in half.
- Millipedes and centipedes can eat your worms. A millipede can hurt your hands if you come into contact with its acidic body or innards. It is said that the acid they excrete to defend themselves against attacks is sulfuric acid.
- Keep the pH around 7.0 to give your worms the ideal condition to reproduce.
- Remember to feed them if you put them in the cellar or in an outbuilding in winter. Release any worms you DO NOT want to keep during the winter months.
- Stir the bin and check the pH every 3 weeks. This operation brings oxygen to the substrate, and as you proceed it also checks the status of your worms, and looks for small larvae and eggs.
