CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How to breed earthworms?

Earthworm breeding technology

1. Breeding form

Earthworms have strong vitality. As long as they are not exposed to the outdoors, wind, rain, or direct sunlight, they can survive. Loose soil and a dark and humid environment can make earthworms grow well. Here are some ways to grow them:

1. Pot culture

You can choose a plastic pot with a smooth inner wall, which is more than 15 cm in height and 45-60 cm in diameter, and can be directly raised with soil built in. Pot breeding is suitable for small-scale breeding, with small investment, easy operation and flexible movement.

2. Tank culture

Choose a clay pot with a smooth inner wall, the height of the pot should not exceed 1 meter, and half or part of it should be buried underground. The breeding soil can be placed 40-50 cm thick, the underground temperature and humidity are balanced and stable, the earthworms grow well, have a long life, and have good output quality.

3. Pond culture

Flat pool culture is the predecessor of three-dimensional greenhouse culture pool. Use bricks to build a square or rectangular pool with a height of 40-50 cm on the indoor cement floor, leaving a 1-meter walkway, build pools on both sides or build the entire room with pools, and lay wooden boards on top for walking and operation. When painting the upper edge of the inner wall of the pool, use cement slurry to stick 6-8 cm glass strips (thick film can be used instead if there is no glass strip) to prevent earthworms from rolling over. This method of cultivating earthworms grows well, is easy to manage and requires little investment.

4. Three-dimensional feeding

What we advocate now is the more advanced greenhouse three-dimensional breeding model. The requirements for building a three-dimensional breeding pool are that the house should not leak, the surrounding walls should be intact, and a flat roof house is fine. Leave doors and windows around the house, and use vertical bricks to build a partition wall, with a gap of 5-10 cm from the original wall. When building the partition wall, use top bricks to support the original old wall at intervals. In order to prevent the partition wall from collapsing, the function of the partition wall is to keep warm and moisturize, which is of great significance for breeding earthworms. After the partition wall is built, leave a walkway of 0.95-1 meter according to the remaining area in the house, design the size of the breeding earthworm board, the thickness of the breeding earthworm board is 3-3.5 cm, and after the size is determined, it is poured with reinforced concrete. After the earthworm board is poured and maintained, the three-dimensional earthworm pool can be built. There are 3 vertical bricks per layer (about 40 cm high). After one layer is built, the inner wall is painted and another layer of earthworm board is laid. It can be built 6-7 layers, and the top is capped. Leave a 19-20 cm operating window on one side of the walkway of the earthworm room, and stick a hard plastic paper about 4 cm extending into the earthworm pool on the upper edge of the operating window to prevent earthworms from running away. After the earthworm room is built, paint the surrounding inner walls and fill in the gaps to prevent rats and ants from entering. 5. Heating breeding Heating breeding is particularly important in the process of artificially raising earthworms. Heating the breeding pond can shorten the growth cycle by one third. Although heating increases some costs, the benefits generated are insignificant in comparison. The heating method can also be adopted according to local conditions.

2. Tools, Feed, and Soil

1. Breeding tools

Long-legged basin - used for soaking feed and holding breeding soil when screening insects and eggs. Round-legged basin - used for holding breeding soil, insects, egg masses, and holding feed when feeding. 2-mesh (1 cm) sieve - used for screening adult insects. 6-mesh (4 mm) sieve - used for screening larvae and egg masses. Window screen sieve - used for screening mites. Long scraper - used for scraping pit soil, 25-80 cm long and 8-10 cm wide. Two-phase running lamp - used for mobile lighting in the pit room. Thermometer - placed in the pit room for a long time to measure the temperature. Scraper - used to scrape out pit soil and insects from the deep pit. Crusher - used for crushing feed and breeding soil in large farms. Dustpan - used for moving soil, dustpan, empty shells, etc.

2. Feed

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-obtain and cheap feeds. Green vegetable feeds should avoid pesticide pollution. In the process of feeding green feeds, grasp the season and use specific green feeds according to the time period. Green vegetables November to May Mulberry leaves May to November Lettuce leaves April to May, October to April Cucumber May to September Pumpkin July to December

3. Feeding soil

Earthworms can adapt to all kinds of soil and minerals. After artificial breeding, feeding soil is specially prepared for them for management. Feeding soil generally uses garden soil, mountain mud, leaf humus soil, etc. First use a 6-mesh sieve to sift out large soil blocks, leaves and other impurities. It can also be crushed with a grinder and then sieved. Mix 30%-50% of plant ash into the fine soil. Feeding soil requires a certain humidity. General soil is sticky. When mixing feeding soil, water cannot be sprayed directly on the soil. Instead, water should be sprayed on plant ash or sawdust before mixing into the soil. Pig manure, cow manure, coal slag, etc. can also be mixed in. Note that pig manure and cow manure should be fermented before use. Pure soil can also be used to feed earthworms. Its disadvantage is that the humidity is difficult to control and the earthworms do not go deep into the soil. In short, the preparation of feeding soil should be loose, breathable, and non-fermented as the standard to meet the growth needs of earthworms.

