Worm Care & Feeding

Build your own worm farm with the link on top or if you have one already follow the instructions below to start your farm!

Setting up your worm bin

To start a worm bin you need bedding. I use a mix of good compost and shredded news paper and cardboard. The bedding can be about 10-15cm thick and must be damp but not soggy. You can leave a bright light over the bin for the first day or two to prevent them from leaving their new environment. After a day or two you can start feeding and turn the light off.

What should you feed your worms and quantity?

Worms will eat almost any pre-plated food that we eat.

They especially like:

 

·       Raw vegetable scraps

·       Fruit scraps and pips

·       Bread (Mouldy or not)

·       Uses tea leaves/bags

·       Coffee grounds

·       Crushed egg shells

·       Shredded cardboard and newspaper

 

The don’t particularly like:

 

·       Citrus

·       Meat and fish

·       Greasy foods

·       Dairy products

·       Dog/cat faece

 

The finer you chop your food for the worms, the easier they can eat it.

Please remember the following;
Worms like to be kept between 13-25 degrees Celsius.
Worms cannot handle bones fats and oils.
Worms like to be in a moist environment, not too wet or dry.
Keep worms in an environment with minimal vibration.
White mold is normal in a worm bin and is safe.

Quantity of feed will depend on how many worms you have and on the type of food you feed. On average Tiger worms can eat just over half their body weight in food everyday.

The best method to determine the quantity of food is just to be keeping a eye on your worms and as you see there is only a small amount of food left from the last feed, it is time to feed again.

 

Over feeding is the biggest mistake most people make. This can quickly turn anaerobic (no oxygen) and this will kill your worms unless there is enough space for them to get away from the food. It also turns your bin acidic witch worms don’t like, this is normally cured just by adding calcium carbonate (agricultural lime) to your bin

Over feeding can cause a lot of heat (like a normal compost pile), witch will also send your worms looking for a cooler spot. 

One of my own bins, u will see that I never feed more than half the bin, the other half is shredded cardboard and newspaper to escape into if food turns sour.

Happy worming and be the change you want to see in the world :)

Danie

Below: a bit more on feeding and harvesting your compost