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Introduction
It is highly advisable you read this guide at least TWO WEEKS before
you take delivery of your first worms in order to prepare properly.
This document is a collection of useful information on worm
composting from around the web. It is compiled as a single PDF to
facilitate comprehension and understanding, particularly for newbies
who may not know where to start.
Please refer to the weblinks for the original material and click through
to give them traffic for all this fine work.
Note: this does NOT include instructions on how to build or choose a
worm bin. It is focused on worm care.
Background
I started worm composting with a commercial home bin and a
purchase of worms from a local supplier. From the beginning it was a
disaster: there was a mass exodus and the following morning over half
the population was encrusted on the floor below the bin.
The worm supplier was not helpful and the guide that came with the
bin did not address my crisis. There was massive amounts of info online
but it was scattered everywhere and some of it was contradictory.
My worm population has since recovered, slowly, and I have learned
that tending them is part art, part science. There is a lot of trial and
error. In hindsight, believing I could take delivery of worms and a bin
and start compositing immediately was foolish.
This compilation of info is the guide I wish I had read before I started. I
may not have avoided all my worm problems but I could have side
stepped a lot of the obvious pitfalls.
I hope you find this useful.
@missbossy
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Contents
TYPES OF COMPOSTING WORMS ................................................................... 4
EPIGEIC WORMS ................................................................................................. 5
Red Wiggler .............................................................................................. 5
European Nightcrawler ............................................................................. 5
African Nightcrawler ................................................................................. 6
Blue worms ............................................................................................... 5
CREATING THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT............................................................ 7
BIN STRUCTURE ............................................................................................. 9
BEDDING...................................................................................................... 10
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD BEDDING .................................................................... 11
TYPES OF BEDDING ........................................................................................... 11
PREPARING THE BEDDING ................................................................................... 12
WHEN TO ADD THE BEDDING ............................................................................... 13
FOOD ........................................................................................................... 14
FOOD PREPARATION & FEEDING .......................................................................... 14
HOW MUCH FOOD? ......................................................................................... 15
FEEDING SCHEDULE........................................................................................... 15
VACATIONS ..................................................................................................... 16
FOOD CHOICES ................................................................................................ 16
GRIT ............................................................................................................. 19
HARVESTING CASTINGS ............................................................................... 20
STARTING A NEW BIN .................................................................................. 21
TROUBLESHOOTING..................................................................................... 22
GOOD HABITS .............................................................................................. 27
FAQ.............................................................................................................. 29
WHAT IS A PH BUFFER? ..................................................................................... 29
HOW DO I KNOW IF THE BIN IS TOO ACIDIC? ............................................................ 29
CAN WORMS EAT COFFEE GROUNDS? ................................................................... 30
HOW MUCH WORMS SHOULD I GET? ..................................................................... 30
WHAT SIZE BIN SHOULD I GET? ............................................................................ 31
WHAT IS WORM TEA?....................................................................................... 31
MORE RESOURCES ....................................................................................... 33
LINKS USED IN THIS DOCUMENT .................................................................. 34
Types of Earthworms
Not all earthworms are suitable for composting. There are 3 broad
categories of earthworms:
Epigeic worms
There are 4 types of epigeic earthworms used in composting and they
are as follows:
Red Wiggler
aka Eisenia fetida (eye see ne ah fet e da)
This species is the most popular due to their ability to withstand
temperature fluctuations and their big appetite! Although this hardy
worm will survive temperatures close to 4 degree Celsius, the optimal
temperature for reproduction is between 20 to 30 degree Celsius. The
usual life span of red worms is around 4 years and they grow up to 3
inches. When roughly handled, they extrude a pungent liquid as a
defensive reaction to void off predators.
Identification: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yorcjo3zQJ0
Blue worms
aka Perionyx Excavatus
This species is commercially produced earthworms and have a violet
sheen to its skin under bright light. They are more temperamental than
the more tolerant Eisenia fetida because they may leave their bins for
no apparent reason. It is common that blue worms will invade the red
worm community and overtake them. The way to distinguish blue
worms from red worms is the violet sheen and also the clitellum of the
blue worms is flushed with the body while that of a red worms bulges
out. Blue worms move with a quick snake-like motion.
More info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUqX_mRPtBQ
African Nightcrawler
aka Eudrilus eugeniae ( you drill us you gen ee eye)
This is a tropical worm species which is largest of the 4 species and can
tolerate high temperatures. The optimum temperature for growth is a
range of 22 to 32 degree Celsius. The African Nightcrawler is more
sensitive to cold temperatures and may not survive below 7 degree
Celsius.