3. Seed retention and hatching management of earthworms

The breeding industry involves the issue of seed selection and seed preservation. The main methods of breeding and seed preservation of earthworms are as follows:

1. Hatching block propagation method: This propagation method is widely used. The hatching blocks are small and light in weight, have a high propagation coefficient and are easy to transport.

2. Larvae introduction and breeding method: This introduction method is more practical, as the larvae are small and easy to carry.

3. Adult introduction breeding method: This method of introduction is more economical. The introduced species can lay eggs and the eggs are kept by the owner. The adults can be sold after being scalded to death to recover part of the cost, but it is more difficult to transport.

We usually talk about egg masses for seed preservation. First of all, we need to see whether the eggs and worms are strong. It is not acceptable if the mother worms are uneven or die too much. For seed preservation, we usually select the second or third batch of seed eggs. Such egg masses are neat in shape, strong in physique, and easy to hatch and manage. In the whole process of raising earthworms, the hatching and management of seed eggs is a key link. It is directly related to the success of raising and the economic benefits. There are many ways to hatch, such as: (1) indoor temperature-controlled hatching (2) constant temperature incubator (3) kerosene lamp heating hatching. We believe that the latter two methods are not as direct as indoor temperature-controlled hatching. Place the egg mass in a plastic basin with a smooth inner wall. A 50 cm diameter plastic basin can hold 4-5 kg ​​of seed eggs and mix in two-thirds of the seed egg body with breeding soil. The humidity of the breeding soil is maintained at about 35%-40% (it will form a ball when grasped by hand and will break into pieces when hit). After 3-5 days, the breeding soil will gradually dry. At this time, you cannot spray water to humidify it, but you should sift out the dry breeding soil and mix in new preheated breeding soil. During the incubation period, the temperature should always be maintained at 25-30℃, with 28℃ being the best. Turn the eggs by hand 1-2 times a day to increase the freshness of the air in the breeding soil. Be gentle when turning them to avoid damaging the egg mass. After 30 days of incubation, some larvae begin to break out of their shells, and we will see tens of thousands of larvae at this time. Sift once every two days and raise the larvae in proportion. When sifting the small insects, we must be gentle to avoid damaging the larvae. After a large number of insects emerge, some of the empty shells of the insects are mixed in. When the empty shells make a loud sound during the sifting process, you can use a dustpan to sift the empty shells.

4. Management of Earthworms

1. Management of larvae and middle-aged insects

After the larvae hatch, they are separated from the egg mass. The sieved larvae are placed in a pit or basin together with the breeding soil for breeding. The stocking density of larvae is higher (0.3-0.4 kg/m2, about 80,000-100,000). The higher density is easier to feed and observe. The breeding soil for larvae does not need to be too deep, 8 cm is enough. Later, as the breeding is divided into ponds, the breeding soil is gradually deepened, and the medium worm is 8-12 cm. The breeding temperature for larvae is 32℃, and the medium worm is 30℃. The larvae start to eat 5 days after hatching. At this time, some wheat bran, melon and fruit flowers, small green vegetables, pumpkin shreds, etc. are needed. It is best to sift wheat bran with a fine mesh sieve and soak it. During the larval stage, flour, soybean powder and other higher-quality feeds need to be added, and the amount does not need to be too large. The larvae eat very little, so pay attention to the appropriate amount when feeding. As the larvae continue to grow, the breeding density becomes too large. At this time, the larvae eat a lot and move a lot, so the first pond division is needed. When dividing the pond, dig out half of the soil and worms and put them into another empty pond or basin, flatten it, and then fill it with new breeding soil, slightly exceeding the depth of the original breeding soil. If the temperature difference of the breeding soil in the divided pond is too large, it should be preheated before entering the pond. The management of the medium worms is relatively extensive, and the feed also needs to be extensive, as long as they can eat enough.

2. Select males for mating

The larval stage of earthworms is the same for males and females. When the male earthworms molt for the 9th time, they will emerge from the pupa. A male earthworm can mate with 8-16 female earthworms. The number of male earthworms accounts for about 43% of the total. As a result, there are too many male earthworms. Artificial breeders take advantage of the uneven growth of earthworms. After the male earthworms molt for the 8th time, they sort out the earthworms that grow fast but have not emerged from the pupa and make them into dried products for sale. This measure can increase output efficiency. After the male earthworms molt for 7 times, two sharp corners appear on the edges of the two carapaces on the back, while the female earthworms do not; the male earthworms have a smaller reproductive mouth cover on the posterior abdomen, while the female earthworms have a larger reproductive mouth cover. We can pick out male earthworms based on the above characteristics.

