FAQ's
Do worm bins smell?
If you mean do they smell bad, or like rottiing food, the answer is no. Most people think that a bin will smell bad, but it smells like fresh wet earth. If your bin does begin to smell it is usually because of a few factors:
1. Your bin is not getting enough air, try adding some air vents.
2. Your bedding is getting to compact add some coir, or cardboard.
3. Too much food, take a look if you have to much uneaten food, hold off feeding for a bit until most of the scraps have been processed
There are bugs in my bins!
That's OK. Other decomposers will naturally find their way into your bin. Pill bugs or rollie pollies are often what you will find. Small white pot worms (small white worms) are usually a common sight as well.
Fruit Flies - sometimes can be a pest, but are rarley a problem. Make sure you bury your scraps so that they are not attracted to your bin. If they really bother you check out this site to make a fruit fly trap to place in your bin
Spider mites - small reddish looking spiders that are found on the top surface of the bedding. There are also decomposers and are fine in the bin, unless the bin becomes over loaded. A quick solution is to let the top surface of the bedding dry out, or place a mellon peel (favorite food) face down, wait a bit then discard the peel covered in mites, repeat as neccessary.
Will my worms try to crawl out?
No they should not. Worms will stay under the bedding to keep away from light. Occasionally when you first start a bin they may try to wander for the first 24 to 48 hours. When I fill an order I include some castings this help give your new bin a healthy microbal start. I also suggest leaving a light on for the first 24 to 48 hours to encourage them to stay below the bedding.
Adding Red Wigglers to your out door compost piles? Yes or No?
Got to love those outdoor compost piles a place to compost all of your lawn clippings, leaves and excess organics (the remainder of what your indoor bin cant handle!).
BUT it is not working, or taking forever to decompose, so...can you add some Red Wigglers to help it along? Will you need to purchase Red Wigglers every year? Will the survive?
Short answer Yes, No, Yes. Ok maybe a bit longer answer.
Adding Red Wigglers to your compost pile is a great idea, they live in a high organic environment, which is what your outdoor compost pile is. Red Wigglers will move within the compost pile to avoid the heat generated by the decompostion of the organics and in winter they will move to the interior to keep warm and the newly added kitchen organics will help generate some heat as well.
Red Wigglers can stand a great deal in temperate change and the cocoons can handle even more so there is no need to re purchase Red Wigglers every year.
All that being said here are a few steps you can do to ensure that your Red Wigglers multiply and get working in your outdoor bin.
1. Keep an eye on the moisture. Too many browns, dried leaves ect, may not provide the moisture that is essential to your Red Wigglers. You may have to water your pile, like most do, to ensure that it does not dry out. Remember the Red Wigglers need a moist environment. Smaller piles will require more work, larger piles less.
2. In very cold climates you may want to cover your winter compost pile with a tarp. This will help retain some heat and keep your compost pile working through our the winter. This would also work in our rainy Vancouver weather to ensure you don't drown your worms. Just a tarp through over top with some rock to hold in place.
Turning your compost is up too you. It will help spread the castings around and ensure that your pile does not become too compact, nothing different than what you would do with your outdoor compost pile.
I'm going on holidays what do i do with the Red wigglers?
Going away for a few days is no problem, the worms will be fine. If your going away for more than 5 to 7 days you may want to put in a bit of extra organics. DONT over feed though, an excess of organic is not recommended. large amounts of organics in a small space will start to generate heat as it decomposes or attract fruit flies. They will do well on their own for up to two week. What you do want to pay attention to is the location of your bin if you have it located outside. Insure it is out of the sun and rain while you are away.
1. Your bin is not getting enough air, try adding some air vents.
2. Your bedding is getting to compact add some coir, or cardboard.
3. Too much food, take a look if you have to much uneaten food, hold off feeding for a bit until most of the scraps have been processed
There are bugs in my bins!
That's OK. Other decomposers will naturally find their way into your bin. Pill bugs or rollie pollies are often what you will find. Small white pot worms (small white worms) are usually a common sight as well.
Fruit Flies - sometimes can be a pest, but are rarley a problem. Make sure you bury your scraps so that they are not attracted to your bin. If they really bother you check out this site to make a fruit fly trap to place in your bin
Spider mites - small reddish looking spiders that are found on the top surface of the bedding. There are also decomposers and are fine in the bin, unless the bin becomes over loaded. A quick solution is to let the top surface of the bedding dry out, or place a mellon peel (favorite food) face down, wait a bit then discard the peel covered in mites, repeat as neccessary.
Will my worms try to crawl out?
No they should not. Worms will stay under the bedding to keep away from light. Occasionally when you first start a bin they may try to wander for the first 24 to 48 hours. When I fill an order I include some castings this help give your new bin a healthy microbal start. I also suggest leaving a light on for the first 24 to 48 hours to encourage them to stay below the bedding.
Adding Red Wigglers to your out door compost piles? Yes or No?
Got to love those outdoor compost piles a place to compost all of your lawn clippings, leaves and excess organics (the remainder of what your indoor bin cant handle!).
BUT it is not working, or taking forever to decompose, so...can you add some Red Wigglers to help it along? Will you need to purchase Red Wigglers every year? Will the survive?
Short answer Yes, No, Yes. Ok maybe a bit longer answer.
Adding Red Wigglers to your compost pile is a great idea, they live in a high organic environment, which is what your outdoor compost pile is. Red Wigglers will move within the compost pile to avoid the heat generated by the decompostion of the organics and in winter they will move to the interior to keep warm and the newly added kitchen organics will help generate some heat as well.
Red Wigglers can stand a great deal in temperate change and the cocoons can handle even more so there is no need to re purchase Red Wigglers every year.
All that being said here are a few steps you can do to ensure that your Red Wigglers multiply and get working in your outdoor bin.
1. Keep an eye on the moisture. Too many browns, dried leaves ect, may not provide the moisture that is essential to your Red Wigglers. You may have to water your pile, like most do, to ensure that it does not dry out. Remember the Red Wigglers need a moist environment. Smaller piles will require more work, larger piles less.
2. In very cold climates you may want to cover your winter compost pile with a tarp. This will help retain some heat and keep your compost pile working through our the winter. This would also work in our rainy Vancouver weather to ensure you don't drown your worms. Just a tarp through over top with some rock to hold in place.
Turning your compost is up too you. It will help spread the castings around and ensure that your pile does not become too compact, nothing different than what you would do with your outdoor compost pile.
I'm going on holidays what do i do with the Red wigglers?
Going away for a few days is no problem, the worms will be fine. If your going away for more than 5 to 7 days you may want to put in a bit of extra organics. DONT over feed though, an excess of organic is not recommended. large amounts of organics in a small space will start to generate heat as it decomposes or attract fruit flies. They will do well on their own for up to two week. What you do want to pay attention to is the location of your bin if you have it located outside. Insure it is out of the sun and rain while you are away.