I like to use shredded paper in cold composting--meaning, not just paper + water but bins that don't get really hot. I think I should be using more--but I recycle our newspapers, so mostly I compost shredded mail. For me, it comes in handy as a "brown" because I use a lot of my other "browns"--shredded leaves, in particular--directly in the garden as mulch or in their own pile to make leaf mold. It is easier for me to manage a largish open shredded leaf pile (no varmints attracted; can turn or not as energy available) and smaller enclosed kitchen waste/browns collections in my plastic trash barrels. So I really like to combine stuff like shreds of cardboard or paper to mix with kitchen waste, since both of those types of materials need to break down and become "compost" before I add to garden.

I'd use all of it, as long as it isn't fluorescent or have metallic inks. The glossy stuff should be shredded first so you maximize edge space that water can get in through. The gloss is a kaolin clay finish, so that's okay.

Chuckie, you are absolutely right about the differences between smaller closed worm systems that most use, and larger open outdoor systems I use. Big difference!. I have hesitated for several years to start a thread on this subject. I was afraid someone with a smaller system, such as a plastic tote, may cook their squirm. Using compost to intentionally heat a small system would likely cause disaster. My worm systems are nearly "bullet-proof" with regards to overheating by overfeeding. " Kind of think along the line of outbreed the predators" Nexev, that may work, but an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I have somewhat taken that approach, but have also witnessed the destruction of a damned mole! I can withstand the hit with my stock, but it could set you back pretty good. Your biggest critter challenge may be those mice. The mole ate several pounds fairly quickly. And you had me for a minute with your seaworld cow....... Apples and cows:) Francoise, I NEVER thought that I would ever be called a geek. My phone is as dumb as me and has a rotary dial! I do kinda like the sound of wormin' geek though. Got a ring to it! Sounds a little better than poop-brain Pete, poopologist. You will get MORE heat with the manure mixed with the stall bedding vrs. pure manure. Now that your beds have cooled, pure manure apples may have to be deep to get the bed to warm up. More mass creates more heat. As long as your worm system has an open bottom things should be fine for the herd. Compost/manure heats up slowly allowing the worms to move to where they are most comfortable. If I had not overfed this bed and created some heat, the bed would have cooled to 55-60F. My experience is worms would have gotten lethargic and quit reproducing. I Think that this little overfeeding trick may give me more worms in the spring than I would otherwise have. I will attempt to explain the logic. For sake of argument, lets assume the carpet bed has 100lbs of worms currently. Lets also assume that the 100lbs contain 60,000 adult breeders, and 40,000 juveniles and babies. Also assume there are 20,000 cocoons, which will become 40,000 worms when they hatch. If the bed becomes "dormant" due to temperature, I would have 100,000 breeder and 40,000 babies that hatch-out in the spring..... 140,00 total worms in April. Now assume that the heat I added keeps the bed active for an additional 2 months. In that time the breeders may have left an additional 120,000 cocoons (2ea.) Some of the juveniles have become breeders and left another 10,000 cocoons. The 20,000 cocoons that would have been dormant hatch, adding 40,000 more worms. In the spring, I would have 140,000 breeder worms and 260,000 babies....400,000 worms total! Lots of "wild ass guess" work here. I hope my confusing post sheds some light on what I think is happening. I may be totally wrong, killed many worms and all the cocoons in the hot area, and set the bed back. But I don't think so. Poop-Brain Pete, Poopologist and Wormin; Geek

I am a vermicomposter practitioner if you will. The worm population is very happy. However, I do use the newspapers ( shreded that is ) for bedding and also if I am low or don't have dried leaves, that I usually use to cover the top layer of the bin to somewhat keep the enviromental balance at ease, to absorb excess moisture, and temperature. I do have plenty of papers.. ( our household gets delivered 5-7 papers per day) but mainly use the papers for the explained purpose and also to mulch the pathways within our gardens. -Myself? I would NOT use volume newspapers for vermicomposting at least not the way I have our bins set up. The surplus newpapers I do recycle with the City trash. I hope this helps Be well,