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Worm farming for dummies...

Aimee

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I was wondering if anyone has a "for dummies" version on how to make/keep a womery? I'm very interested in starting one for Sushi, but have a few questions...

Is a 2-3 gallon bucket (7.5-11.5 liters) big enough to keep them in? Do dimensions matter (ex: length needs to be greater than depth, etc)?

What kind of mediums/substrates can I use?

How many worms should I start with?

What/how often to feed?

How/how often for cleaning?

I've tried looking online but am having a hard time finding correlating information. If anyone has any tips I'd really appreciate it :happy: Thanks!
 

blueberlin

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Hi Aimee,

I found a good article on the subject here: click - scroll down for the step-by-step. Another bit of added info here: click.

My attempt at a worm farm failed because I had too much moisture in the bucket. You do not want to smell a dead worm farm. I should think that the moisture from food scraps would be enough to sustain the worms. I blended the scraps before adding them to the farm and can confidently say that this mush should be added to the farm sparingly. The other good tip is a tightly fitting lid. Worms crawl out.

You can also go online and search for "worm farm", there is always someone offerng a ready-made kit.

Good luck to you. Should you get a farm up and running, it would be great to hear how it goes for you.

-Eva
 

Jennewt

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Like with "starter aquariums", bigger is definitely better! I would recommend using a much larger container. A container of only 2 gallons is more like to fail (i.e., get foul), and will never produce enough worms to be worthwhile. I would recommend using the largest plastic tub that you can afford (and have space for).

Also, be sure you start with compost worms, not regular earthworms. Good luck!
 

Aimee

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A lot of worm farm websites mention Red Wrigglers as the compost worm of choice. Do axies generally like these? I've seen a few mentions in some threads of people's axolotls rejecting Red Wrigglers.

Also, would anyone know the temp ranges of these? Where I live, temps get as high as 100-105 degrees F during the peak of the day. I am assuming that I need to keep a worm farm indoors for this reason.

Thanks all for your help :happy:
 

Jennewt

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Axolotls have been known to turn up their noses at red wigglers. But they are more likely to eat home-grown ones, which are not raised on manure like the commercial ones. And they can certainly be trained to accept them with a bit of persuasion.

Compost worms can survive at temperatures in the 90s during the day. If you can find a cool, fully shaded outdoor location they may be OK outside. If not, then yeah, they'll need to be indoors.
 

meerkat

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I keep two small worm farms going to keep my axies happy. I went to Bunnings (Aussie) and bought the starter kits. They are only as big as a tool kit, so I tend to keep them in the kitchen. If all the food is eaten by the worms quickly, there will be no smell. Make sure the kit has a drainage area at the bottom for the 'juice', this is really good fertiliser for the garden. Best rules for worms are NO onions or citrus fruits. They will head for the hills if this is introduced. Generally I find once the worms are settled and going they really need little maitanence and is so much cheaper than buying worms at the pet shop.

Good luck.
 
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