About 20 days after the males are selected, the females will have shed their skin 11 times. The females that mature earlier need to mate. When the females mature, they will emit a smell (which humans cannot smell) to attract males to mate. The females that need to mate usually climb up the wall or the wall of the basin, leaving their smell along the wall, with their abdomens raised. The males will follow the smell and climb up the wall to mate with them. The whole process takes 10-20 minutes. After the first mating, the male earthworm will continue to look for females to mate. After 10-20 days, the male earthworm will die naturally. There are dozens of eggs in the female earthworm's body. After one mating, all of these eggs are fertilized. The first egg mass will be laid 7 days after mating, and one egg will be laid every 7 days thereafter. After 4 months of the peak egg-laying period, it will gradually age and die.

3. Adult management

After 6 months of greenhouse breeding, males are selected. After 2 months of male selection, the mating period begins. After 2 months, more than 50% of females begin to lay eggs. Females lay eggs by slowly secreting a gelatinous mucus from the birth canal, which quickly forms and hardens. It takes about 3-6 days to lay one egg. The egg-laying period does not affect their activities and eating. After 3 months of male selection, the first egg mass can be screened. Screening eggs is done manually. Generally, it is screened every 20-25 days after the first egg screening. First, remove the impurities on the surface of the breeding soil. One person takes the insects and soil out of the breeding pool and pours them into the 2-mesh sieve held by another person for sieving. A 6-mesh sieve is placed under the 2-mesh sieve. The 2-mesh sieve screens out the adults and pours them into a basin with breeding soil placed next to it. Then, the 6-mesh sieve is used to screen out the egg mass and pour it into another empty basin specially used for egg mass placement. After screening a pit pool, the breeding soil and adults are poured back into the breeding pool for breeding. The egg masses that are sieved out are mixed with some earthworm feces and other debris, so they can be washed in water. The egg masses will float up in water, while the general impurities will sink. Take out the egg masses, rinse them with clean water, dry them in the shade, sieve them, winnow out the empty shells, and pick out the impurities. Such egg masses can be kept for seed hatching.

During the adult period, the humidity of the breeding soil should be higher (40%-45%). You can spray water on the surface of the breeding soil or increase the amount of green feed. After screening the blocks, add water to the empty pit to increase the humidity. After 4 months of egg laying, the weight of the mother earthworms is significantly reduced and a large number of them die. At this time, the finished insects can be harvested. 3 months before harvesting, the second batch of larvae have hatched and are waiting to be divided into ponds. In this way, the breeding pond is never empty, and the cycle is repeated to achieve the best benefits.

4. Temperature and humidity control

The body of earthworms is oval, with a large surface area and rapid water dissipation. When the temperature is below 20℃, the molting growth is slow, and when it exceeds 38℃, the growth stops. They are restless and crawl on the surface of the breeding soil. Therefore, the temperature and humidity control of artificial earthworms should be adapted to their needs to achieve the best breeding effect. Artificial control of humidity also prevents high and low humidity. The humidity requirements of earthworms at different ages are also different. The temperature for hatching eggs is 28℃-30℃, the temperature for larvae and middle worms is 28℃-32℃, and the temperature for adults is 25℃-28℃. Artificial control of humidity is also different in different stages. When hatching eggs, it is 35%-40%, the temperature for larvae is 35%, the temperature for middle worms is 40%, and the temperature for adults is 45%. Wild earthworms mostly grow in dark and humid environments and are afraid of direct sunlight. It is not difficult to create this optimal growth condition for them through artificial breeding. The doors and windows are blocked with sacks or dark snakeskin bags, and the humidity in the pit room is lost slowly. During heated breeding, the moisture in the breeding soil will be lost quickly. You can use a special pesticide-free sprayer to spray water on the surface of the breeding soil and the walls of the pit. The spray should be even, in small amounts and multiple times.

5. Feeding management

Earthworms live at night and hide during the day. They are active from 18:00 to 24:00 every day. During the peak feeding period, not every earthworm eats every day. After eating once, they will hide in the soil for 2-3 days without moving. Artificial earthworms need to be fed with food every evening between 5 and 6 pm. The amount of food should be flexibly controlled according to the food intake of the insects at different growth stages. Observe and summarize more. Feeding too little is not conducive to the growth of the insects. Feeding too much will waste feed and cause a large number of mites to reproduce, which is also not conducive to the growth of the insects. There are three feeding methods: (1) Knead the feed into small balls and feed them in small spots (suitable for larvae). (2) Sprinkle the feed on the surface of the breeding soil (suitable for medium-sized insects). (3) Use 15*15 cm plastic film to make a feeding table and place the feed on the feeding table (suitable for adults).

