How to grow worms at home. Earthworm breeding business from scratch

In Russia and around the world, the business of breeding worms is becoming more widespread. This is a new, but rapidly developing type of activity that can bring the owner a high stable income, since worms are in demand in many areas (for example, pharmaceuticals, fishing products).

Consider the main markets for products, features and profitability of the business, recommendations for the care and maintenance of worms, as well as problems that may arise so that you can understand whether this type of activity is suitable for you and whether it is really profitable and promising.

Sales market

Potential consumers of the received products will be:

The demand for worms and their metabolic products (vermicompost) is great, thanks to which the businessman will be able to get a stable client base and sales market, including regular individual customers.

Business Features

This type of activity is suitable for those who live in rural areas, or owners of summer cottages.

The business features are:

1. Worm breeding activities do not require large financial costs and the purchase of special equipment. When buying worms in bulk, there are significant discounts, and leftover food can be used as feed. On initial stage small a home farm will cost an entrepreneur 4,500-5,000 rubles.
2. unpretentiousness worms that do not require special care and are not demanding in feed, breeding.
3. A large number of potential clients in various fields. Possibility of creating a permanent client base.
4. No need to obtain permits for breeding worms. It is only necessary to go through a simple process of registration as an individual entrepreneur.
5. High demand and lack of significant competition, as the worm breeding business is a new and not yet sufficiently developed type of activity in Russia.

To get a high income in the shortest possible time, you need to draw up a clear business plan and stick to it. The main components of this business plan will be:

• planned volumes for the production and sale of products (worms, biohumus);
• the production part (costs for the purchase of worms);
• marketing part (advertising, product prices);
• organizational part (information about suppliers, partners, buyers, personnel);
• assessment of possible risks;
• financial part (sources of financing, planned income);
• conclusion (the purpose of drawing up a business plan and carrying out activities for breeding worms).

Profitability

Profit depends on the volume of production and the size of the land used. The profitability of this type of activity is high (100-130%), and if you have a stable demand, then the business will pay off in 8 months - 1 year.

Cultivation of California worms is more profitable than other species if your goal is to obtain vermicompost, as they quickly produce biomass that has valuable properties. The resulting biomass is in high demand due to the content of a large number of enzymes, active substances and microflora. California worms are readily purchased by fisheries and shops, as well as by fishermen.

average cost one worm from 30 kopecks to 1 ruble, it all depends on the region, in major cities demand and cost are higher. If you are raising worms for sale, then it is better to give preference to the "prospector worm", which breeds much faster than the American species.

The income received from the enterprise ranges from 40,000 rubles to 200,000 rubles per month.

The profitability of the business can be increased to 500-700%, but in this case, significant financial investments will be required to purchase feed for a large population of worms, which can be reduced if there is a farm for growing vegetables and fruits. In this case, you will have a worm breeding farm full cycle, which will save you from the cost of feed and the seasonal nature of the business. Additional investments will be required for advertising to find large regular customers, but the result will not be long in coming and high income is possible.

Income can be significantly increased if you create your own sales network. In this case, additional financial investments will be required for renting premises, purchasing equipment and hiring staff.

Breeding area

Worms are bred in gardens or summer cottages, for which wooden or plastic boxes are used. The optimal height of the boxes is 30-40 centimeters.

If worms are bred in an open area, then it is imperative to protect it with a protective net or you can use a concreted area, otherwise the invasion of moles and other pests cannot be avoided. If the boxes are placed in sheds, cellars or other premises, then worms can be bred all year round.

For the cultivation of enchitra (white worms), you can use jars, aquariums, crystallizers and other vessels into which water is poured 2-3 centimeters. Water can only be used settled, aquarium or rainwater, which must be changed daily.

Breeding Californian worms as a business - this is the video below.

Features of care and maintenance

It is necessary to maintain optimum temperature from +15 to +25 degrees Celsius, and air humidity should be 75-80%. The acidity of a neutral medium must be maintained at a level of 7 pH.

The box with worms is covered with a lid, burlap, hay, which protects them from excessive light and drying out.

As feed use:

• manure (rabbit, cow, pig, goat);
• food waste (leftover vegetables and fruits);
• soaked and shredded paper (newspapers, cardboard);
• used tea or coffee brew.

Do not use manure that has lain for more than 2 years, as it contains few nutrients and is not suitable for worms. Rabbit and goat manure can be used almost immediately after receipt, and pig and cow manure must lie for at least six months, otherwise the worms will die.

To accelerate the fermentation of pig and cow manure, preparations containing effective microorganisms are used. It is forbidden to use food waste of animal origin (meat, eggs, etc.) for feeding worms. Solid food should be ground in a meat grinder or blender.