More: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vHHiMPI_z4
European Nightcrawler
aka Eisenia hortensis (eye see ne ah hor ten sis)
This species is larger than the red worms and has a pinkish colour on
the front end of its body and it is mainly greyish in colour. They make
great fish baits due to its size and ability to live longer on the hooks in
salt water. Similar to the red worms, they can survive in extreme
temperature but optimal reproduction temperature will be from 20 to
30 degree Celsius.
More: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzM1ITkuRRY
fatal for the worms. However you may find the use of light useful
when first getting the worms to settle in (see trouble shooting:
escaping worms).
7. Other Creatures - Your worm bin works efficiently when there is a
diverse web of organisms working together to decompose the
organic material. You may notice potato bugs (sow bugs), mites,
millipedes, small white worms, or "pot worms," and tiny white
insects called "springtails." These creatures are an important part of
the composting process. The only creatures that may be present and
pose a threat are centipedes, which eat worms.
8. Stocking density - Stocking density is the initial weight of worm
biomass per unit area of bedding. For example, when you start with
a 1kg of worms and put them in a bin with a surface area of 0.2
square meters, then your stocking density is 5 kg per square meter.
Starting with population density lesser than 2.5 kg per square
meters will delay the onset of reproduction and at very low density,
it may even stop completely. The worms need a reasonable chance
of meeting each other so that they can reproduce. Stocking density
of higher than 5 kg per square meter will begin to slow down
reproduction because competition for food and space increase. It is
most common to keep the densities between 5 to 10 kg per square
meters.
When you feed your worms, check and see how things are going and
adjust accordingly. Once your compost bin is up and running, it
requires little maintenance until little or no original bedding is visible
and it is time to harvest the castings.
Bin Structure
There are various bin designs. The most common for home use is a
stacking structure where food is layered between bedding. As the
worms finish processing the food, they climb upwards to the next level
of the stack leaving behind castings which can be harvested. A bottom
layer ("liquid collection tray") collects the leachate ("worm tea") which
is drained off with a tap.
Source: https://growingarden.wordpress.com/tag/bathtub-worm-farm/
Source: http://interiorsforhealing.com/review-of-3-worm-composting-bins/
Bedding
http://www.gardenteacompany.com/advice-for-vermicomposting/
http://www.vermicompost.net/natural-worm-bedding/
https://sites.google.com/site/alphaglobollp/home/about-us/all-about-vermicomposting-1
http://www.oregonmetro.gov/sites/default/files/2010_worm_bin_basics.pdf
The selection of bedding material is a key to successful vermicomposting worms can be reproducing at a very productive rate if
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Types of Bedding
Usually common terms used will be browns and greens. Browns will be
the wastes which are rich in carbon such as dry leaves, newspaper,
cardboard and papers. Greens will be vegetable scraps, fresh grass
clippings, and coffee grinds/ tea bags.
Shredded newspaper is a readily available source of bedding, is
odourless and have a C:N ratio of 170. When you hand shred the
papers, ensure that they do not clump together and moisten the
paper before adding into the worm bins. One of the advantages of
paper is that worms can survive in it without adding any kitchen
scraps. However this diet is not sufficient and the worms will be very
skinny and malnourished. Note: Dont include paper with coloured
printing on it. Many coloured inks are toxic to worms.
Peat moss has good absorbency and an C:N ratio of 58. The moss
has to be soaked until completely saturated and then squeeze till it
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feels like a damp sponge. However peat moss can be acidic - you
may need to add a pH buffer to offset the acidity. Note also that
depending on where the peat moss is sourced, it may have negative
ecological implications (peat is a non-renewable, mined, resource.).
Peat is sterile and needs to be inoculated with compost or compost
tea prior to use.
Corrugated cardboard are also worms favourite hiding place, has an
C:N ratio of 563 and is also a material with good absorbency.
Coconut fibre is also a common bedding material because it is clean,
odourless, retains moisture well, and it is a renewable source. Note
however that wet coconut coir is hard to tell apart from worm
castings so may make it difficult to know when all the bedding is
processed
Dry leaves & lawn clippings Dry leaves that are moistened and
added to the bin provide worms their natural habitat. Using fresh
leaves that have been sitting outside for a week is fine, but know
that you may introduce unwanted organisms into your bin. Straw
can also be used as bedding. It is best used in combination with
finer-textured bedding materials
Office paper can be used in small quantities. The chemicals used to
process office paper may irritate your worms so only use mixed with
other materials.
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Food
http://www.recycleworks.org/compost/wormfood.html
Feeding Schedule
Unlike other critters, worms don't demand to be fed on a schedule
though doing so will make it easier to monitor and determine how
much food they can process.
Its best to feed worms once a week in small amounts. If you feed them
more than they can process you will end up with a stinking compost bin
as the garbage literally backs up.
