Why is commercial vermiculture growing?
A. Worms have been grown on a commercial scale for the bait market for many years. But it has been just within the last quarter of this century that a profound shift has taken place. The new emphasis on vermiculture (raising or breeding earthworms) is in response to solving two pressing problems: 1) The problem of organic waste disposal, and 2) The problem of soil fertility. Composting worms, such as the species Eisenia fetida, are recognized as a powerful resource in waste reduction. Capable of consuming anywhere from one-half up to their full weight in decomposing organic material daily, these earthworms also reproduce at a high rate under favorable circumstances. When moisture, temperature, feedstock, pH, and worm population density are at optimal levels, redworms are capable of multiplying at exponential rates. [However, extreme caution is advised for those looking to calculate worm reproduction and to translate those numbers into dollars. An unfortunate part of the expanding worm
