LIVESTOCK NEEDS AND YIELDSBecky Bujaki

Bees and Worms! Bees Worms

Needs Smoker, veil, top feeder, tools, hive tool, beehives, extractor, bees and queen, sources of nectar1

Box, moist newspaper strips, worms, food scraps kitchen waste such as vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, tea bags and egg shells (crushed)5

Yields 25-60 lbs honey/yr2 Variable: two thousand red worms in a worm bin can produce 7 pounds of castings in one month6

Habitats In beehives in areas with good forage throughout their active season so the presence of a range of nectar producing flowers within a radius of about 1 - 1.5 miles.3

In bins, ideal temperature is between 55 – 77 degrees F; protected from freezing temperatures, moist environment, air circulation, pH is around 7.07

Characteristics and Behaviors

Ruled by a single queen; worker bees search for nectar and pollen, produce wax and honey, feed the young and protect the hive against enemies; during cold winters, the bees cluster together, feeding on stored food reserves and sharing their body heat4

Hermaphrodites; live for about one year in the worm bin; worm's body is about 90% water8, light sensitive, double their population roughly every 40-50 days9

Best Fit• In my front yard garden, worms would be the best fit animal for

many reasons. First, it is low maintenance and easy for me to set up (lower cost) and collect the castings. It is also beneficial for me because I can use the worm bin to deposit my kitchen scraps instead of needing an additional compost pile. In my front yard, space is limited and worm bins can serve the purpose of providing a compact space for my kitchen scraps as well as providing me castings. The castings are beneficial to the whole of my garden because I would be able to use the castings in all of the surrounding soil for regulating plant nutrients, aiding in pest and disease resistance, increasing soil fertility and improving the soil structure. I have more uses from the castings than I can get from honey because the castings could improve the yields of all of my crops and the benefits become exponential.

Resources• 1 http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/how-start-rooftop-beekeeping.html• 2 http://www.bbka.org.uk/learn/general_information/honey• 3 http://www.bbka.org.uk/kids/honeybee_habitats• 4 https://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/tutorial/Social/bees.html• 5 http://compost.css.cornell.edu/worms/basics.html• 6 http://compost.css.cornell.edu/worms/moreworms.html• 7 http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/Redwormsedit.htm• 8 http://compost.css.cornell.edu/worms/moreworms.html• 9 http://permaculturenews.org/2013/03/20/worm-bin-and-chicken-poop-compost-catch/