The original worm harvester was running a motor of 3,500 RPM’s which I modified for additional vibration, when I noticed a pile of small fragments in the light. Upon taking the motor apart I had found the shaft was wearing down. Hence with the speed of the motor, this could eventually lead to a serious health hazard!

Since so many have been emailing asking for the worm harvester plans, I decided to build one based off a manual design I built for a local couple here in South Carolina which would be much safer.

The new design encompasses a trommel style which still utilizes two different screen sizes for my purposes. It runs smooth and is much quieter than the shaker style worm harvester.

Another benefit to the newer model is the fact it is simpler to build and does not require some higher end tools to be used during the build process.

This model can be used to harvest worms and worm castings as well as a compost sifter for your garden soil mixes.

I am currently working on the plans for this new model and will have them available very soon. Sign up for the Worm Composting Newsletter if you are not already since I will be announcing in there as soon as I have finished them up.

The video below illustrates some of the basics to the worm harvester. It is also broken down to show how the machine will screen composted materials and sift down the different sized materials. The last part shows how the harvester will harvest worms, cocoons and worm castings into different bins.

Enjoy,

Bruce

Before I begin with the instructions, you can purchase a ready made worm farm from a variety of manufacturers which will run you in the neighborhood of $60.00 to $140.00. I do not offer any of these units as from my own personal experience they are not designed correctly and advertise leachate (runoff from bins that are too wet) as worm tea. Worm tea is usually totally different than the leachate from the type of microbes (aerobic versus anaerobic) in each to the number of microbes…

I spent less than $25.00 for the materials to build this worm farm.

Materials and Tools Needed:

3 – Rubbermaid style bins and lids ( 10 gallon – 18 gallon)

4 –Tupperware style storage containers with lids (approx. 4” tall).

1 – Tape measure or ruler

2-3 Gallon bucket of Sphagnum Peat Moss

1 – Tablespoon of agricultural lime, ground up egg shells or ashes from some hard woods.

5 Gallon Bucket of dry Shredded newspaper and or cardboard.

1 – Drill

1 – 3/16” Drill bit

1 – 1/8” Drill bit

1-2 Pounds or composting worms (preferred worm for this method is the red wiggler)

The first step is to take two of the Rubbermaid style bins and drill holes approximately 3” apart on the entire surface area of the bottom using a 3/16” drill bit. These holes are for aeration and NOT for drainage. As I mentioned earlier, if you are getting liquids draining from your worm bin you are too wet and not only can kill off worms but invite unwanted bugs as well. For the sake of keep this from becoming confusing, I will reference these two Rubbermaid type bins as bin 1 and bin 2

Next you can use the 1/8” drill bit to drill holes around the sides all the way around, towards the top of bin 1 and bin 2, approximately 1” apart. These are additional aeration holes.

Now use the 1/8” drill bit to drill holes in one of the lids of the bins approximately 5” apart on the entire surface area.

Next measure the height of your Tupperware type containers when laid in the third bin (lay in upside down with lids attached to each for stability). For instance, the small storage containers I used in these plans were 4” high. I then measured one inch less inside the third Rubbermaid type bin (we’ll call this one bin 3) from the bottom up. Using this height as a guide, I drilled 3/16” holes approximately 3” apart making sure to stay below the four inch height of my storage containers. This will enable air to pass under bin 1 or bin 2 when placed on top of the four Tupperware style containers. In short, notice the Tupperware style containers are taller than the line of aeration holes inside bin 3.

Here I am suggesting some pre-dampened Sphagnum Peat Moss on your first worm bin. After your initial bin, you will want to use some of the existing bedding material from the previous bin as it will already be loaded with microbes however one must start somewhere! The purpose here is to create a comfort zone for your red wigglers. Many times people ask why their worms are trying to escape in their new setup. This will assist in keeping your worms happy while they adjust to their new surroundings!

You will only do this in bin 1. Simply place bin 2 aside for now as I will explain later.

Prior to dampening the Sphagnum Peat, add one tablespoon of agricultural lime, ash or eggshells and mix thoroughly as it is much easier dry than when dampened. Allow your damp peat to sit overnight to ensure it does not dry out since the peat acts like a slow absorbent sponge. If needed add additional moisture…

Dampen some shredded newspaper and or cardboard and place on top.

Once the bedding is set, begin to add your food scraps to one corner of the worm composting bin by digging out a small area, placing your food scraps and covering with peat. By covering you will help to eliminate odors as well as some unwelcome pests!

If top feeding with a product such as Purina Worm Chow, simply sprinkle a small amount on the surface area.

Now release your worms right on top and leave the top off and keep your worm compost bin in a room with a light on until the worms work down into the newspaper and cardboard. Place the lid on the top bin and you have now setup your worm farm!

Once your food and bedding has been composted by the worms, usually three to four months, you are ready to setup bin 2 as you did with worm bin 1 with the exception of replacing the Sphagnum Peat with a little of your existing worm bedding material (from bin 1… use enough to make 1″ to 2″ thick bedding). Once completed, lift the top off worm bin 1 and place bin 2 on top. Now place the lid on worm bin 2. Allow to sit for 3 to 4 weeks giving enough time for most of your worms to migrate upwards into bin 2.

Now remove bin 1 and 2. replace bin 2 back on top of your four Tupperware type containers and place lid on top.

You are now ready to harvest the vermicompost from bin 1 to use on your plants!

Repeat this process on a continuous basis.

Bruce

First off, let me tell you right out of the starting gate, having your own successful worm farm is a lot of work! Some folks have the impression it is easy and not very time consuming. I personally work online and offline about 70 to 80 hours a week. Now this can be started as a part time business, however to have a larger farm does require attention to detail daily!

Is it worth it? Yes, in fact most others I have helped have the same enthusiasm I have and the more you learn about worms the more you want to learn!

Others ask why I would help others compete with myself. Simple answer is the fact that there is plenty of room for reputable worm farmers online as well as competition is healthy for any business!

To get online is actually easier and more economical than many believe. You need not know any programming, HTML but rather point and click and upload your own images if you choose if you know where to go.

The first item is selecting a domain name. I recommend you select something utilizing keywords such as “red wigglers” or “worms” in the domain name you choose for search engine optimization if you are looking to get into the worm business. If you are looking into another business, look for keywords to include in your domain associated with such.

I even know of some people that register their own names or family names and post family photos… to share with friends and family around the globe.

The site we register our domain names as well as use their shopping cart for our customer’s security is Order Your Domain, which offers the lowest prices and best products. The best domain extension to register is a .COM however I do personally own a couple .INFO and .NET extensions

Next you need to be able to build a website, which is where WebSite Tonight comes into play. You can actually have your web site up and running within a matter of an hour or so. They offer loads of templates to choose from, allow you to enter your own text and images to personalize your web site.

Lastly you need a secure shopping cart. The one I actually switched to and still use for Organic Worm Farm after trying others that the emails got hacked from the database is Quick Shopping Cart. Again it is simple to setup and use while insuring the security of your customers.

Lastly, if you do not already have a PayPal account, you can set one up for free so as to accept credit cards and PayPal payments as well as accept checks or money orders.

These are the basic affordable tools you need to get yourself up and running online in your own worm farm or other business.

Don’t forget to order worms in bulk to save money to begin raising them while having enough on hand to start selling some off at a profit!

Bruce