6. Stocking density

Earthworms grow by molting, and their body size doubles with each molt. We count each molt according to their age. Male earthworms mature after 9 molts, while female earthworms need to molt 11 times. The artificial breeding of earthworms involves the utilization rate of the area and the convenience of management. The stocking density should also be different according to the growth needs of each age of insects. The list is as follows:

Larvae: 80,000-100,000

1-2 years old 50,000

3-5 years old: 25,000

5-8 years old: 12,500

9-13 years old: 4,000-5,000

The depth of earthworms in different stages is different. For the convenience of management, we also list the depth of breeding soil:

Larva 5-8 cm

Medium worm 8-12 cm

Adult 12-15 cm

5. Pest and disease control

Since ancient times, earthworms have had many natural enemies such as insects and small animals. The ability to survive and reproduce to this day is indeed due to their ability to avoid enemies. Their natural enemies include ants, mice, spiders, chickens, ducks, birds, etc. The following introduces the main diseases and enemies encountered during artificial breeding.

1. Causes of fungal enteritis: excessively humid environment, unstable temperature, and eating spoiled food. Symptoms: distended abdomen, light yellow, black spots on the body surface, slow crawling, easy to break when squeezed by hand, with yellow-green pus flowing out. Slow growth, no mating, no egg laying, and some death. Prevention and control methods: This disease is not easy to cure. Do not feed high-protein feed, mainly extensive feed, and prevent the food from being moldy and spoiled. Add 0.5 grams of oxytetracycline to 250 grams of wheat flour and feed.

2. Mites

Mites are one of the biggest natural enemies of insects. They reproduce very quickly and are only as big as a needle tip. They parasitize on various parts of the earthworm's body and also on the surface of the breeding soil. They mainly eat feed such as wheat flour and also eat sick and weak earthworms. They are more harmful to larvae. The large-scale production of mites is mainly caused by excessive feeding, long-term food leftovers, too wet breeding soil, and too low temperature.

Here are some ways to get rid of mites:

(1) Scrape out the topsoil with mites and sieve it through a window screen. (2) Soak wheat flour and make small balls with a diameter of 1-2 cm. Place them on the surface of the breeding soil at 3-5 points per square meter during the day. Mites will flock to eat. After 1-2 hours, remove the wheat flour balls and mites. (3) Combine the above methods and do not feed for 1-2 days. Mites will starve to death, but the growth of earthworms will not be affected. Adjust the humidity of the breeding soil.

3. Prevention and control of ant damage

Ants are everywhere, including in earthworm breeding ponds, where they often eat larvae.

(1) Chlordane oil and chlordane powder are available for sale in agricultural supply or chemical stores and can repel ants.

(2) Place the latest Cockroach and Ant Cleaner in places where ants are present. This drug is a chronic drug. Ants will drag this drug into their caves and kill all the ants in a nest in 2-3 days. However, earthworms should be prevented from accidentally ingesting it.

(3) Place meat scraps where ants are found to trap and kill them.

6. Harvesting and processing of earthworms

1. Harvesting and processing of adults

The harvesting of earthworms is relatively simple. They can be harvested by scalding to death and drying them in the sun. They should be free of impurities, dry and not broken.

After 11-13 months of breeding, the peak egg-laying period of earthworms has passed, and the weight of the female insects begins to decrease and gradually die. At this time, you can choose a sunny day, screen out the female insects, put them into boiling water to kill them, rinse them clean, and expose them to the sun for 3-5 days to dry them. If it is rainy, you should consider drying them. To test the dryness of earthworms, you only need to squeeze the abdomen of the earthworm. If there is still a soft gelatinous substance in the abdomen, it means that it is not dry. Undried earthworms are inconvenient to store.

2. How to preserve the finished earthworms

After the earthworms are harvested and dried, they sometimes need to be kept for a period of time before being put on the market due to market dynamics in order to achieve the best economic benefits. This involves the inventory method. Medicinal material companies, pharmaceutical factories and other units have professional warehouses. General farms do not have such conditions, so we can learn from their methods to build some small warehouses. After the earthworms are dried, they are cooled and packed in unbreakable and leak-proof plastic bags. Aluminum phosphide tablets or powder are placed in the bags to prevent insects. Aluminum phosphide is highly toxic. After using the medicine, tie the bag tightly and keep it away from the house to prevent people from accidentally inhaling and poisoning. No medicine is needed during the low temperatures in winter.

Earthworm breeding technology

1. Breeding form

Earthworms have strong vitality. As long as they are not exposed to the outdoors, wind, rain, or direct sunlight, they can survive. Loose soil and a dark and humid environment can make earthworms grow well. Here are some ways to grow them:

1. Pot culture

You can choose a plastic pot with a smooth inner wall, which is more than 15 cm in height and 45-60 cm in diameter, and can be directly raised with soil built in. Pot breeding is suitable for small-scale breeding, with small investment, easy operation and flexible movement.