Worms are fed every one and a half to two weeks. The frequency of feeding depends on the number of individuals and the temperature of their content, since at high temperatures the activity of worms increases.

In addition to feeding and maintaining the optimal temperature, humidity and acidity of the environment, it is also necessary to regularly loosen and water the compost in the boxes. For irrigation, a watering can with small holes is used, and for loosening, forks with rounded ends are used; when loosening the compost, its layers cannot be mixed.

A new batch of worms is settled in moist compost, which must first be kept for a week and watered regularly. The worms in the compost are distributed evenly and after 2-3 days the first feeding is carried out by layering the feed on the surface of the compost with a layer of 3-5 centimeters.

Check worm activity regularly, especially after the batch has been settled in new compost. The mobility and activity of individuals is a sign of their health and well-being. If the worms are lethargic and do not hide from the light, then it is necessary to relocate them to a new biomass from another source.

In winter, worms can be kept in heated rooms or outdoors. When the temperature drops to -5 degrees Celsius, the compost is covered with a layer of manure (20-30 centimeters), which is watered and covered with a layer of hay on top. The total height of the compost with hay and manure should be 100-130 centimeters, which helps keep the worms warm even in the coldest winter and hibernate. After awakening in spring, they will feed on the top layer.

Possible problems

Breeding worms is a long and painstaking process, despite the unpretentiousness of individuals. The main problem that can arise is related to the removal of worms from their substrate, while keeping them alive is important.

There are several ways to obtain live worms.

Stop feeding them for 3-4 days. After days, a new food is placed on a part of the biomass, into which the hungry individuals move. After 2 days, the layer of food with worms is removed. In order to collect all the worms, this procedure is carried out at least 3 times (once a week). Worms can also be additionally attracted by cut paper dipped in sugar, cutting vegetables and fruits.

If worms are bred in order to obtain biomass and it is necessary to free it from individuals, then this method is also used: the use of special boxes, for example, with a lattice or mesh bottom, double boxes with a lattice in the middle. Thanks to the design of such boxes, worms crawl from one box to another at the right time, releasing biohumus.

Worms breeding is a new highly efficient type of business that has high profitability and is becoming more and more widespread in Russia. To obtain a stable income, worms can be bred in "household" farms, which are quite easy to organize in a country house or a personal plot. But if the goal of the enterprise is to obtain high income and bring the business profitability to 700%, then it is worth creating a full circle of production when worms are bred on farms for growing vegetables and fruits, as well as drawing up a competent business plan.

The resulting products (live worms and biomass) can be sold in your own network of fishing stores, pet stores or fertilizer sales points for gardening and summer cottages.

Below we will tell you in detail how to breed worms, how to care for them and earn a good income.

To be able to work with large wholesale buyers, your business must be formalized. The most common options are IP and LLC.

In our case, the simplest is IP, registration will take about a month and require minimal cash investments(70-90 dollars).

Worm breeding technology

It is necessary to organize the cultivation of worms in several stages:

• Preparation of the premises in which your "wards" will live;
• Acquisition of livestock for rearing;
• Preparation of "housing" and settlement in it of the purchased "family";
• Caring for "pets";
• reproduction;
• Collection of biohumus, vermichaya, sale of adult worms.

Then another layer of nutrient bedding is added and the whole process starts all over again.

Is it worth buying worms

You can buy invertebrates at any worm farm, which is not difficult to find via the Internet. The average cost of a thousand heads is 22-40 dollars, depending on the chosen type and volume of purchase. For a business to be profitable, you need to start with at least 2-3 thousand worms.

If you are going to breed ordinary rain, you can not even spend money on a purchase and take them in the yard of your own house. First you need to dig a not very deep hole and fill it with manure or moistened rotting leaves. Then the "bait" is closed with a board or cardboard. In a week, the first invertebrates will start in this place. They must be transferred to the box along with the soil in which they lived.

The best types of worms

Each type is good in its own way. By providing proper climatic conditions and good nutrition for your wards, you can breed several species at once.

Earthworm

He has the best adaptation: both to climate change and to life on a closed farm. But his activity, in comparison with other "breeds", is somewhat lower. It gives less offspring and forms biohumus more slowly than its "brothers".

California red

One of the most popular species due to its mobility and rapid reproduction. California red gives excellent vermicompost and is not very picky about food. But it is sensitive to temperature. If it drops below +10 degrees, you may lose livestock.

worm prospector

An excellent choice for beginners. This species is active, quickly processes food and substrate. Prospector feels good at a temperature of +9…+28 degrees.

Room for breeding worms

For a vermifarm, you need a minimum of space, literally a few square meters. You can equip it in a garage, cellar, attic or in an outbuilding.

