Some who read this will be interested in the breeding of European Nightcrawlers or Red Wiggler earthworms on a limited scale for personal use in soil building or to provide a continuous supply of bait worms or live food for herps or pond or aquarium fish. Most, however, will be concerned with domesticated nightcrawlers and Red Wiggler earthworms as a source of profit, either as a remunerative part-time hobby or as a full-time income project.

The market for earthworms is HUGE…and growing so rapidly that even the hundreds of new breeders who enter the field each year are unable to fully meet the demand.

The consuming market falls into a variety of outlets, several or all of which the successful operator will probably cultivate in the promotion of their business. The most important of these are: (1) Earthworms for bait or live food; (2) Earthworms for breeding stock; (3) Earthworms for soil building.

The market is WIDE…nationwide for the average breeder…worldwide for those who are equipped to ship by air to foreign markets. The earthworm breeder is by no means confined to the limits of local markets; earthworms are good shippers and easily packaged for mail or express transportation.

Earthworms for bait or live food command the largest single market for most breeders. Fishermen spend millions of dollars each year for live bait and the earthworm tops the demand. You don’t have to live in a good fishing area in order to sell worms for bait. More bait worms are sold and shipped by mail than are sold directly to fishermen from the worm beds. Many bait retailers, tackle stores and fishing camps get their supply of worms by mail, as do thousand of individual fishermen and herp and fish hobbyists.

Earthworms for soil building enjoy another extensive market. Most soil culturists and agricultural experts agree upon the importance of building up the earthworm population for maximum plant production and soil conservation. Earthworms, as they burrow and feed, swallow the soil, digest it, extract its food value and expel the residue as worm castings which are far richer in nitrogen, phosphates, calcium and magnesium than the finest of ordinary good top soil.

One of the most important outlets, and one in which some growers specialize, is the sale of breeding stock to others who are interested in earthworm culture as a hobby, a home-money-making project or perhaps a full-time living income enterprise.

Remember…Earthworms are easy…and inexpensive to raise!

In the beginning, you may find it advisable to start with small propagation boxes or bins such as ammunition boxes, fruit or vegetable crates or plastic containers like those made by Rubbermaid, with each box capable of supporting some 500 breeders. Boxes may be stacked for economy of space.