COMPOST Worms in your System

Needs:

Intrinsic Characteristics:

Functions:

Cool Temperature 5-20 degrees C.
Moist, aerated bedding
Partly composted food. Can die from overfeeding
Housing (box or hole) with light below
predators such as birds. Protection from co-hosts such as rats, ants, flies.
Bedding/food pH requires monitoring.
Regular food and water as with any animal.
Protection from elements and extremes in temperature fluctuation.

Worms need to be collected and relocated when housing becomes too cramped.

Variations in size colour and hardiness
for each of the 2 main types:
Earthworm or Compost worm.
Earthworm requires soil housing,
compost worms will die without a regular supply of decaying matter.
You cannot use soil worms for a composting worm bin.

Hasten composting
Provide rich fertilizer
Clean up caged animals manure as it drops through.
Eat scraps that the other animals can't eat (off meat and dairy products)
Digest weed material in compost worm bin. suitable for weeds and tubers too noxious for compost bay.
Bait for fishing; feed for fish, poultry and other birds.
sewerage treatment for domestic animal and human manure
Earth worms in soil consume parasitic insect eggs
Can be used on large scale to reduce community and industrial waste
Earthworms regenerate poor soils/orchards without soil disturbance. Species list and discussion in course on Soils.
Ideal for Urban permaculture food waste recycling.

Plants have greater nutritional where there are Earth worms.