Even a dacha can become a springboard for growing invertebrates. In this case, it is necessary to comply with some requirements:

1. To in winter time the business did not “freeze”, you need to take care of heating in advance;
2. The room should not be too humid, but not dry;
3. The farm should be located in a quiet place, away from the road, noise, vibrations.

housing for worms

For comfortable keeping of pets, it is best to build special boxes. They can be made on your own from wooden or plastic containers.. The wall thickness of the wooden box must be at least 25 mm. The standard parameters of the nursery are 1x2x0.5 meters. From the bottom of the box, you need to make holes to collect humus and tea, put a tray. From above, the nursery is covered with a lid with holes.

To save space, boxes are installed on racks that can be made from metal profiles.

There are several more ways to build a home for worms with your own hands:

• From an old refrigerator. It is necessary to remove the internal contents from it, make ventilation holes in the walls and the door, install the refrigerator with the door up and at a slight slope.
• From a cardboard box. The simplest and cheapest option, plus in the box, due to the natural thin material, there is very good air circulation and enough oxygen for invertebrates. As soon as the "creeping workers" began to eat pieces of damp cardboard, the box must be replaced.
• From a plastic container. Any plastic container can become a "house": from flower pot to the basin. The main thing is not to forget about ventilation and collection of humus and vermicai.

If desired, you can purchase a fully equipped vermicomposter, its cost is about $ 200.

Conditions for growing worms

Pets should be settled based on the norm of 1000-1500 individuals per cubic meter. This will ensure optimal nutrition and processing of the substrate. There are certain requirements for the maintenance and care of these creatures.

The soil

The substrate should consist of three layers. The top one is the most nutritious, that is, the soil must be enriched with organic matter. In the middle layer, invertebrates spend most of their time.

And in the lower one accumulate worm tea and biohumus. Worms will breed well only in high-quality soil. How to prepare it?

1. Choose a container for maintenance and fill it with humus by half, add a little shredded newspapers. The mixture needs to be moistened a little, the total humidity level should be no more than 80%;
2. A few days later, depressions are made in the soil, where individuals are settled along with part of the soil in which they lived before transplantation;
3. The soil is leveled, moistened, the dwelling is covered with cardboard and left for a couple of days;
4. When the "residents" adapt, you can add food to the ground.

Eat great way check the quality of the substrate. Place 50-100 individuals in a small container with prepared soil and watch them during the day. If they are alive and remain mobile, then the acidity and moisture of the soil suits them. The required level of acidity is 6.5-7.5 pH. Tops, straw, sawdust increase the level of acidity. Lower - limestone, chalk, ground eggshell.

Temperature for keeping worms

Best of all, these creatures feel at a temperature +15…+25 degrees. Critical indicators: +4 degrees (individuals will hibernate or die), at + 36C and above, invertebrates also die.

At the right temperature, your wards will multiply well and produce vermicompost.

Feeding the worms

Feeding should be done once a week. Food is placed on the ground with a thickness of 10 centimeters. Lay a piece of newspaper or toilet paper on top of the food. Once your wards have started eating it, you can re-feed them and lay down a new layer of compost.

These creatures feed on decaying organic debris.. The diet of worms must be formed from the following products:

• Plant residues: skins, vegetables (boiled), potato peelings, etc.;
• Bakery;
• ground eggshell;
• Food waste;
• Water with the remains of kefir or sour cream;
• tea leaves;
• Straw, leaves, grass;
• Cow and horse manure, chicken droppings. It is important that the manure is of medium freshness, containing a lot of nutrients. Very fresh manure will increase the temperature of the soil, and the livestock will die.

Do not under any circumstances use meat waste, citrus fruit residues, peels from fruits and vegetables.

Reproduction of worms

Proper maintenance of worms implies the creation of favorable conditions for their reproduction. They begin to give offspring at the age of two to three months.

For 4 months, cocoons are formed, ripening in a few weeks. One cocoon is 15-20 new worms. If we roughly calculate the dynamics of reproduction, it turns out that in six months the number of invertebrates in one box will increase 50 times.

It is very important to regularly seat individuals in new containers.. With a high population density, they simply stop multiplying.

Worm breeding equipment

Equipment needed for growing:

1. boxes or other containers;
2. Shelving;
3. Sieve;
4. Wheelbarrow, shovel and pitchfork, bucket;
5. Scales, thermometer, a device for measuring soil temperature and its acidity.

Sales of worms

Your farm on several points at once: from the sale of live individuals, the sale of biohumus and vermicai. "Young growth" and biohumus for sale are collected every month and a half. To whom to sell?

• Live individuals to pet stores for animal feed, fish farms, for breeding;
• Biohumus and vermichay for farms for soil fertilization and plant nutrition.