2. Tank culture

Choose a clay pot with a smooth inner wall, the height of the pot should not exceed 1 meter, and half or part of it should be buried underground. The breeding soil can be placed 40-50 cm thick, the underground temperature and humidity are balanced and stable, the earthworms grow well, have a long life, and have good output quality.

3. Pond culture

Flat pool culture is the predecessor of three-dimensional greenhouse culture pool. Use bricks to build a square or rectangular pool with a height of 40-50 cm on the indoor cement floor, leaving a 1-meter walkway, build pools on both sides or build the entire room with pools, and lay wooden boards on top for walking and operation. When painting the upper edge of the inner wall of the pool, use cement slurry to stick 6-8 cm glass strips (thick film can be used instead if there is no glass strip) to prevent earthworms from rolling over. This method of cultivating earthworms grows well, is easy to manage and requires little investment.

4. Three-dimensional feeding

What we advocate now is the more advanced greenhouse three-dimensional breeding model. The requirements for building a three-dimensional breeding pool are that the house should not leak, the surrounding walls should be intact, and a flat roof house is fine. Leave doors and windows around the house, and use vertical bricks to build a partition wall, with a gap of 5-10 cm from the original wall. When building the partition wall, use top bricks to support the original old wall at intervals. In order to prevent the partition wall from collapsing, the function of the partition wall is to keep warm and moisturize, which is of great significance for breeding earthworms. After the partition wall is built, leave a walkway of 0.95-1 meter according to the remaining area in the house, design the size of the breeding earthworm board, the thickness of the breeding earthworm board is 3-3.5 cm, and after the size is determined, it is poured with reinforced concrete. After the earthworm board is poured and maintained, the three-dimensional earthworm pool can be built. There are 3 vertical bricks per layer (about 40 cm high). After one layer is built, the inner wall is painted and another layer of earthworm board is laid. It can be built 6-7 layers, and the top is capped. Leave a 19-20 cm operating window on one side of the walkway of the earthworm room, and stick a hard plastic paper about 4 cm extending into the earthworm pool on the upper edge of the operating window to prevent earthworms from running away. After the earthworm room is built, paint the surrounding inner walls and fill in the gaps to prevent rats and ants from entering. 5. Heating breeding Heating breeding is particularly important in the process of artificially raising earthworms. Heating the breeding pond can shorten the growth cycle by one third. Although heating increases some costs, the benefits generated are insignificant in comparison. The heating method can also be adopted according to local conditions.

2. Tools, Feed, and Soil

1. Breeding tools

Long-legged basin - used for soaking feed and holding breeding soil when screening insects and eggs. Round-legged basin - used for holding breeding soil, insects, egg masses, and holding feed when feeding. 2-mesh (1 cm) sieve - used for screening adult insects. 6-mesh (4 mm) sieve - used for screening larvae and egg masses. Window screen sieve - used for screening mites. Long scraper - used for scraping pit soil, 25-80 cm long and 8-10 cm wide. Two-phase running lamp - used for mobile lighting in the pit room. Thermometer - placed in the pit room for a long time to measure the temperature. Scraper - used to scrape out pit soil and insects from the deep pit. Crusher - used for crushing feed and breeding soil in large farms. Dustpan - used for moving soil, dustpan, empty shells, etc.

2. Feed

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-obtain and cheap feeds. Green vegetable feeds should avoid pesticide pollution. In the process of feeding green feeds, grasp the season and use specific green feeds according to the time period. Green vegetables November to May Mulberry leaves May to November Lettuce leaves April to May, October to April Cucumber May to September Pumpkin July to December

3. Feeding soil

Earthworms can adapt to all kinds of soil and minerals. After artificial breeding, feeding soil is specially prepared for them for management. Feeding soil generally uses garden soil, mountain mud, leaf humus soil, etc. First use a 6-mesh sieve to sift out large soil blocks, leaves and other impurities. It can also be crushed with a grinder and then sieved. Mix 30%-50% of plant ash into the fine soil. Feeding soil requires a certain humidity. General soil is sticky. When mixing feeding soil, water cannot be sprayed directly on the soil. Instead, water should be sprayed on plant ash or sawdust before mixing into the soil. Pig manure, cow manure, coal slag, etc. can also be mixed in. Note that pig manure and cow manure should be fermented before use. Pure soil can also be used to feed earthworms. Its disadvantage is that the humidity is difficult to control and the earthworms do not go deep into the soil. In short, the preparation of feeding soil should be loose, breathable, and non-fermented as the standard to meet the growth needs of earthworms.

