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| 2 New Pages Added May 2005! | ||
| Worm Care & Feeding | Bait Sellers & Large Growers | |
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(This information may not apply to wholesale
buyers who only resell worms for bait & do not grow
stock!)
If you want to grow red worms successfully,
be it for private or commercial purposes, buying your
start-up or re-stocking worms from Magic
Wiggler is your best bet! Why? We sell growers, "Family" stock, not "breeder only" or "pit
run" (also known as bed run)!
What's the difference you might ask? To understand the difference,
you must first understand the process!
In order to sell breeders only or bed run,
you first have to separate them from all the other worms in the bed.
Practically everyone else uses a harvester to accomplish this
task. A harvester is an oblong wire basket that rotates in a
circle, (by hand or electric). The loading
end is angled slightly higher than the output end, so the worms
will roll out. The screen size used, depends on the size of worm
required. Usually, 1/2" screen is used for
breeders only and 1/4" screen (most common) is used for bed/pit run. Our homemade version of a harvester
(1/4"
screen) is pictured below!
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Generally, harvesting is done 1 or 2 times, but some harvest more for cleaner, more accurate worm weight. Of course, they have $3,000 harvesters out there that come with 2 or 3 sizes of screen all in one! The main purpose of harvesting is to separate the desired size of worm from the rest, but also includes removing eggs & young'uns, bedding, excess or large chunks of debris, etc. The screen size determines the degree of separation, which determines the number of times harvested. The worms are then weighed and packaged for shipping. For those who ask how much there is in a pound, we have 2 weights pictured below!
| Red worms weigh 1 pound & 13 ounces | Red worms weigh 2 pounds & 6 ounces |
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| Digital 100 pound scale - tray weighs 20.7 lbs. or 9.45 kg. |
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Magic Wiggler feels this is very traumatic for the worms and could hinder their ability to adapt to their new environment. For this reason, we have stopped harvesting worms! We will only do so if an order is so large it prohibits successful collection! At present, we do not foresee ever having to harvest again!
Worms are then weighed and packaged for shipping. Normally, they are sent through either the U.S. Postal Service (usps), Fed-Ex or UPS (United Parcel Service) in boxes. However, there are companies who send in various sizes/types of bags or crates (very large orders; overseas). Worms travel by truck, plane & ship. The important thing to keep in mind here is not the method of shipping, but rather the material (or lack of) that the worms are shipped in! The shipping bedding [if there is any :( ] is generally dry to barely moist, pre-mixed and added to the shipping container prior to adding the weighed worms.
Magic Wiggler believes
this is another vital factor in the received condition of the worms, as
well as their ability to re-adjust to their new environment. We believe we
have perfected our shipping methods. Our worms are boxed and sent through
usps, using Priority 2-3 Day mail with your Delivery
Confirmation tracking number e-mailed to you
the day your worms are shipped. No more wondering where your
worms are at! If your order is larger than usps allows or we have
agreed to deliver, your worms are placed in trays with bedding and stacked on our truck
for delivery to your home or business, unless you make pick-up
and travel arrangements yourself, like our Mexico
project did. They also paid for a specific container, which
we ordered and shipped their worms in. You also get to keep the stackable
trays, which are very handy for many worming tasks! :)
Our orders are packaged one of two ways:
1) Box - multiple layers of newspaper line the inside
of the box. Next, dry peat moss (Wal-mart: $8 -
$12 for 5.5
cu. ft.) is placed inside the newspaper
lining. Then Magic Wiggler's "family" stock, mixed with their original
bedding goes in the box. Finally, worms are covered with more
peat moss, the newspaper is folded over everything and the box
is taped & labeled.
| Start with a box! | Tape the box - Step 1 | Gather box ingredients - Step 2 |
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| 3-4 layers newspaper - Step 4 | Dry bedding - Step 5 | Put in Worms - Step 6 |
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| Cover w/dry bedding - Step 6 | Fold newspaper down - Step 7 | Tape box & label - Step 8 |
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2) Tray - Worms (1/2 lb. per tray) in their original bedding are stacked and loaded for delivery. Trays will stack inside each other (not like pictured below).
| Larry stacks trays with his #1 Choice - Pepsi ! | Trays stacked & ready to ship to you! |
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According to customer feedback, they not only love our website design, we are not afraid to tell you exactly "how" to raise worms. We have also had 100% success in the survival & re-adjustment ability of our "family" stock, since we created our current packaging designs.
However, even this very important process is
not the only reason we are so successful with our customers!
Our Main Assets Are:
1) Our worms are
shipped in partially or completely in their own bedding!
Others harvest out all the original bedding. We believe
this to be a vital factor in the re-adjustment success of
the worms, once they are placed into their new home!
2) We only sell
"family" stock to growers.
We believe this to be the most important factor for our
success in customer satisfaction. How? Why? Common Sense, really! The old cliché is: "You can't teach an old dog, new tricks!"
This is an extremely important fact to keep in mind, because
it is harder for the adult animals (including
humans), to adapt to new and/or drastic
changes, than it is for the young 'uns!
As far as we know, all the others harvest out
their young worms and eggs, to keep their stock growing.
Some even market the eggs separately. Worms are such prolific
breeders, we feel this is not necessary and it decreases our
customer's chance of success their first time out! Buying Breeders
Only, holds the highest risk for the worms to re-adapt. Bed/Pit Run are next, because the worms are
usually breeders or pretty close to it. We know of no
instance where our "family" stock
left (crawled out), died or had an inability
to re-adjust and continue breeding. Our "family" stock includes
breeder, eggs and everything ! in-between. Even if a few of the
breeders do leave, everyone else quickly adapts and continues
to do what worms do best: Recycle (eat) anything bio-degradable
(no metal or plastic) and poop some of the best growing soil around!