You can create your own website and retail on one's own.

Costs and profits

If you equip grow containers yourself, then the main costs will be inventory (no more than $ 100) and the purchase of three thousand individuals ($ 80-100) to start.

Materials for "houses", food, soil will require no more than $ 50. Cooking food does not require special expenses. In total, together with registration, the amount of investments will be about 350 dollars.

For 3 thousand individuals, two or three cubic meters of soil are needed. Every month and a half they will give about 30 thousand worms for sale (900 dollars) and approximately 1000-1500 kg of biohumus (700-800 dollars). You can earn about $600 more by selling vermicai. Monthly income will be 1500-2000 $.

Growing worms is quite simple and very! These creatures live a long time, are largely unpretentious, and the cost of arranging a worm farm is minimal.

The development of vermifarming is enough promising direction entrepreneurship, because now there is little competition and there is a constant demand for such products.

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Suitable types of worms

In a home worm farm, you can breed different types of worms. They should be chosen from the possible directions for the sale of both the products of their vital activity and the worms themselves.

The most common cultivation of such species:

1. Red California worm. This is the perfect solution for home growing. This type quickly adapts to any conditions. The California worm is a hermaphrodite, so even one worm can produce offspring. On average, the number of offspring per year from one individual reaches 1,500 copies. This species is also not selective in nutrition - it consumes almost all organic waste. Cultivation of the California worm makes it possible to sell it also to amateur fishermen. In addition, the manure that remains after such individuals perfectly fertilizes the soil.
2. pipe maker- a reddish worm that lives in water bodies. This species feeds on organic matter, and you can find it in a muddy bottom. Individuals of this species are in demand among aquarists, as they are used as food for fish.
3. Enchitreya- These are white worms that live in the upper layer of the soil. Their main advantage is a large size from 10 to 20 mm in length. Their breeding is quite simple, but requires maintaining the temperature regime and nutritional rules. As a feed, cereals, leftover vegetables, flour, berries, root crops, as well as fodder yeast diluted with water are excellent for this species. Enchitreya, in the majority, are used as food for fish. For feeding to fry, the worm is crushed into small pieces. When feeding a whole specimen of enchitreya, the fish will get fat.

All documents for opening such a business are absolutely identical to other areas of PE. For official business, you should contact the tax office with the following documents: a copy and original of your passport, a completed application for, a receipt for payment of state duty,. Before submitting the application, the name of this type of activity follows, since this affects the tax system.

The necessary conditions

Home vermifarm- This is a simple undertaking, but requires some conditions.

For successful breeding of worms, you should familiarize yourself with the features of preparing all the necessary components.

room

Almost any property is suitable for breeding worms: a cellar, a garage, a balcony, an attic. The main requirements for it: heating and normal humidity. An important factor also is the temperature regime. It is worth remembering that at + 4C - worms hibernate, and +36 C individuals die.

Suitable for self-cultivation different types worms. Choose from their nutritional and habitat requirements. For example, an earthworm quickly adapts to new living conditions and gives offspring. Main disadvantage- low vital activity, that is, such individuals have a short life cycle.

The California red worm also adapts quickly and produces large offspring. In nutrition, he uses almost all organic products, respectively, gives vermicompost good quality. The disadvantage of its cultivation is that it cannot withstand temperatures less than + 10C.

Another option is the prospector worm. It is characterized by high activity and high feed processing. In addition, its individuals normally withstand temperatures from + 9C to + 28C. In general, it is recommended to choose industrial-type worms for cultivation. Because their productivity is much higher.

Equipment

When creating a home vermifarm, the amount of inventory can be minimal: scales; bucket, racks, room thermometer, as well as devices for measuring acidity and soil temperature.

For breeding worms, it is quite possible to use several types of containers:

1. Wooden box. It should have holes in the bottom, which is necessary to collect the liquid - vermichaya. For ventilation, it is recommended to make holes in the lid. Appliances should be placed with the door up, and holes should be made in them for ventilation. It should be placed at a slight slope.
2. Cardboard box. This option is more suitable at the beginning of worm farming. On average, its dimensions should be 400 mm x 300 mm. The box should be chosen from natural materials, since they pass air well, in addition, the worms will also feed on pieces of cardboard.
3. Plastic container. You can choose any option, but the main requirement is air access. It is recommended to make holes for ventilation in the walls and lid of the plastic container. Under the bottom should be placed a pallet for the accumulation of vermicai.
4. Vermicomposter. This is a professional device that will cost more than other options. It is fully designed for growing worms and has all the necessary accessories.

Priming

The quality of the soil affects the duration of their life and reproduction.

