CATDOLL : CATDOLL: In what kind of environment can we better breed earthworms, what is their staple food, and what should we pay attention to when feeding them?

Chapter 1 Overview of Eupolyphaga sinensis 1. Pharmacology and Properties

The earthworm belongs to the family Blattodea of ​​the order Blattodea. It is also known as the earthworm, earth turtle, dustpan insect, earthworm, earthworm, earthworm, earthworm, earthworm, earthworm, earthworm, earthworm, earthworm, earthworm, etc. It is called "earthworm" in modern Chinese medicine. It is cold in nature, salty in taste and slightly toxic. It has the functions of removing blood stasis and stopping bleeding, reducing swelling and relieving pain, unblocking meridians and healing injuries, and connecting tendons and bones. It is an important medicine for blood and injury, and is mainly used to treat arthritis, back pain, trauma, amenorrhea and other diseases. It has a history of application in my country for more than 2,000 years. Modern medical research has found that the earthworm contains at least 17 kinds of amino acids, with the highest content of glutamic acid. The content of essential amino acids for the human body is relatively rich, accounting for more than 30% of the total amino acids; it contains 28 trace elements; it contains 17.6% fatty oil, mainly unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid; it also contains uracil, allantoin, alkaloids, etc. It has the functions of beauty, anti-coagulation, anti-hypoxia, and anti-mutation. It also has certain therapeutic effects on leukemia and cancer. There are more than 200 kinds of Chinese patent medicines that are used in combination with the Chinese earthworm, including Ginseng Turtle Shell Pills, Wind-Chasing Pills, Chushangxiao, Dieda Pills, Xiaozhong Paste, Shangke Qilin Powder, Zhishang Pills, and Chinese Earthworm Capsules.

Earthworms are rich in protein, fat and trace elements, and play a positive role in increasing nutrition, supplementing essential amino acids and 11 essential trace elements contained in them. Long-term consumption of earthworms can regulate nerves, endocrine system, immunity and enzymes, and improve human immunity, playing a role in preventing and curing diseases. At present, the famous dishes such as "fried silver turtle" and "earthworm crispy skin" have appeared in banquets of many large hotels.

The adult body of the Chinese earthworm is about 3.4 cm long and 2 cm wide. The body is oval, gray-brown, flat above and below, with a brown-red chest and abdomen. The head is small and hidden in the prothorax. It has a pair of antennae, a pair of well-developed compound eyes, a chewing mouthpart, and horizontal segments on the back arranged in a shingle-like manner. There are three pairs of well-developed legs on the chest.

The male earthworm is 2.8 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, light brown, light in body, with a slightly smaller head than the female, 3 pairs of legs, 2 pairs of wings, which are relatively well developed. The forewings are leathery, and the hindwings are membranous and translucent, folded on the back. It has the ability to fly short distances, and can fly up to 5-6 meters from top to bottom. It has a pair of cerci.

After mating, the earthworm lays an egg mass that is shaped like a rice grain, 1-1.5 times larger than a rice grain, about 1 cm long, and reddish brown in color. There are vertical lines on the surface of the egg mass, and each vertical line contains a larva, arranged in two rows, and one egg mass contains 8-16 larvae.

3. The living habits of the earthworm

The earthworm likes to live in dark, moist, loose soil rich in humus. In the wild, the earthworm mostly lives in the humus soil and gravel under the kitchen, corners, and deciduous trees, and the depth of the soil can reach 0.5-0.6 meters. It rests in the soil during the day and comes out to move around, forage, and mate in the evening. The peak activity period of the earthworm is from 7 to 12 o'clock at night.

The earthworm is an omnivorous animal that likes to eat a variety of vegetable leaves, roots, stems, flowers, a variety of tree leaves and various grains. It also eats animal residues, feces, etc.

