How to Raise Earthworms and What to Feed Them to Make Them Grow Fastest

We all know that earthworms are actually of great use to humans. First, earthworms can serve as feed for fish; earthworms can basically be called a universal fish bait, because many fish eat earthworms, so as long as you use earthworms for fishing, you can generally catch many varieties of fish. Second, earthworms have a decomposing function. So for us, their role is very great.

How to Raise Earthworms

1. The container is best a wooden box. I now feel that wooden box culture still gives the best results. Other containers such as flower pots, plastic boxes and anything else that can be used will also do, but the bottom must have small holes for water to drain out.

2. For the nutrient soil, I currently use rotted, thoroughly decomposed cow dung and crude cardboard. In rural areas, it is best to use rotted crop straw, weeds, horse and mule dung, etc. that have turned into black soil. If it is hard to find these in the city, you can only collect some plant leaves yourself and let them slowly ferment until they rot. Note that the nutrient soil must be soft and loose.

3. Earthworm food can truly be described as highly varied. I currently use crude cardboard, smeared on top with discarded cooking oil, even the waste oil from the grease collection box of a kitchen range hood, as well as apple peels, carrot peels, etc. In addition, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the sediment from kitchen dishwashing water is quite good; through observation, the sediment from water used to wash a wok after stir-frying is even better.

The Environment Earthworms Are Best Suited To

1. The most suitable living temperature for earthworms is about 20 degrees Celsius. Below 5 degrees they become dormant, and below 0 degrees they die. At 15 degrees they can reproduce normally. If it exceeds 333 degrees they will crawl away or die. Therefore, raising earthworms must involve choosing a suitable temperature environment.

2. Earthworm culture must maintain a certain amount of moisture. Too dry and they will die; too wet and they will also struggle to survive. This is why, after heavy rain, as large amounts of rainwater seep into the ground, many earthworms crawl out from deep soil and end up drying out and dying in the sun. Generally, keep the culture medium so that it forms a ball when squeezed by hand but no water can be squeezed out.

3. Selection of the base material. There can be many choices. The best is fermented cow dung, used after its color turns black. If you consider it unsanitary, you can also choose relatively soft and loose garden soil. You can also choose shredded and water-soaked cardboard or strawboard mixed evenly with garden soil, or mix some sawdust into garden soil. All of the above are relatively good culture base materials.

What Earthworms Eat to Grow Fastest

Earthworms are omnivorous animals. Aside from glass, plastic and rubber, which they do not eat, they eat everything else such as humus, animal manure, soil bacteria, fungi, and the decomposition products of these substances. Earthworms have a keen sense of taste and like sweet and sour flavors. They dislike bitter flavors. They like warm, decomposed, fine and soft feed, and are especially greedy for animal-based food, eating an amount each month equivalent to their own body weight. Food passes through the digestive tract, and about half is excreted as feces.

Choosing Earthworms When Fishing

1. Choose thin earthworms: the so-called “thin earthworms” here refers to earthworms that have been starved thin because they were not fed, about the size of an ordinary toothpick. They are suitable for fishing from the beginning of March to mid-April in the Gregorian calendar, from mid-spring to late spring, and during the period from Awakening of Insects to Pure Brightness in the lunar calendar. When fishing, cut them into two sections and hook them in from the cut end, leaving a bit exposed at the hook point. Leave 1-2 cm of earthworm at the hook point so it can curl and wriggle. After hooking, do not let the earthworm block the hook gap; leave the extra cut head and tail at the hook point to wriggle. Use a fine line and small hook, and the hook should preferably not exceed Maruto No. 7 size 8.

2. Choose fat earthworms: the so-called “fat earthworms” here refers to somewhat larger earthworms or those fed fat and thick. They are suitable for fishing from late April to late November, in late spring, summer, autumn and early winter.

3. Choose small earthworms: the so-called “small earthworms” here refers to earthworms as large as fine toothpicks, suitable for fishing in cold winter and from early spring to mid-spring for fish. At this time, fish feed with slight movements, open their mouths small, and swallow food slowly and sluggishly. For the fishing tackle, use a fine line and small hook: main line No. 1, leader line No. 0.8, and hook Maruto No. 5-6. A small hook threaded with a small earthworm will not block the hook gap, and is suitable for smaller fish to suck in the bait and swallow the hook. The earthworm must be fresh and lively. After hooking the earthworm, the hook point or hook body must not be exposed. Do not pinch off the earthworm at the hook point; leave about 1 cm so it can wriggle and entice fish to bite. Fishing should be done from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it is not advisable to fish in the early morning or evening.

In the above text, I believe everyone has gained a general understanding of how to raise earthworms. If you want to raise earthworms, be sure to raise them in a very dark and damp place, because earthworms are very afraid of sunlight. Have you all learned these little tips shared today?