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Question: What can you feed worms?

stevenwignet

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As everyone knows worms is the perfect food for axolotls but if i was to start a wommery what foods are acceptable to be fed to the worms that are safe for the axolotls to eat?
i dont want to feed the worms something that could kill the axolotls.
 

JordynG45

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I was actually just researching how to culture earthworms. Now I've never done this personally but I found in my research that you can feed them compost. Vegetable scraps, coffee grinds, etc.


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auntiejude

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Cooked or raw veg scraps, oats, shredded card or paper. No meat, no banana skins, no onions, no citrus, no dairy.
 

michael

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My one friend says here salamanders prefer when the worms are fed coffee grounds. I think my salamanders don't like worms fed coffee grounds.
 

AxolotlChris

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'Vermiculture: Growing your own worms.
harvested worms
Why? You might want to grow your own worms for the following reasons:

To obtain a steady source of small earthworms. Small worms are an excellent resource for feeding small caudates.
To reduce the amount of garbage you send to the landfill by composting it.
To produce fertile compost for gardening.
What kind? The usual worms for home compost are red wigglers and European nightcrawlers. While red wigglers (E fetida spp.) have the fastest reproduction, they are unpalatable to some amphibians when cut. European nightcrawlers (E. hortensis) reproduce more slowly, but are a good option. It may also be possible to grow leafworms and dugworms under similar conditions.

tub of worms
Where? A greenhouse, basement, garage, or buried outdoors are all good locations. A worm bin that is kept in the garage in winter can be moved to a shady outdoor spot in summer to avoid excess heat. Worms can also be kept indoors. A worm culture does not stink, but it does tend to attract insect pests.

There are commercially-available worm bins available, but an adequate container can be set up easily for a lot less money. An outdoor "pit" can be dug, lined with cement blocks and covered with old carpet. Any plastic tub can serve, but it needs to be drilled for drainage and ventilation (holes should be smaller than most of the worms).

How? Worms have only a few basic needs:

A container. Must provide ventilation, allow drainage, and minimize escape. Keeping them outdoors provides other options.
Bedding material (something light weight that retains moisture, such as coconut fiber, peat moss, shredded paper or leaves).
Food, such as fruit and vegetable scraps.
DOs and DON'Ts

DO keep the culture within comfortable temperatures: 0-30°C (32-85°F).
DO expect to spend some time picking out worms, especially if you need small ones. Harvesting isn't quite as easy as buying worms in a cup!
DO use fruit scraps. Worms are very fond of melon rinds and banana peels. Avoid citrus, as it is too acidic.
DO bury the food under the bedding. This will reduce the invasion of pests.
DO add crushed egg shells to prevent acid conditions and supplement calcium.
DON'T overfeed. Just like any enclosed system, too much food will foul the bedding and sicken or kill the worms.
DON'T panic when you find other "critters" living with the worms. Other invertebrates will invariably move in, but these are very unlikely to harm the worms or the salamanders you feed them to.'

Caudata Culture Articles - Worms
 
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