It is very important to follow all the rules for such soil:

1. The humidity level is not more than 80%.
2. The optimal acidity indicator is 6 to 7PH. Sawdust, tops of plants or straw can increase its level. You can reduce acidity by using chalk, limestone, finely ground shells.

Feed

One of the advantages of growing worms is that they are undemanding in terms of nutrition. All species use almost any organic matter. It is strictly forbidden to give meat waste and citrus fruits. The level of acidity will increase if you give undiluted kefir.

If you do not follow the rules for feeding worms, this will also lead to mold. The remains of fruits and vegetables should be crushed as much as possible to destroy fiber. Otherwise, during the decay of such products, heat will be released, which will increase the overall temperature and lead to the death of worms.

It is worth remembering that a new portion of food should be given only after the previous portion has been eaten, otherwise the acidity of the soil will change.

Growing technology

The creation of a vermifarm involves the following steps:

1. Preparation of the place of settlement.
2. Livestock acquisition. It is very important that it includes adults, fry and cocoons.
3. Settlement of worms. They should be placed along with the soil in which they were purchased. In this case, adaptation will be faster.

The next steps are related to the life process. This is the processing of compost and the creation of biohumus. After collecting the worm and fertile layer, it is necessary to add a new nutrient bedding.

1. First- for nutrition: the earth is rich in mineral components.
2. Average- the habitat of most individuals.
3. Third, the lower layer accumulates all the waste products of the worms.

Naturally, it is very important to control the acidity of the soil and its temperature.

Business Advantages and Disadvantages

Home vermifarm has its own characteristics in comparison with other business options.

The disadvantages of such ideas include the following:

• the need for free space;
• constant monitoring of the living conditions of worms;

Despite this, the vermifarm has more positive aspects:

• minimum investment during the entire cultivation of worms;
• low competition among other manufacturers;
• a wide range of product sales;
• ease of creation;

The benefits of breeding worms are quite obvious, since this is a practically waste-free production. So, if you create a nursery with a size of 2 cubic meters, then for a year of work you can get about 15-20 thousand individuals for sale, as well as a ton of biohumus. On average, the profitability of a vermifarm is about 150%. It is worth noting that this is also affected by low production costs and wide opportunities for marketing products.

Areas of implementation

The profitability of the vermifarm, first of all, depends on the sale of products, that is, the attraction of potential buyers.

Products can be sold through direct sales.

To do this, you can use the following approaches:

• establishing contacts with pet stores, fishing outlets, for direct marketing of goods;
• placement of information on the Internet: on a personal website, in the form of advertisements on trading floors, in social networks;
• distribution of printed materials: leaflets, booklets, announcements;

Before developing a vermi farm, you should carefully study both the possible points of sale and the possibilities of your products. The fact is that the cultivation of worms allows you to get additional products, which are perfectly sold as fertilizer.

Thus, the vermiferm gives several directions for implementation:

1. As a fertilizer - biohumus. Such a component increases the fertility of the earth, fills it with microelements.
2. For fishing. Anglers prefer to buy ready-made bait than to look for worms on their own. Since, on average, about 30 worms are used per fishing trip, by selling several packs per day, you can get a good income.
3. For food in pet stores. This option is the most efficient in implementation. Hearts are great for feeding birds, fish and some other animals.
4. For fodder for farms. Since this requires a lot of live food, vermifarm products will be an excellent solution.
5. For nourishing plants. Worm tea is in the greatest demand. This is a unique tool that increases the yield by more than 3 times. Especially such a fertilizer will be relevant for companies that grow fruit crops for sale.

Breeding worms as a business is a specific and rather strange way to generate additional income. This way to make money does not require large investments, or rather, there may be no investments at all. To breed worms at home, you need the most minimal starting capital. This activity does not require special knowledge and does not tear you away from your main activity.

Breeding worms at home is a fairly profitable business that you can do at home. You just need to prepare a little and earn money by developing a worm farm.

Pros of worm farming for business

The advantages of breeding worms include:

• simple equipment;
• the rate of reproduction of worms is very high;
• the demand for worms is very high, you can find and develop a distribution network;
• minimal costs for the maintenance and care of worms;
• waste-free production.

For successful business on worms, it is advisable to start with a small farm at home. When you understand the matter and see a positive result, you can expand.

According to the calculations that we made in one year, you can get up to 20 thousand individuals, as well as about one ton of fertilizer, which you can sell. And these figures are only provided that your nursery is 2 m2 in size. For 15 thousand worms, you can get about $ 700. To this amount, you can add the cost of a ton of humus and worm tea. Thus, the profitability of the production of worms and fertilizers reaches 150%. This is great!

Sales of worms

Worms can be sold both independently and negotiated with other sellers and points of sale. For example, pet stores can buy worms, for feeding fish and birds, and fish farms also need worms.

