Worm Farming: Understanding Your Worms
Better understanding your worms will help you to care for their needs better and help them to stay healthy and happy. This article will take a look at some facts about these wonderful creatures.
A worm is composed of 70% to 95% water. Therefore they need to live in a moist worm bin. When a worm dies his body shrivels up to the point that it can go unnoticed. On the other hand, worms do not have the capability to take on much more water without becoming bloated so excess water is harmful to them as well.
Worms are cold blooded. The ideal temperature for them is between 72 degrees and 75 degrees. If your worm bin cannot be placed somewhere where the temperature will constantly remain in this range, then you should buy an insulated worm bin.
Healthy worms reproduce easily. Worms have features of both sexes but they cannot self fertilize. A single worm can't reproduce. A colony of worms will reproduce and double in number within a few months.
Healthy worms in a worm farm are coated with a slimy mucus coating. This mucus coat serves many purposes. For one thing, it helps the worms to retain water. As noted earlier, worms are made up of a high percentage of water so they need to be kept in a moist bin. This mucus coat helps them to hold onto the moisture pulled from their environment. The mucus coat also protects the worm as he burrows through soil and bedding.
A worm's mouth is called a peristonium and it is a unique organ that is used for prying as worms do not have teeth. This is why you should feed your worms paper and cardboard that has been soaked in water. You should also chop up food or blend it with water so they can digest it easier.
You might be surprised to learn that worms have a lifespan of 4 to 8 years when they are protected in a worm farm. The main reason worms die in a worm farm is because they are accidentally killed. It is not true that if a worm is cut in half it will turn into two worms. So it is a good idea to be careful when digging in your worm bin, replacing bedding or removing compost. Hand tools and sharp objects will injure your worms and probably kill them.
If you take good care of your worms and understand their needs, your worms will live a long, healthy and productive live of turning out compost that you can use in your garden and flower beds.
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