In
closing, we believe Magic Wiggler Worm Ranch leads the
others because:
1) We do not traumatize
our worms through harvesting.
2) We always include
familiar bedding for our worms to travel and re-adjust
in.
3) We send only
"family" stock to private/commercial
growers. "A family that works together,
stays together!" Therefore, it is important to use the Questions/Comments
boxes on both the PayPal and Email Order Forms, to briefly tell us
your use for the worms. That way, we can personalize your
order and send you the best stock suitable for your particular
goal.
4) We only include
true and honest information on our websites. We are
not afraid to tell the "whole"
truth, so you can be successful too. We are more than happy
to share that great feeling of success!
5) We are always available to our customers who have questions
or comments before, during and after any sale. If you
bought worms from us a year ago, then run into something
you don't understand or know what to do, just email, call or
snail mail us anytime!
* Note: Preperation Instructions
For Magic Wiggler Customers:
Learn how to Prepare for your new worm's arrival
to ensure they can successfully adapt to
the new home you have for them! No matter what size bin, pit or container you plan to grow your
worms in, choose the method below
which matches the outside temperature when you start
your new bed(s). Always
place bin/bed in the shade! Never expose
your worms to full sunlight for long periods of time, unless extra precautions are taken. Deeper bedding
depth & extra water are crucial for the worms to
go deeper to get away from the heat & to cool off the
top before worms start their night feeding.
1) Mild Climates (30 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit): create a starter bedding 3-4 inches deep, using
soaked/drained peat moss.
Peat moss should be soaked for at least 24 hours. If you use movable containers,
squeeze out excess water. If you use unmovable pits, drain out
excess water. Bedding moisture level should be 60 to 70% at all
times!
2) Extreme Climates (-30 or 90+ degrees Fahrenheit): the only change is the depth of the peat moss.
Over 90 degrees - 6-8 inches
of bedding will suffice; Under 30 degrees
- 12-24
inches should enable you to breed year round. If temps
are mild when you start, 4-6 inches
are okay, just make sure to add the rest before the extreme
temps set in.
This one simple and inexpensive step will ensure
your worms enter an already familiar environment, which
dramatically increases your chances for first-time success!
Once your new worms arrive, pour the entire contents of box on top of the new bed you have prepared. Put the newspaper aside for a moment & wet the dry peat moss pretty good. Then lay the newspaper over the top & wet the newspaper as well. You can sprinkle a little corn meal or something similar over the top of the wet newspaper if you want, but it is not necessary. The powdered food will bring your worms to the top to feed, which will promote breeding & a quicker recovery time.
Another important factor is placing black plastic right on top of the bedding. It retains the moisture in the bed longer & gives your worms the dark, secure environment they like best. Since worms are top feeders, they always have the humidity under the plastic to help them consume their food. If you notice worms crawling out or you have real hot weather, remove the plastic & use 2 layers of newspaper, putting the powdered food in the middle. Make sure you keep the newspaper wet.
Once you see that your new stock is active and appears to be breeding, you can begin introducing new types of food. A good way to tell is if the shipping contents are gone (newspaper) and the top of bedding is mostly black. Always feed on top only and in rows down the center of the bed/pit, leaving 2-3 inches on either side for the worms to back off if the food source heats up too much at the beginning of degradation! Worms are very easy keepers, but you should look in on them at least once every other day, to ensure proper food & water are always available!
Once your new worms arrive, pour the entire contents of box on top of the new bed you have prepared. Put the newspaper aside for a moment & wet the dry peat moss pretty good. Then lay the newspaper over the top & wet the newspaper as well. You can sprinkle a little corn meal or something similar over the top of the wet newspaper if you want, but it is not necessary. The powdered food will bring your worms to the top to feed, which will promote breeding & a quicker recovery time.
Another important factor is placing black plastic right on top of the bedding. It retains the moisture in the bed longer & gives your worms the dark, secure environment they like best. Since worms are top feeders, they always have the humidity under the plastic to help them consume their food. If you notice worms crawling out or you have real hot weather, remove the plastic & use 2 layers of newspaper, putting the powdered food in the middle. Make sure you keep the newspaper wet.
Once you see that your new stock is active and appears to be breeding, you can begin introducing new types of food. A good way to tell is if the shipping contents are gone (newspaper) and the top of bedding is mostly black. Always feed on top only and in rows down the center of the bed/pit, leaving 2-3 inches on either side for the worms to back off if the food source heats up too much at the beginning of degradation! Worms are very easy keepers, but you should look in on them at least once every other day, to ensure proper food & water are always available!
It did not cost Magic Wiggler its retirement
fund to succeed and you don't have to spend a fortune
to be successful the first time out either!
If you want to grow red worms:
"Magic Wiggler Is Your Full
Service Ranch!"
* We Only Sell Eisenia Feotida Worms!
(also recognized by the names: California tiger and/or red worms;
tiger worms; red worms; red wigglers; red worms for small-mouth bait)
(also recognized by the names: California tiger and/or red worms;
tiger worms; red worms; red wigglers; red worms for small-mouth bait)
Our goal is to provide
the "Cream of the Crop" !
* Magic Wiggler's owner, Larry Pelletier,
"The Worm Representative" has this to say:
"The Worm Representative" has this to say:
"Return to the planet
what you take, for the sake of the children to come!"
HAPPY
WORMING! ! !
Webmaster:
Marie Bateman
Webmaster@magicwiggler.com
Marie Bateman
Webmaster@magicwiggler.com
Copyright
© 2003-2004 Lawrence
Pelletier & Marie Bateman. All Rights Reserved.