Very good buying power occurs in the shops for fishing. One package of worms costs about 30 rubles.

As a result of the vital activity of worms, pure biohumus is obtained. Biohumus is an organic fertilizer that is used to feed plants. Therefore, it can be sold to farmers, summer residents, large landowners and flower shops.

By the way, some pharmaceutical companies use worms to make medicines.
The production of vermicai, which is used in agriculture to increase crop yields. This is the so-called worm tea, which is obtained as a result of the vital activity of worms, which is called biohumate.

Breeding worms for fishing

Fishing is a hobby and an opportunity to earn money. Therefore, those who prefer to really fish will not refuse good worms.

Suitable for fishing are earthworms, earthworms and dungworms. In order to breed worms for fishing, there is no need for a large investment, but it is enough to start by growing a small number of worms that you can sell to friends and acquaintances.

What worms are best to breed?

As a rule, suitable for breeding worms different kinds, almost everything. We will give only the most popular and cost-effective types.

"Prospector"

This is a species of red California worm, which is characterized by high productivity in the processing of soil for fertilizer. It has high activity. This type is resistant to temperature extremes, which is a big plus.

Earthworm

The earthworm adapts well to environment, so it is easy to propagate even in a city apartment. But the earthworm breeds weakly.

California (red) worm

Dendroben

This type of worm is great for fishing. It was bred by farmers specifically for fishing. Dendrobena breeds slowly, but has a fleshy texture. This type provides positive influence on the soil, which in the future may be of interest to farmers in agricultural activities.

Muckworm

This worm has a great advantage, which is characterized by excellent vermicultivation performance. With the help of a dung worm, the two above species were bred - Prospector and Red California worm. If you manage to cross other species with this worm, you can get a completely new population that will be larger, voracious, hardy, more fruitful.

flour worm

For business on worms, this type does not require special attention and knowledge. This species is resistant to temperature extremes, has a high reproduction rate.

Please note that the habitat of one species of worms can kill other species. For example, if you run earthworms to dung worms, the earthworms will die, since the waste products of dung worms are toxic. That's why the best option is keeping the worms separate from each other.

How to start a worm farming business?

To breed worms, you first need to start buying equipment.

Breeding worms, as a business, requires the acquisition of entry level all necessary equipment:

• a device for measuring soil parameters;
• thermometer for measuring air temperature;
• sieve;
• scales;
• shovel and scoop;
• boxes, shelves;
• buckets.

Room for breeding worms

In order for the breeding of worms at home to become a profitable business, it is necessary for the creeps to prepare comfortable living conditions. As a rule, a room where there is no noise and vibration is suitable. The room must be heated and maintained constant humidity.

In general, you can choose any room, a room in an apartment, an attic, a garage, a cellar, a greenhouse.

Preparing a place for breeding worms

Now let's deal with the question, where to breed worms? At home, you can breed worms in several ways:

Wooden boxes, boxes

The size of the boxes, preferably - 1m x 2m x 0.5m, using boards 25mm thick. There are holes at the bottom to allow liquid to drain. It is desirable to install the box at an angle. From the bottom of the box, you need to install a pallet where the budget is going to vermichay. The box must have a lid with holes to ensure ventilation.

Old, useless refrigerator.

The refrigerator must be disassembled so that all internal elements are removed. You should get a chamber that you install with the door up. Ventilation holes must be made in the door and on the sides of the refrigerator. The structure must be installed at a slight slope, placing a beam under it.

cardboard box

This option is suitable for beginners. The size of the carton should be 400mm*300mm. Cardboard is an environmentally friendly material that breathes. Your worms will feed on pieces of cardboard. When the cardboard becomes thinner and damp, replace it.

Plastic container

Today, there are a lot of varieties of plastic containers. These can be flower pots, small plastic boxes and large containers. Ventilation must be ensured in them so that the worms do not suffocate. Drill holes in the lid and sides of the container. Place a tray under the container to collect the vermicai.

Special vermicomposter

As a rule, most entrepreneurs who breed worms at home use special equipment - a vermicomposter. You can build it yourself, if your imagination allows.

Soil for breeding worms

Reproduction, the rate of processing of organic waste and the size of the worms directly depend on the quality of the soil.

To begin with, in the container where your creeping friends will live, cover half with humus.

Then moisten the soil to 70-80%

When 2-3 days pass, it is necessary to make several recesses in which worms need to be settled. Be sure to populate the worms with the soil in which they were before the “move”.

Now you need to wait 2 days;

After two days have passed, check if your friends are still alive. If yes, then you can start feeding them.

It is recommended to do a trial before a large settlement, in a small amount in another container. If the individuals survive, then the soil is suitable for them. And if not, then the acidity of the soil is not for them. A suitable and optimal indicator of soil acidity is from 6.5 to 7.5 pH.

