In This Issue...

1. How to Attract Three Types of Worms (video link)

2. Our Kick Starter Campaign Is Now LIVE! (video Link)

It's fall again here in the northern hemisphere and that means plenty of leaves will be falling. Dead leaves and dead grass is WONDERFUL worm food and attracts worms of all types. Worms are migratory when out in the open and it's one of the reasons why worms are everywhere. However, we don't want the worms to check in only to leave the next morning ;)

Ideally we want the worms to stay for the long haul and procreate for as long as we have a use for them. This means using the right types of food for the particular species, but first let's go over the 3 types of worms that I talk about in the video. This is helpful especially if you're wanting mostly fishing or mostly composting worms.

Now that we understand the three major types of worms, in which over 4,400 can be classed into these 3 groups, we need to understand what foods they like in order to draw them in for their extended stay.

If you watched the video you noticed I used a HUGE pile of manure and hay. This is considered an "All Purpose" food and will help you attract all 3 types of worms. Why would you want all three types of worms anyway? Not everyone wants all three but if you like to garden, fish, recycle, compost, etc... then all three can become necessary.

1. Anecic Group - Fishing
    

2. Endogeic Group - Fishing and turning clay/sandy soil into a useful arable plot.
    

3. Epigeic Group - Can be a combination of fishing and composting

Keep in mind that all 3 types of worms can be used to culture indoors but 1 and 2 will require extreme patience, passion, and knowledge. It's even possible to harvest the castings of Canadian Nightcrawlers to use for your potted plants if you know where to look.

As stated already, they create deep burrows and come to the surface usually for two reasons: to mate & gather food. So we have to consider what their natural food source is. This is fallen leaves, grasses, well aged/dead wood, occasional animal manure in the wild like that of deer, rabbits, and domesticated grazing animals. With just a simple walk in your backyard you may find some tiny mounds of worm castings next to or on top of worm holes about the size of a #2 pencil.

They are most likely feeding on the dead grass cut from your mower, some fallen leaves, or any kind of vegetation lying around. So when trying to attract these worms you'll want to pile up plenty of carbon material that they already love to eat in their area. If you have access to manure (from plant-eating or herbivores) then spreading it around and letting it age on it's own will draw them in as well. Manure from these animals is simply a lot of digested, fibrous carbon but containing a good amount of nitrogen too. However, fresh manure is considered too nitrogenous (depending on the type of animal) and unlikely to draw them in until it has aged properly.

The "Jumper" is a very unique class of worm. It builds drilospheres just like the Canadian but they aren't always vertical burrows. They are many times lateral because their natural diet is the rich mineral of clay and other types of soil. They don't just consume soil but a mixture of dead carbonous material & soil too.

If you've ever held one of these worms in your hands or between your fingers you'll notice how firm, muscular, and extremely lively they are. Without their muscular physique they wouldn't be as effective at plowing through hard compacted clay. I believe these worms are the true excavatus (excavator) but I'm not a scientist. They named it Gracilus :)

Jumpers also come to the surface for food so their diet is much like the Anecic with mostly carbon-rich foods with the occasional aged manure. Keep in mind, you may not get any to come if there aren't any in your area of the world. I'm sure you already know this but I'd be remiss if I didn't say it. They aren't attracted to the rich nitrogen food sources so keep it mostly carbon material.

This one's easy! These worms like EVERYTHING! :) This is one of the reasons why they are found on the surface consuming everything in sight. They are one of the best clean up crews on the planet. So what will attract them and keep them? Plenty of CARBON & Nitrogen together. If you notice in my video (Attracting Worms Using Hay and Goat Manure) the pile is a mixture of rich hay and aged manure. It's also kept moist and never dry. Composting worms LOVE aged manure and if there's plenty of it will stay as long as you keep adding it.

What if you don't have access to aged manure and you want to attract composting worms? You can still use fluffy carbon material like dead leaves, dead grass, shredded paper products, straw, etc. with other sources of rich nitrogen like coffee grounds, fruits, vegetables, fresh plant material etc... Mix it well with each other at a 20:1 to 40:1 Carbon to Nitrogen ratio BUT make sure it has had plenty of moisture and time to heat up.

This probably won't ever be an issue, though, since you're starting from scratch and have no worms yet. Be careful in the future when you add more material. add it to one side of the pile so worms can move in when the pile cools down. Don't make the mistake of adding more nitrogen into a pile where existing cocoons lie. Worms will move away when and IF it even heats up but cocoons are a sitting duck.

If you don't see composting worms after a couple of months then be patient they'll come eventually. If using the 40:1 ratio then increase it to 30:1 or 20:1.

So this is how to attract three types of worms providing they're in your part of the world. You may not see the Jumpers until it gets warmer if you're starting in the fall but should see them by end of spring or summer time. You may have to dig deeper in the pile to find Anecic & Endogeic worms even in the ground 6 inches but they WILL be there :)

I hope this was helpful :)

This article was not in any social media or blogs or The Worm Farming Revolution eBook.  It's only in this newsletter. If you found this information helpful then you'll really love what the book has to offer. To order the 241 pg. digital eBook (PDF file) today click here.

3. Is There A Future For Knitting & Crocheting in Worm Farming?

One last thing I would like to ask of you. My wife, Joanna (Jo's Kozy Korner), Knits & Crochets. I'm trying to think of things that she can make that would relate to worm farming or worms in general. My question is...Is there a place for this and how do you think it could be incorporated.

She makes things like drink cozies, coffee cozies, quart jar cozies, cozies of all types, slouchy hats, wrist warmers (fingerless mittens), boot cuffs, credit card holders, hats, scarves, head bands/ear warmers, wrist bands, etc...

She's making some drink cozies with the cut out of a worm on it. She can also add letters such as WFR (Worm Farming Revolution) to the cozies. I would love to hear some suggestions but not things like, "Can she make me some garden gloves?" Really? gloves made out of yarn?! I don't think so HA! :)

I'll be posting some of her work but if you'd be interested or have some suggestions on how to tie this in with worm farming please let me know. Just hit reply to this newsletter.

Get the latest updates...
Remember to Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to YouTube,  G+,  The Worm Blog, and this Newsletter (duh! already here ;) or just head over to the website for some good reading Worm Farming Revealed.com
"From Synthetic Thinking to Organic Doing"
~Pauly Piccirillo

To Teach, Inspire & Empower you to become the best worm farmer you can be...Plus a lot more!!!