Precautions during the process

The floor of the unit should be compact to prevent earthworms’ migration into the soil.
15-20 day’s old cow dung should be used to avoid excess heat.
The organic wastes should be free from plastics, chemicals, pesticides and metals etc.
Materials of animal origin such as eggshells, meat, bone, chicken droppings, etc. are not suitable for preparing vermicompost.
Gliricidia loppings and tobacco leaves are not suitable for rearing earthworms.
A mixture of tobacco waste with rabbit manure in the ratio of 1:5 was found to be lethal to the earthworms.
Aeration should be maintained for proper growth and multiplication of earthworms. Optimum moisture level (80-90 %) should be maintained.18-25⁰C temperature should be maintained for proper decomposition.
The earthworms should be protected against birds, termites, ants and rats.
Adequate moisture should be maintained during the process. Either stagnant water or lack of moisture could kill the earthworms.
After completion of the process, the vermicompost should be removed from the bed at regular intervals and replaced by fresh waste materials.