The growth cycle of the earthworm in the wild is 2.5-3 years. May to November is the active period of the earthworm. When the temperature is below 13℃, it will go into the soil to hibernate, not eat or move. It is cold-resistant and will not die at -10℃. It is heat-resistant and will not die at 40℃. It will eat less and will not go into the soil when the temperature is above 38℃, and will move frequently. When the temperature is between 25℃ and 36℃, the earthworm will shed its skin every 20 days, and its body size will double each time it sheds its skin. Female earthworms become sexually mature after 11 molts in their lifetime. They are active frequently and crawl on objects such as walls and tree trunks. Their genitals emit a unique smell to attract male earthworms for mating. Male earthworms shed their skin 9 times in their lifetime and then emerge. They become sexually mature one week after emerging and look for female earthworms for mating. Male earthworms die 20 days after mating. A male earthworm can mate with more than a dozen female earthworms. Female earthworms begin to lay eggs 7 days after mating. One egg is laid every 7 days, and there is no need for secondary mating. A female earthworm can lay dozens of eggs, which will hatch in 43 days under suitable temperature and humidity conditions. The larvae of the earthworm are oval.

4. Economic benefits of artificial breeding of earthworms

Artificial breeding of earthworms has high economic benefits. With three-dimensional heating, each square meter of land can be made into a three-dimensional breeding area of ​​3-3.5 square meters. Each person can manage 200 square meters in his spare time. Generally, breeders can earn 100 yuan per square meter of dry commercial insects per year, and 200000 yuan per square meter of breeding area. Each square meter can also produce 2.5 kilograms of eggs. In addition to 0.4 kilograms of self-retained seeds, there are 2.1 kilograms that can be sold. The benefits after adding this part are even more considerable.

5. The prospects of artificial breeding of Chinese ground beetles

On the one hand, due to the indiscriminate deforestation, pesticide pollution and the improvement of human living conditions in the 1980s and 1990s, the natural ecological environment of the earthworm was severely damaged, and the wild resources became increasingly scarce; on the other hand, with the deepening of research, the application field is getting wider and wider; in addition, my country's traditional Chinese medicine enjoys a high reputation in the world. At present, the export of traditional Chinese medicine is mainly concentrated in Southeast Asia, Japan and other countries that are more influenced by Chinese culture. The United States, Canada and other countries are currently studying and applying traditional Chinese medicine. With my country's entry into the WTO, earthworms and their products will also go to the world. Therefore, the current output is far from meeting the needs of the market.

According to statistics from relevant departments, the current supply of earthworms can only meet 20% of the demand, and the prices of dried and fresh products have been rising. Experts predict that in the next 10 years, earthworm breeding will become a dazzling highlight of the special breeding industry. Chapter 2 Artificial breeding forms of earthworms Earthworms have strong vitality. As long as they are not exposed to the outdoors, there is no wind and rain, and there is no direct sunlight, earthworms can survive. Loose soil and a dark and humid environment can make earthworms grow well. There are many forms of artificial breeding of earthworms. The following are several main breeding forms: 1. Pot breeding You can choose a plastic pot with a smooth inner wall, with a height of more than 15 cm and a diameter of more than 45 cm. You can directly breed it with built-in breeding soil. The eggs can also be hatched in pots, and the hatched larvae can be raised in pots according to size. Pot breeding is suitable for small-scale breeding, with low investment, convenient operation, and flexible movement. The disadvantage is that the temperature and humidity are difficult to control, and the output efficiency is low. 2. Cylinder culture Cylinder culture is generally suitable for unheated or slightly heated culture. Choose a tile pot or a cylinder pot with a smooth inner wall. The height should not exceed 1 meter. Half or part of it should be buried underground. The breeding soil can be placed 40-50 cm thick. In spring and autumn, the temperature can be slightly heated when it is 0-20 degrees to shorten the hibernation period of the earthworm. The advantages are that the underground temperature and humidity are balanced and stable, the earthworm grows well, has a long life, and has good output quality. The disadvantages are that the cycle is long, the yield per unit area is low, and it is easy to be damaged by rodents. 3. Pool culture Flat pool culture is the predecessor of three-dimensional greenhouse pool culture. Use bricks to build a square pool with a height of 40-45 cm on the indoor cement floor, leaving a 1-meter walkway, build pools on both sides or build the entire indoor pool, and lay wooden boards on it for walking and operation. When painting the upper edge of the inner wall around, use cement slurry to stick a 6-8 cm wide glass strip (if there is no glass strip, a thick film can be used instead) to prevent the earthworm from turning over. It can be heated for culture, and the doors, windows and surrounding walls must have good sealing performance to prevent rodents and ants. The advantages are: the insects grow well, management is convenient, and investment is small. The disadvantages are long cycle and low utilization rate per unit area. 4. Three-dimensional pond farming We advocate the more advanced greenhouse three-dimensional farming model. Its advantages are one-time investment, many years of benefit, fast output and high efficiency. But the investment is large. It takes about 5,000 yuan to build a 100-square-meter three-dimensional breeding pond. Farmers should determine the breeding form according to their own conditions. In the process of artificial breeding of earthworms, heated breeding can shorten the growth cycle of earthworms by two-thirds. Although heating increases some breeding costs, it is insignificant compared to the benefits generated. Three-dimensional pond farming requires more heating. Because the three-dimensionally bred earthworms are not deep in the soil, they cannot withstand the cold of the surrounding overhead in the cold winter and die. The specific requirements and practices of three-dimensional pond farming are:

