So, what can you do to make the world a less wasteful place. One answer is to start a worm farm. Disgusting sounding? Perhaps. Environmentally friendly? Definitely. You see, worms are able to decompose food scraps, paper products, or other kitchen waste into a useful compost that can be used in gardens, flower beds, lawns, etc. What this means, is that instead of filling up your wastebasket and hence your local landfill with stinky waste, you can feed your worms and produce a highly desirable fertilizer that can be used in many ways.

The process that worms process food and other waste into a useful product is called vermicomposting. The resulting compost is known for its high nutrient contents and how well it helps plants grow in a natural (environmentally friendly) manner.

So, you might be asking yourself. Yeah, sounds great, but where do I keep my worms? That’s the best part about it. You can actually have your very own worm farm inside your kitchen. There are specially made worm bins that keep the light levels, moisture, oxygen, and other factors that keep your worms healthy. These worm bins can go in place of your garbage can, under your kitchen sink, on the counter, or just about anywhere in a very non-intrusive fashion.

Or if you decide that you want to get a little more serious about worm farming, you can make your own large scale bins out of wood, plastic, or even metal. In fact, worms don’t just help reduce the waste that your own household produces, but it can also be a profitable venture.

Because of the many benefits that worms produce, they are highly sought after. So, you could get into the business of selling your worms. Red wrigglers in particular sell very well, and they multiple quite rapidly all on their own! All you have to do is continually feed them your food scraps. In addition, you will have to make sure that the light levels, moisture, oxygen, and food beds are all properly maintained.

The by product (vermicompost) is also highly marketable. So, whether you decide that you would like to have your own small worm farm, or whether you want to produce worms and worm compost on a large scale, its up to you. Both have a very good market potential. And most importantly, you will have added a way in which you can keep your house a little “greener”.

Author: Spencer Ray

For more information on raising worms, visit My Worm Farms

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Spencer_Ray

Technorati Tags: Earthworms, farming worm, Worm Compost

But what’s wrong with helping our ecosystem for the sake of our futures? With that lofty goal in mind, some have chosen the occupation of worm farming. It’s safe, natural, and healthy in many ways.

Worm farming offers variety including setting one up with earthworms, catalpa worms, meal worms, red worms, or grub worms. You can try having more than one kind, but there are benefits to keeping them in separate containers.

With separation of each type of worm you can detect which varieties are progressing and at what pace. Another benefit is having them separated for the different reasons you would want to use them. One reason for keeping them separated is to make sure you have the correct temperatures and the correct conditions for each type to thrive and prosper.

Which worms are edible? At least from a human standpoint? Earthworms, meal worms, and grub worms are. Maybe you don’t want to partake of this sort of exotic delicacy yourself. It may just be a little too safe, natural, and healthy for your tastes! But what if you could extend the life of your cats or dogs by adding the cooked worms to their dry food that you’ve made yourself? You’d be surprised that animals that wouldn’t normally eat worms can actually thrive very well on their nutritive value.

Worm farming is actually less expensive and less dangerous than your average farm. After all, you don’t need tons of employees and expensive equipment to have a worm farm. You can have your own little worm farm for your own personal benefits. Encourage your kids to join in and use it in class for show-and-tell time.

It’s a novel way of getting up close and personal with natural science. Little gardeners can enjoy the benefits of this safe farming. And if you are raising the edible worms, you won’t have to worry if your tot does experiment by popping one in his or her mouth!

Although the catalpa worms are not one of the edible worms, they are still safe and natural to use as fish bait. This Southern U.S. variety is sometimes referred to as Catawba Worms.

The catalpa trees are well-known along the rivers and swamps of the southern states in the United States. Texas, Louisiana, and Florida residents enjoy the bait from these trees but these trees and their worms are easily established outside the realm of the South. These trees thrive in moist, rich soil.

If you live in east Texas (and many other Mid Western states), you are well-acquainted with the pest called the June bug. You may not have known, however, that this pest comes from the humble grub worm.

Sure, the grub worm isn’t a friend if you have vegetable garden, but in some cultures, this worm is a delicacy. Now didn’t you learn something new about worms today?