Please note that if you often identify dead individuals, this is a signal that the acidity of the soil has changed.

To increase the acidity of the earth, it is necessary to add sawdust, straw or tops of plants to it..

In order to lower the acidity, add chalk, ground egg shell or limestone.

Worms food

The main food of worms is the rotten remains of plants.

It is forbidden to feed worms with such products:

• Meat waste;
• citrus fruits, which increase acidity;
• kefir undiluted. (also increases acidity);
• peel and cores of fruits and vegetables (it is better to pass them through a meat grinder or freeze);
• fresh manure.

• leaves, grass, straw, potato peels, banana peels, boiled vegetables;
• pastries and yesterday's bread;
• tea brew;
• crushed eggshell powder;
• water, with a small addition of milk or kefir;
• horse or cow dung (but not fresh), chicken droppings.

Note that very old manure contains little to no nutrients that worms need.

Attention! New food should be added only when the previous portion is eaten completely. If there is excess food, then the process of fermentation in the soil will begin, which will increase the acidity.

Conclusion:

As you noticed, breeding worms at home as a business is a cost-effective, profitable and waste-free production that does not require investments and special knowledge. Starting small, you can expand your worm business to a large scale.

If you are looking for a business from home with minimum investment and constant demand, we recommend you the worm gear business. It doesn't require much investment, especially if you have a place to grow worms. Most often, they tend to breed them for fishing, but there are many other distribution channels, working on which you can ensure high profitability of the business.

Case Features

Worm farming as a business is ideal for those who have their own plot of land, attic or garage. In all other respects, the business is more than attractive. Production is characterized by:

• It does not require the purchase of special equipment and significant financial investments - about 5 thousand rubles.
• Buying worms in bulk can save you a lot of money.
• Worms are quite unpretentious, as food leftovers are suitable for them.
• Clients can be found in various areas and form a long-term base of them.
• Growing does not require special permits and licenses, it is enough to register as an individual entrepreneur.
• Low competition with high demand for worms.

Types of worms

As already mentioned, most often the production of worms is focused on fishing. But not every worm is suitable for fishing. Fishermen are interested in different bait, depending on what kind of fish they plan to hunt. As a rule, these types of worm are needed:

1. Rain or earthen, which is sometimes also called creeping out. They call it that because after the rain it tends to get out. These are the largest worms - their thickness can reach a centimeter, and their length is 30 cm. They are suitable for freshwater fishing.
2. Dung, which lives in organic fertilizers. Lives in large colonies, individuals grow small, have a dark red color. Extremely dislikes sunlight, and never freezes on the hook, which attracts fish.
3. Underleaf - lives under logs, stones, leaves that have been lying in one place for a long time. It has a red-violet hue of the body. Often off the hook, however, the fish loves him very much.
4. White earthen ones are only suitable for fishing aimed at carp or crucian carp.
5. Red California - the same dung beetle that was bred in America by artificial means. As a rule, it is he who is grown under artificial conditions, because he is very sensitive to heat, sounds and water conditions.
6. The prospector worm is also a bred species, but already by Soviet scientists. Its main difference from the Californian is that it has the instinct of self-preservation and at low temperatures it goes deep into the earth. At the same time, it has higher reproduction rates.

If you are selling worms for fishing, it is important to understand not only how to breed and keep them, but also for which fish which worm is best to use as bait. This will help you gain the trust of your customers and give them really helpful advice.

Worms production

The production of these creatures can be established both in the city and in the village at home. It is enough to allocate a garage, an attic, a barn, or even a part of the barn where goats, sheep or other agricultural animals are kept for this business. if you have own site earth, it is enough to dig a hole with a diameter of about a meter and a depth of about 40 cm, fill it with food for worms, and in a couple of days they themselves will appear there. You just need to make sure that moles, hedgehogs and other animals and birds that feed on worms do not have access to the pit.

The plan for breeding this living creature at home is simple. It is enough to purchase the required number of boxes approximately 50x50x30 in size for each separate view. They also need to be placed so as to exclude access to rodents.

Another important condition for breeding worms at home is regular watering. This should be done once every 2-3 days. You also need to ensure that the temperature of the earth does not fall below 15 ° C and does not rise above 25 ° C. Somewhere in two months, the number of livestock will double. To resettle them, it is enough to decompose part of the compost with living creatures into empty boxes and add mixtures.

The soil

The boxes must be filled with a special mixture, which you can buy, or you can cook on your own. It is necessary to take some dry grass, overripe leaves, leftover food and old cardboard. You also need to pour a little ordinary earth and preferably a little manure.