1. House. The house for the monoculture pond should not leak, the walls around it should be intact, and it can be flat or pointed. If the terrain is low, dig a ditch around the house for drainage. The house is generally more than 2.6 meters high, about 3.6 meters wide, and 8-12 meters long. If the original doors and windows are not in the center of the aisle, try to change them to the center, with a width of no more than 1 meter, a window height of no more than 1.5 meters, and a door height of no more than 2 meters.

2. Walls. Mud bricks, red bricks, and cement bricks are all acceptable, but cement mortar should be used on one side. Leave doors and windows at both ends of the house and build two interlayer walls with vertical bricks, with a gap of 5-10 cm between the walls. When building interlayer walls, top bricks should be built at intervals to support the original old wall to prevent the partition wall from collapsing. Some people only build one interlayer wall, and put perlite in the empty layer. In this state, the earthworm house is warm in winter and cool in summer, and the perennial state is like a basement, which can ensure the normal growth of earthworms all year round.

3. Pool body. After the partition wall is built, leave a 1-meter walkway according to the remaining area in the house. Design the size of the breeding pool board (the size of the pool board should not be too large, generally about 1 square meter), the thickness of the breeding pool board is 3-3.5 cm, and after the size is determined, it is cast with reinforced concrete, and 4 mm steel bars are selected. After the pool board is cast and maintained, the three-dimensional pool can be built. There are 3 bricks per layer (about 40 cm high). After building one layer, the inner wall is painted, and then another layer of pool board is laid. 6-7 layers can be built, and the top is capped. Grass or other insulation materials are laid in the gap between the pit top and the roof. Leave a 19-20 cm operation window on one side of the pit house walkway. Stick a hard plastic paper about 4 cm extending into the pit pool on the operating window to prevent the ground beetle from turning over and running away (note that glass strips cannot be used here, as glass strips will scratch your arms during operation). After the pit house is built, the surrounding interior should be painted and the gaps should be filled to prevent rats and ants from entering.