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If they are eating too slowly, chop up vegetable matter, which is easier
for them to eat and gives new meaning to the term fast food. If the
chopping doesnt help enough, reduce the amount of organic matter
you are feeding them.
Vacations
You can go on vacation for a month without worrying about them. Just
give them a regular amount of food before you leave and place plenty
of shredded newspaper, cardboard or paperboard on top of the food.
Make sure you leave the bin in an area where the temperature will not
get too hot (not over 90) and the cover material is wet enough that it
will not dry out.
Food Choices
Use lots of these:
Fruit (except citrus)
Veggie scraps and plant material (except onions & garlic)
Use Caution When Adding These
Breads can attract red mites
Potato skins, onions, garlic, ginger get consumed slowly and
can cause odors
Coffee grounds too many will make the bin acidic
Cereals and grains oatmeal, pasta, rice, nonsugared breakfast
cereals, corn meal, pancakes. Note: Acid forms in the worm bed
when too much grain or wheat based foods are fed to the worms.
Try to use scraps of food that do not contain wheat or pulverized
corn products.
Herbivore Poo rabbit, goat, horse. Be sure it doesn't contain
any drugs.
Pineapple - highly acidic and some people report that it repels
their worms. Probably better to age it first before adding to the
bin.
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Do Not Feed
Meat, poultry, fish, dairy protein attracts rodents
Potato chips, candy, oils worms do not like junk food and these
attract ants
Oranges, lemons, limes citrus has a chemical substance
(limonene) that is toxic to worms
Nonbiodegradable materials that do not belong in your bin
include plastic, rubber bands, sponges, aluminum foil, glass, and
dog or cat faeces.
Things you can include which may surprise you:
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Grit
Because worms have no teeth, they need to
take in grit with their food. Similar to chickens,
worms have a gizzard where they "chew" their
food using external grit.
Rock dust or crushed oyster shells offer grit
for their diet and can also help correct
problems if you've added too much food to
the bin. These can be purchased at most
garden stores. To add these powders to the
bin, sprinkle a small amount on the food
scraps once or twice a month.
Pulverized eggshells are an excellent source of
grit. If you are adding eggshells to your bin
you probably won't need to purchase other
types of grit. Other sources are azomite or
zeolite.
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Harvesting Castings
http://www.planetnatural.com/worm-composting/
http://makedirtnotwaste.org/sites/default/files/wonderfulworkingworms2010.pdf
Dump and hand sort "Light harvesting": Dump all worms, compost,
and bedding out onto a tarp and sort out the compost from the
worms. The worms will go down in the pile if you expose them to
light. After a short time remove the top layer of the bedding up to
the point you encounter worms. Wait a short time, and continue
removing the bedding. You will end up with lots of worms in a small
pile. This is fairly time consuming, but you can retain the most
number of worms. Do this 1-3 times a year depending on your
number of worms. Note: Do NOT leave your worms exposed to
sunlight.
Turbo Light Harvesting: this is a variation on the method above. See
here: https://youtu.be/h6h3N8OIQYM
Divide and dump: Take out half the compost and worms and put it
in your garden. Add some new bedding, and the other half of the
worms will repopulate the bin. You lose some worms but this
method takes very little time.
Migration method: A more common way to harvest is to move
everything worms, castings, bedding, food to one side of the bin.
Pick out partially decomposed materials and push to the other side.
Place some food on top of the partially decomposed materials.
Replace the lid and leave it alone for a couple weeks. During that
time, the worms should migrate over to the new food. Once theyve
gone to the other side, harvest the castings from the side without
food. Make sure you dont remove any worms in the process. Then
give the worms new bedding mixed in with some residual compost.
Let it all go to compost: Stop feeding the worms. After 6 weeks to 2
months, the worms will have eaten all their food and bedding, and
eventually become part of the compost. You lose all your worms and
you would have to find a new way to take care of your food scraps.
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Troubleshooting
Problem: Mouldy food
Solution: If you have fed the worms too much, the food might become
mouldy. Remove mouldy food as worms are unlikely to eat it and it
makes the system vulnerable to infestations from other
microorganisms.
Problem: Centipedes.
Millipedes are a welcome inhabitant in your bin but centipedes are not.
You can tell centipedes and millipedes apart by looking at how their
legs attach to their bodies. Centipedes have only one pair of legs per
segment; millipedes have two pairs.
Solution: If you notice a decline in your worm numbers, manually
remove the centipedes. If the infestation is overwhelming, you may
need to harvest your worms and start over.
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Problem: Ants.
Ants tend to be attracted by sweet food wastes. Ants are usually an
indication that the material in the bin is too dry. Generally the ants
dont bother the worms and they actually benefit the composting
process by bringing fungi and other organisms into their nests. So if the
ants aren't bothering you it is OK to leave them be.