Author: Rita Lambros-Segur

Learn how to set up your own worm farm and why these are important for the environment at: http://www.wormfarminginformation.com – Worm Farming Information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rita_Lambros-Segur

Technorati Tags: catalpa worms, Grindal worms, grub worms, meal worms, Worm Farming

Live foods are overall high in protein. They stimulate spawning, and help to intensify coloration. Live foods enhance the natural tendencies of fish to forage for their food as they would in their natural environment.

White worms (Enchytraeus albidus) are a great source of food for the aquarium. They are about 70% protein, 14.5% fats, and approximately 10% carbohydrate. The white worm in size is approximately 3/4″ to 1 1/2″, somewhere between Tubifex and Grindal worms. Fish love them, and they are appropriate for a large variety of carnivore fish, even the smaller cichlids.

Nick Lockhart, breeder for King Discus feeds white worms twice weekly to our breeding discus and juveniles. His goal is to provide a wide variety of food to keep the fish interested and feeding to stimulate breeding.

White worms are easy to raise. A plastic shoebox from the dollar store will meet the needs of most aquarists. As worms need to breathe, the container shouldn’t be air tight. Cutting a small hole in the lid and placing a piece of breathable foam in the hole will suffice to allow enough oxygen to reach the worms.

Fill the container about 3/4 full with peat moss as the medium. The peat moss should be wet, but not soaked. Test by squeezing a bit of the medium in your hand. If a few drops emerge, then you have it right. If water emerges from the mass in a stream, you have it too wet.

Add your starter culture of worms. Finding a suitable starter culture can at times be difficult. A good source can be from auctions at local fish clubs, or from a fellow enthusiast. Also, looking in the classified in the back pages of magazines like Aquarium Fish Magazine or Aquarium USA can sometimes lead to a good resource.

Place a piece of wet crustless white bread on top of the medium for compost. Cover this with a sheet of plastic the size of the slice of bread. The plastic aids in keeping the bread from drying out. It is a good idea to bury the piece of bread in the medium when first starting a culture to prevent mold from occurring. Allow the worms a week to establish before feeding them. Check on them on a daily basis to insure that they are eating the bread.

White worms will need to be housed in a cool dark place, free from insects. We use an apartment sized refrigerator with a temperature control sensor that maintains the temperature at 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit.

One of the best foods for white worms is Gerber’s Baby Oatmeal. Add a pinch of active dry yeast to the mixture. The trick is to feed the worms enough to insure they thrive, but not so much that it will begin to mold. A good rule of thumb is to feed only what they will consume in three days. A little trial and error work is needed here. If mold occurs, simply spoon it out of the medium, and replace the food, using less the next time.

White worm cultures will “crash” if the population becomes too large. This can be noted by the worms attempting to crawl up the sides of the container. Simply dump the medium onto a sheet of newspaper, separate the medium into two parts, and you have another culture to fall back on if the first crashes. Get another shoebox, top to 3/4 full with dampened peat moss, and you have the insurance of a supply of white worms.

To harvest white worms, simply wait until a nice clump of them are underneath the sheet of plastic, pluck them out with tweezers or your fingers, and clean appropriately before feeding to your fish. rinsing with dechlorinated water, by pouring from one container to another will do the trick, removing any soil or left over food. You can then feed the worms to your fishes.

The biggest thing to remember about growing white worms is to never let the medium dry out. It is also a good idea to have two cultures growing at the same time, in case one of the cultures “crashes.” Keep an eye out for mold, feed the worms appropriately, and you will have happy, vigorous fish!

Author: Alden Smith

Alden Smith is a published author who has been marketing on the internet for over 7 years. His website, http://www.kingdiscus.com, is a resource for articles, software and information on the tropical fish hobby. Visit his website for more information on live foods, tracking software, and articles on the tropical fish hobby, especially if interested in raising discus fish. weekly articles are posted, along with updates for Fish Minder software.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alden_Smith

Technorati Tags: Grindal worms, Tubifex worms, White Worms