3. Seed retention and hatching management of earthworms

The breeding industry involves the issue of seed selection and seed preservation. The main methods of breeding and seed preservation of earthworms are as follows:

1. Hatching block propagation method: This propagation method is widely used. The hatching blocks are small and light in weight, have a high propagation coefficient and are easy to transport.

2. Larvae introduction and breeding method: This introduction method is more practical, as the larvae are small and easy to carry.

3. Adult introduction breeding method: This method of introduction is more economical. The introduced species can lay eggs and the eggs are kept by the owner. The adults can be sold after being scalded to death to recover part of the cost, but it is more difficult to transport.

We usually talk about egg masses for seed preservation. First of all, we need to see whether the eggs and worms are strong. It is not acceptable if the mother worms are uneven or die too much. For seed preservation, we usually select the second or third batch of seed eggs. Such egg masses are neat in shape, strong in physique, and easy to hatch and manage. In the whole process of raising earthworms, the hatching and management of seed eggs is a key link. It is directly related to the success of raising and the economic benefits. There are many ways to hatch, such as: (1) indoor temperature-controlled hatching (2) constant temperature incubator (3) kerosene lamp heating hatching. We believe that the latter two methods are not as direct as indoor temperature-controlled hatching. Place the egg mass in a plastic basin with a smooth inner wall. A 50 cm diameter plastic basin can hold 4-5 kg ​​of seed eggs and mix in two-thirds of the seed egg body with breeding soil. The humidity of the breeding soil is maintained at about 35%-40% (it will form a ball when grasped by hand and will break into pieces when hit). After 3-5 days, the breeding soil will gradually dry. At this time, you cannot spray water to humidify it, but you should sift out the dry breeding soil and mix in new preheated breeding soil. During the incubation period, the temperature should always be maintained at 25-30℃, with 28℃ being the best. Turn the eggs by hand 1-2 times a day to increase the freshness of the air in the breeding soil. Be gentle when turning them to avoid damaging the egg mass. After 30 days of incubation, some larvae begin to break out of their shells, and we will see tens of thousands of larvae at this time. Sift once every two days and raise the larvae in proportion. When sifting the small insects, we must be gentle to avoid damaging the larvae. After a large number of insects emerge, some of the empty shells of the insects are mixed in. When the empty shells make a loud sound during the sifting process, you can use a dustpan to sift the empty shells.

4. Management of Earthworms

1. Management of larvae and middle-aged insects

After the larvae hatch, they are separated from the egg mass. The sieved larvae are placed in a pit or basin together with the breeding soil for breeding. The stocking density of larvae is higher (0.3-0.4 kg/m2, about 80,000-100,000). The higher density is easier to feed and observe. The breeding soil for larvae does not need to be too deep, 8 cm is enough. Later, as the breeding is divided into ponds, the breeding soil is gradually deepened, and the medium worm is 8-12 cm. The breeding temperature for larvae is 32℃, and the medium worm is 30℃. The larvae start to eat 5 days after hatching. At this time, some wheat bran, melon and fruit flowers, small green vegetables, pumpkin shreds, etc. are needed. It is best to sift wheat bran with a fine mesh sieve and soak it. During the larval stage, flour, soybean powder and other higher-quality feeds need to be added, and the amount does not need to be too large. The larvae eat very little, so pay attention to the appropriate amount when feeding. As the larvae continue to grow, the breeding density becomes too large. At this time, the larvae eat a lot and move a lot, so the first pond division is needed. When dividing the pond, dig out half of the soil and worms and put them into another empty pond or basin, flatten it, and then fill it with new breeding soil, slightly exceeding the depth of the original breeding soil. If the temperature difference of the breeding soil in the divided pond is too large, it should be preheated before entering the pond. The management of the medium worms is relatively extensive, and the feed also needs to be extensive, as long as they can eat enough.

2. Select males for mating

The larval stage of earthworms is the same for males and females. When the male earthworms molt for the 9th time, they will emerge from the pupa. A male earthworm can mate with 8-16 female earthworms. The number of male earthworms accounts for about 43% of the total. As a result, there are too many male earthworms. Artificial breeders take advantage of the uneven growth of earthworms. After the male earthworms molt for the 8th time, they sort out the earthworms that grow fast but have not emerged from the pupa and make them into dried products for sale. This measure can increase output efficiency. After the male earthworms molt for 7 times, two sharp corners appear on the edges of the two carapaces on the back, while the female earthworms do not; the male earthworms have a smaller reproductive mouth cover on the posterior abdomen, while the female earthworms have a larger reproductive mouth cover. We can pick out male earthworms based on the above characteristics.