However, the earth is poured for a reason. Worms distribute soil for themselves in the following zones:

• Place of food - upper layer. There should be organic residues and various nutrients.
• Habitat - middle layer.
• The latrine is the bottom layer. For business, this is the most valuable layer, since this is the very vermicompost.

When populating worms, keep in mind that they multiply rapidly. Usually, after wintering, the livestock increases by about ten times.

Business Equipment

To equip a worm farm, you will not need special equipment, but it is advisable to purchase such equipment:

• racks;
• room thermometer;
• devices that measure the acidity of the soil and its temperature;
• pitchfork;
• scales;
• shovel;
• bucket;
• wheelbarrow;
• sieve for sifting;

It is important to properly prepare the compost and equip the racks with boxes.

Collection of goods

One of the most important issues in growing worms is their collection. Your task is to get them out of the substrate without damaging them, so that all individuals remain alive. Several methods can be used to complete the collection plan. For example, stop feeding them for 3-4 days, and then lay out a small part of the food. Hungry pets will crawl onto it, after which they can be taken out along with this substrate. However, in this way you cannot get all the worms at a time, so the procedure is repeated three times. Another way to complete the collection plan is to lure out individuals with sliced ​​\u200b\u200bfruits and vegetables or paper soaked in sugar.

If the cultivation of worms at home is aimed at the production of biohumus, it is easy to clean it from worms. The substrate must be placed in a box with a slatted bottom, put this box above another filled with food. Over time, the worms will crawl from one box to another.

biohumus production

Often entrepreneurs are attracted by the cultivation of Californian worms as a business. The fact is that this species is best suited for the production of biohumus. Actually, for the sake of biohumus, they were bred in California. Although, by and large, it is also possible to build a business with ordinary earthworms, but not in such volumes as with California ones.

The plan for the production of biohumus will also require special compost, which includes food waste, cow, horse, pig, rabbit or bird droppings, sawdust, decaying leaves. Similar to the production of worms for fishing, cultivation can be organized outdoors in an earthen pit or a barn, attic, garage in special boxes. In the latter case, production will be year-round, if the required temperature is maintained.

The landing plan is about five thousand pieces per square meter. Further, it must be borne in mind that in the process of producing biohumus, worms will multiply. Therefore, it is necessary to expand the area for cultivation.

For the production of vermicompost, a business plan should provide for:

• Purchase of California worms.
• Heated room equipment.
• Warehouse for ready biohumus.
• Periodic addition of manure and compost.

Sales of biohumus

To sell ready-made vermicompost, you will need additional costs compared to the usual cultivation of worms for fishing. So, you need to take care of:

• packaging, because it is inconvenient to sell it by weight. As a rule, it is packed in plastic bags weighing 3-10 kg. Such bags are sold to summer residents, gardeners, flower growers. Another option is packing in bags of 20-100 kg. Such goods are sold to wholesale buyers and farmers;
• conclusion of contracts with stores of garden and household goods;
• vehicles for the delivery of products;
• advertising your product.

However, the greatest profit is most often obtained from the sale of worms. Biohumus production is used as a related business.

Sales of worms

The main sources of sale of live worms are:

• Fishermen. They sell adults for about 2 rubles. apiece, and for one fishing trip you need at least 30 individuals.
• Individual customers who buy worms for exotic pet food.
• Fishing shops, fish farms.
• Pet stores, terrariums, zoos that need food for various rodents, birds, reptiles, fish, etc.
• Cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies that purchase goods as raw materials for the production of drugs.
• People who want to start breeding worms themselves and are looking for starter stock.

You can sell goods both through stores and through your own website. They offer it both by weight and packaged in jars.

In any case, at the initial stage, you will need advertising in order to win at least a minimum number of customers. As a rule, word of mouth contributes further to your popularity. After all, the same fishing trips share not only their impressions about the catch, but also about where and what kind of bait they managed to buy.

Profitability

This type of business has a stunningly high profitability - 100-130%, and according to some reports, even up to 700%, if you initially foresee large investments. If we take for example a city with a population of two hundred thousand people, then the annual turnover from the sale of worms will be approximately 600 thousand rubles. The profit depends solely on the scale of production, and the business will pay off in eight months. On average, up to 15-20 thousand individuals can be grown on two cubic meters per year.

To optimize the business, it is worth setting up the production of vermicompost, which can be collected from two cubic meters per year about a ton. But for this it is recommended to use Californian worms - they produce the most valuable substrate, saturated with the necessary enzymes, microflora and active substances. They are also more readily bought by shops and fishermen.

One worm costs an average of 0.3-1 rub. depending on the region of sales - in large cities they are in greater demand and higher prices. As practice shows, you can get 40-200 thousand rubles from a worm business. per month.