4. Heating facilities. Build 1-2 fire dragons with bricks in the breeding room. It is more appropriate to use honeycomb coal or raw coal for heating. The fire dragon is set on a flat surface, and the heat source rises slowly from the bottom to the top. Even if the furnace is extinguished for several hours, there is still residual heat on the fire dragon. The combustion furnace can be set outdoors or indoors. A cover should be set on the indoor furnace to prevent gas leakage. The exhaust gas after combustion is discharged outdoors. There are many ways to heat, which should be adapted to local conditions. The following introduces several commonly used heating methods. 1. Electric heating method: It is more convenient and easy to operate to use an electric stove or heater for heating. It is best to use a humidification type heater. A pot can be placed on the electric stove to boil water to increase the humidity of the air. Electricity is pollution-free, but the cost is high. Attention should be paid to electricity safety. It is generally used when the temperature of hatching eggs is not enough in winter. 2. Coal stove heating method: Use an ordinary coal stove to install a pipe to dissipate heat and discharge the exhaust gas outdoors at the same time. The exhaust pipe dissipates heat quickly, which will cause the temperature to fluctuate during heating, and the pipe is easily damaged. The exhaust gas leakage caused by the damage can easily cause gas poisoning to the operator. In winter, when the doors and windows are closed, the oxygen burned by the coal stove should also be supplemented. This method has low investment, is convenient and flexible, and is practical and practical, and is adopted by some family breeders. 3. It is the ground fire dragon heating method: 1-2 ground fire dragons are built with bricks in the breeding room. It is more appropriate to use honeycomb coal or raw coal for heating. The ground fire dragon is set on the ground plane, and the heat source rises slowly from the bottom to the top. Even if the furnace is extinguished for several hours, the ground fire dragon still has residual heat. The combustion furnace can be set outdoors or indoors. A cover should be set on the indoor furnace to prevent gas leakage. 4. It is the steam pipeline heating method: large-scale farms with conditions can use boilers to burn steam and use pipelines to heat the pit room. It has a large one-time investment and can be used for many years. The hot water burned by the boiler can be used to soak feed, scald insects, etc. Adding a switch in the pit room to humidify the pit room is really killing two birds with one stone. The investment is large, so small farmers cannot adopt it. There are many heating methods, which should be adapted to local conditions. There is only one purpose, which is to increase the temperature of the breeding pond in winter, shorten the growth cycle of earthworms, and improve economic benefits. Chapter 3 Breeding tools, feed, and breeding soil 1. Breeding tools principle: convenient and applicable. Long-legged basin - used for soaking feed and screening worms, screening eggs and holding breeding soil. Round-legged basin - used for holding breeding soil, worms, egg masses, feeding and holding feed. 8-mesh sieve - used for screening adult worms, and 6-mesh sieve for screening worms when picking males - used for screening larvae. Window screen - used for screening mites. Long scraper - used for scraping soil when scraping pits or screening worms and eggs. 25-80 cm long, 8-10 cm wide. Two-phase line running lights - used for mobile lighting in pit rooms. Thermometer - placed in the pit room for a long time to measure temperature and humidity. Scraper - used to scrape out the pit soil and insect crusher from the deep pit pool. Large-scale breeding farms use it to crush feed and feed soil. It uses a sieve with 6-8 mm mesh. Dustpan - used to move soil, sieve empty shells of earthworms, etc. Note: (The mesh number of the sieve refers to the number of meshes within 1 square centimeter) 2. Feed principles: cheap, wide source, and conducive to the growth of earthworms. Earthworms have a wide range of food. Wheat bran, rice bran, vegetable leaves, roots, stems, flowers, beans, leaves of melons, etc. are all good feeds for earthworms. We generally use wheat bran, vegetable leaves, melons and other easy-to-access and cheap feeds, which insects also like to eat. Wheat bran is diluted with boiling water (soaked to the standard that it can be grasped into a ball and will fall apart when loosened). This can kill the insects in the wheat bran. If conditions are not met, it can also be diluted with cold water without affecting the growth of earthworms. Wash the vegetable leaves and cut them into small pieces before feeding. Melons are cut into filaments. Green vegetable feed should avoid contamination. When feeding, wheat bran and green fodder can be mixed together or fed alone. If necessary, the proportion can be flexibly increased or decreased. In the process of feeding green fodder, the season should be mastered and green fodder should be used according to the time period. Green vegetables 11th-May of the following year Mulberry leaves May-November Lettuce leaves April-May, October-April of the following year Cucumber May-June Pumpkin July-December 3. Feeding earthworms can adapt to growing in various soil minerals. After artificial breeding, feeding soil is specially prepared for it for management. Feeding soil generally uses garden soil, mountain mud, leaf humus soil, etc. First use a 6-mesh sieve to remove large soil blocks, leaves and other impurities. It can also be crushed with a crusher and then sieved. Mix 30%-50% of wood ash in the fine soil. The feeding soil needs to have a certain humidity. Generally, the soil is sticky. When mixing the feeding soil, water cannot be sprayed directly on the soil, but water should be sprayed on the wood ash and then mixed into the soil. The water spraying should be moderate, and the humidity after mixing should be such that it can be formed into a ball and broken into pieces when hit. Sawdust, pig manure, cow manure, coal slag, etc. can also be mixed in. When using, it should be noted that sawdust, pig manure, cow manure, etc. should be fully fermented before use. Pure soil can also be used to feed earthworms, but its disadvantage is that the humidity is difficult to control and the earthworms do not burrow deep into the soil. In short, the preparation of breeding soil should be loose, breathable, and non-fermented to meet the growth needs of earthworms. Generally, breeding soil is prepared in advance and ready for use.

The vitality of the earthworm is very strong. As long as it is not exposed to the outdoors, there is no wind, rain, or direct sunlight, the earthworm can survive. Loose soil and a dark and humid environment can make the earthworm grow well. There are many ways to artificially breed the earthworm. The following are several main breeding methods:

Just as much meat as you want.