About 20 days after the males are selected, the females will have shed their skin 11 times. The females that mature earlier need to mate. When the females mature, they will emit a smell (which humans cannot smell) to attract males to mate. The females that need to mate usually climb up the wall or the wall of the basin, leaving their smell along the wall, with their abdomens raised. The males will follow the smell and climb up the wall to mate with them. The whole process takes 10-20 minutes. After the first mating, the male earthworm will continue to look for females to mate. After 10-20 days, the male earthworm will die naturally. There are dozens of eggs in the female earthworm's body. After one mating, all of these eggs are fertilized. The first egg mass will be laid 7 days after mating, and one egg will be laid every 7 days thereafter. After 4 months of the peak egg-laying period, it will gradually age and die.

3. Adult management

After 6 months of greenhouse breeding, males are selected. After 2 months of male selection, the mating period begins. After 2 months, more than 50% of females begin to lay eggs. Females lay eggs by slowly secreting a gelatinous mucus from the birth canal, which quickly forms and hardens. It takes about 3-6 days to lay one egg. The egg-laying period does not affect their activities and eating. After 3 months of male selection, the first egg mass can be screened. Screening eggs is done manually. Generally, it is screened every 20-25 days after the first egg screening. First, remove the impurities on the surface of the breeding soil. One person takes the insects and soil out of the breeding pool and pours them into the 2-mesh sieve held by another person for sieving. A 6-mesh sieve is placed under the 2-mesh sieve. The 2-mesh sieve screens out the adults and pours them into a basin with breeding soil placed next to it. Then, the 6-mesh sieve is used to screen out the egg mass and pour it into another empty basin specially used for egg mass placement. After screening a pit pool, the breeding soil and adults are poured back into the breeding pool for breeding. The egg masses that are sieved out are mixed with some earthworm feces and other debris, so they can be washed in water. The egg masses will float up in water, while the general impurities will sink. Take out the egg masses, rinse them with clean water, dry them in the shade, sieve them, winnow out the empty shells, and pick out the impurities. Such egg masses can be kept for seed hatching.

During the adult period, the humidity of the breeding soil should be higher (40%-45%). You can spray water on the surface of the breeding soil or increase the amount of green feed. After screening the blocks, add water to the empty pit to increase the humidity. After 4 months of egg laying, the weight of the mother earthworms is significantly reduced and a large number of them die. At this time, the finished insects can be harvested. 3 months before harvesting, the second batch of larvae have hatched and are waiting to be divided into ponds. In this way, the breeding pond is never empty, and the cycle is repeated to achieve the best benefits.

4. Temperature and humidity control

The body of earthworms is oval, with a large surface area and rapid water dissipation. When the temperature is below 20℃, the molting growth is slow, and when it exceeds 38℃, the growth stops. They are restless and crawl on the surface of the breeding soil. Therefore, the temperature and humidity control of artificial earthworms should be adapted to their needs to achieve the best breeding effect. Artificial control of humidity also prevents high and low humidity. The humidity requirements of earthworms at different ages are also different. The temperature for hatching eggs is 28℃-30℃, the temperature for larvae and middle worms is 28℃-32℃, and the temperature for adults is 25℃-28℃. Artificial control of humidity is also different in different stages. When hatching eggs, it is 35%-40%, the temperature for larvae is 35%, the temperature for middle worms is 40%, and the temperature for adults is 45%. Wild earthworms mostly grow in dark and humid environments and are afraid of direct sunlight. It is not difficult to create this optimal growth condition for them through artificial breeding. The doors and windows are blocked with sacks or dark snakeskin bags, and the humidity in the pit room is lost slowly. During heated breeding, the moisture in the breeding soil will be lost quickly. You can use a special pesticide-free sprayer to spray water on the surface of the breeding soil and the walls of the pit. The spray should be even, in small amounts and multiple times.

5. Feeding management

Earthworms live at night and hide during the day. They are active from 18:00 to 24:00 every day. During the peak feeding period, not every earthworm eats every day. After eating once, they will hide in the soil for 2-3 days without moving. Artificial earthworms need to be fed with food every evening between 5 and 6 pm. The amount of food should be flexibly controlled according to the food intake of the insects at different growth stages. Observe and summarize more. Feeding too little is not conducive to the growth of the insects. Feeding too much will waste feed and cause a large number of mites to reproduce, which is also not conducive to the growth of the insects. There are three feeding methods: (1) Knead the feed into small balls and feed them in small spots (suitable for larvae). (2) Sprinkle the feed on the surface of the breeding soil (suitable for medium-sized insects). (3) Use 15*15 cm plastic film to make a feeding table and place the feed on the feeding table (suitable for adults).