But they can be an annoyance and they may eat the food which is
meant for the worms. If so, there are steps which will discourage them.
Solution:
1. To encourage them to leave the bin, moisten and turn it or stir it
with a trowel to disrupt their colonies.
2. Reduce sweet foods (fruits/sweet veggies)
3. Try to keep the PH of your bin above 7
4. Put the bin on blocks of wood set in dishes of water.
1. Stragglers
If you have a handful of worms crawling up the sides and lid of the bin
with perhaps a few ending up dried up on your floor, you are probably
ok! Especially if your system is brand new.
When worms are added to a new vermicomposting system they are far
more likely to wander a little before they settle in. The new system will
be very different than the one they are used to and some will try to
"find their way back."
How you set up your system can help reduce this problem.
Ideally, set the bin up a week or more before the worms arrive, so they
have a microbially active habitat.
Aside from preparing the best habitat possible, you can also encourage
your worms to remain down in the bedding by shining a light over top
of the bin for the first few days.
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Alternatively, put a LOT of dry bedding at the very top of the system this helps to keep the sides and underside of the lid really dry, thus
discouraging the worms from roaming up there.
Generally, after a few days (probably no longer than a week at the
most) the worms should be quite used to their new home. If you are
using the light technique, turning the light off for short periods of time
to see what happens start with 10, 15, 20 minutes and go from there
if they seem to be staying down.
2. Mass Exodus
If your worms are indeed trying to escape from your worm bins en
masse, you have a serious problem that needs to be addressed right
away.
If the worms are all balled up together in various spots in the bin, or in
the handles (in the case of Rubbermaid-type bins), or they are escaping
via every possible route youve made available (even the smallest air
holes), then it is likely more than just being unsettled and needing time
to get used to their habitat. Almost certainly, something you have
added in the bin is causing them harm.
Possible problems:
Moisture problems
Bin may be too wet or too dry. Add more dry bedding if too wet, or
moisten bedding if too dry.
Acidity Problems
Bedding can become too acidic if you add too much acidic food scraps
such as orange peels or even coffee grounds. Try reducing the amount
of acidic organic matter that youre putting into the bin and/or add a
pH buffer like garden lime or crushed egg shells.
Aeration Problems
Worms need oxygen. A bin that is too tightly packed or without air
holes will discourage the bin from "breathing." Remove the lid and
loosen the bedding with a trowel to introduce air.
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Temperature Problems
Some bins are designed to keep heat inside to protect the worms in
cold climates... but using those bins in a warm climate can cause
problems. Likewise if the bin is put in direct sunlight, the interior
temperature can rise to the point of baking the worms. The opposite
can also be true if the bin in outside in the winter. Measure the
bedding temperature to ensure it is hospitable for your worms. Be sure
to place the bin where it is not exposed directly to the elements.
Bedding problems
1. using potting soil with inorganic fertilizer salts
2. using bleached office paper
Food problems
1. Too much food & not enough oxygen
2. Too much Nitrogen-rich waste (e.g. grass clippings)
If your worms seem to be extremely stressed out, consider a major
overhaul of your system.
Set up another bin using lots of moistened bedding (shredded
cardboard) and any good rotting material you can get your hands on
(leaves, compost etc), and transfer as many worms over as you can.
You may not need to chuck out the contents of the first system
(assuming the issue isnt a nasty chemical of some sort), since these
things tend to work themselves out over time. since these things tend
to work themselves out over time.
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Good Habits
https://sites.google.com/site/alphaglobollp/home/about-us/all-about-vermicomposting-1
Put a light over your bin at night - at least for the first few
weeks
During the settling in period for your worms, a light over the bin will
discourage them from climbing out at night. Once they are used to the
environment, a light should not be necessary.
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Keep records
Keeping a diary of feeding, harvesting and observations will help you
identify problems and make it easier to optimise the composting
process.
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FAQ
What is a pH buffer?
A pH between 6.0 to 7.0 is a good pH for worms. Compounds that
offset acidity in the bin are sometimes called "acidity buffers or pH
buffers."
This includes
Typically you will already be including at least one of these in the bin as
grit.
Note: Make sure that the lime is mixed in well and is moist. Dry lime
can burn your worms.
* When purchasing your lime, look for a Ca CO3 of at least 95%. The
wrong type of lime could kill your worms.
How To Apply Lime, Dolomite (PH Buffers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrX407reTaA
The best way is to use a simple garden pH meter. If you are adding a
buffer regularly and the worms seem happy, then you probably don't
need to worry about it. But if the worms are not thriving, get hold of a
meter to double check.
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More Resources
Brian The Worm Man
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5xp0Vnet1ObHsaburv_cVA/feed
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