6. Stocking density

Earthworms grow by molting, and their body size doubles with each molt. We count each molt according to their age. Male earthworms mature after 9 molts, while female earthworms need to molt 11 times. The artificial breeding of earthworms involves the utilization rate of the area and the convenience of management. The stocking density should also be different according to the growth needs of each age of insects. The list is as follows:

Larvae: 80,000-100,000

1-2 years old 50,000

3-5 years old: 25,000

5-8 years old: 12,500

9-13 years old: 4,000-5,000

The depth of earthworms in different stages is different. For the convenience of management, we also list the depth of breeding soil:

Larva 5-8 cm

Medium worm 8-12 cm

Adult 12-15 cm

5. Pest and disease control

Since ancient times, earthworms have had many natural enemies such as insects and small animals. The ability to survive and reproduce to this day is indeed due to their ability to avoid enemies. Their natural enemies include ants, mice, spiders, chickens, ducks, birds, etc. The following introduces the main diseases and enemies encountered during artificial breeding.

1. Causes of fungal enteritis: excessively humid environment, unstable temperature, and eating spoiled food. Symptoms: distended abdomen, light yellow, black spots on the body surface, slow crawling, easy to break when squeezed by hand, with yellow-green pus flowing out. Slow growth, no mating, no egg laying, and some death. Prevention and control methods: This disease is not easy to cure. Do not feed high-protein feed, mainly extensive feed, and prevent the food from being moldy and spoiled. Add 0.5 grams of oxytetracycline to 250 grams of wheat flour and feed.

2. Mites

Mites are one of the biggest natural enemies of insects. They reproduce very quickly and are only as big as a needle tip. They parasitize on various parts of the earthworm's body and also on the surface of the breeding soil. They mainly eat feed such as wheat flour and also eat sick and weak earthworms. They are more harmful to larvae. The large-scale production of mites is mainly caused by excessive feeding, long-term food leftovers, too wet breeding soil, and too low temperature.

Here are some ways to get rid of mites:

(1) Scrape out the topsoil with mites and sieve it through a window screen. (2) Soak wheat flour and make small balls with a diameter of 1-2 cm. Place them on the surface of the breeding soil at 3-5 points per square meter during the day. Mites will flock to eat. After 1-2 hours, remove the wheat flour balls and mites. (3) Combine the above methods and do not feed for 1-2 days. Mites will starve to death, but the growth of earthworms will not be affected. Adjust the humidity of the breeding soil.

3. Prevention and control of ant damage

Ants are everywhere, including in earthworm breeding ponds, where they often eat larvae.

(1) Chlordane oil and chlordane powder are available for sale in agricultural supply or chemical stores and can repel ants.

(2) Place the latest Cockroach and Ant Cleaner in places where ants are present. This drug is a chronic drug. Ants will drag this drug into their caves and kill all the ants in a nest in 2-3 days. However, earthworms should be prevented from accidentally ingesting it.

(3) Place meat scraps where ants are found to trap and kill them.

6. Harvesting and processing of earthworms

1. Harvesting and processing of adults

The harvesting of earthworms is relatively simple. They can be harvested by scalding to death and drying them in the sun. They should be free of impurities, dry and not broken.

After 11-13 months of breeding, the peak egg-laying period of earthworms has passed, and the weight of the female insects begins to decrease and gradually die. At this time, you can choose a sunny day, screen out the female insects, put them into boiling water to kill them, rinse them clean, and expose them to the sun for 3-5 days to dry them. If it is rainy, you should consider drying them. To test the dryness of earthworms, you only need to squeeze the abdomen of the earthworm. If there is still a soft gelatinous substance in the abdomen, it means that it is not dry. Undried earthworms are inconvenient to store.

2. How to preserve the finished earthworms

After the earthworms are harvested and dried, they sometimes need to be kept for a period of time before being put on the market due to market dynamics in order to achieve the best economic benefits. This involves the inventory method. Medicinal material companies, pharmaceutical factories and other units have professional warehouses. General farms do not have such conditions, so we can learn from their methods to build some small warehouses. After the earthworms are dried, they are cooled and packed in unbreakable and leak-proof plastic bags. Aluminum phosphide tablets or powder are placed in the bags to prevent insects. Aluminum phosphide is highly toxic. After using the medicine, tie the bag tightly and keep it away from the house to prevent people from accidentally inhaling and poisoning. No medicine is needed during the low temperatures in winter.

Put it in a pot with soil and make sure there is enough food, otherwise the small ones will eat the big ones.

There are many reasons why earthworms are kept in the soil:

1. The breeding soil is not suitable (humidity, softness, etc.). The suitable humidity and temperature are different for different stages. The larvae are at 28-30 degrees Celsius at noon, and the adults are at 25-28 degrees. If the soil temperature is too high, the earthworms will not be willing to burrow into the soil. Similarly, if the soil is too wet or too sticky, the earthworms are not suitable for living in the soil.

2. Not feeding enough

3. In the mating period

The breeding technology of earthworms is introduced in Baidu Encyclopedia. You can find it by clicking on this page:

"Di Bie" is "Tu Yuan"