Getting enough food for the bins
Emily Leuba
6 years ago
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Kevin (Poconos PA 6b)
6 years agoRelated Discussions
How do i get rid of mice in my compost bin?
Comments (3)I agree. Frequent turning and ample amounts of water will deter mice getting in there to have a little snackie and they will not make nests in it if it is too wet for a nice cozy mouse house . If your compost is already "cooked to perfection and done", then bag it up and store it in a trash can with a tight fitting lid for future use, or spread it around in your growing areas and containers. This is what I do....See MoreBin set up and best foods
Comments (2)First, during the initial time go easy on the acidic stuff like tomato. Actually, go easy on the amount of food in the earily days as over feading is a normal problem in the beginning. I hear that they really like a sprinkle of corn meal on occasion. I can say they seem to love sweet stuff like old mellon too. Corrugated cardboard is great, especially if you have a shredder that can handle shredding it without breaking (I've broken two shredders so far but the fellows powershred seems to do cardboard much better.) Corrugated cardboard is about the only material that is both food and bedding at the same time and doesn't seem to pack down or ball up the way paper does. Even if you can't shred the corrugated cardboard, it is still great to use. I like to line the bottom and sides of the bed with the corrugated stuff before putting shredded stuff and worms in the bed. I've also found that if you have a bin or tub of water you can dunk the cardboard in, it makes ripping it up much easier (also pealing plastic tape off is easier sometimes that way.) Box board or paper board like cereal boxes are not so great in the worm bin. My first batch had lots of shredded paper and paper board and there were lots of bits to pick out of the finished castings. I now mostly use the shredded corrugated cardboard in my beds. If you can pulverize some egg shells (let them dry and then use an old coffee grinder is a really easy way) to sprinkle over the bed when you get your worms, it will give them the grit to help digest the food when you start to put it in. If no coffee grinder for the purpose, I've heard a rolling pin on a cutting board works. I didn't have any food in the bin when I got my worms. I just sprinkled the grit and a tablespoon of corn meal over the bedding. I opened the cardboard box the worms came in and place the whole box with the worms open on it's side right in the bedding of my bin. tat way the worms could spread out in their own time and not be shocked by the change. Give em a couple days and then check to see if they have moved out into your bin, if so, try a hand full of food buried in the bedding somewhere (remember where so you can check on it.) Wait untill that is gone or mostly gone before feeding again in another location. As your worms settle in and breed, you will be able to feed more but be patient for the first month or so. That is the hardest part with new worms, being patient and leaving them alone to do their job. I like to keep a big bit of cardboard over top of the bedding in my bin. Here is a link that might be useful: Worm Bins....See MoreWorm bin getting warm
Comments (3)Having the bin feel a bit warm is fine. You did the right thing by feeding in one part of the bin, leaving room for the worms to stay away, in case conditions aren't right for them. If you're unsure, you can leave the lid off, any heat would dissipate. If it's hot to keep your hand in there, it's too hot for the worms. Otherwise it will be fine. When you feed, do not mix the bedding into the food, that will create heat. I'm sure your bin is fine. I fed rice to my guys once and the bin overheated..........I mean really overheated. When I lifted the lid it was literally steaming! I lost a lot of worms. On the other hand, in the heat of summer when it's over 100 degrees, a lot of people put frozen bottles of water in their bins to cool it down. This is when the bins our outside. If the temperature is comfortable for us, it's comfortable for the worms....See MoreWaste paper bin liners, newspaper and food shredding
Comments (3)I don't know what "waste paper bin liner" is unless it is just a used paper bag, probaby made from recycled paper. If so, it is biodegradable and suitable for vermicomposting. I don't know what the "bat" could be. Guessing it might be some absorbent material that may or may not be biodegradable. If these bags are commercial for the purpose, the labelling "should" (here, anyway ) say so. Cuisinart makes a mini food prep processor which would work well for the task if you can afford it. If the newsprint is soy based black and white it is suitable for the vermicompost. We aren't so sure about color, and I think consensus is not to use slick pages, especially in a small bin. Vermicomposters shred newspaper so that air can move through it. We need to know more to give you more reliable responses: size of bin type of bedding quantity of worms location (if it is under the sink, air is restricted ) I recommend you do some more reading, here, and at other vermicomposting sites. There are as many ways to succeed as there are to fail. No doubt another follow up will "expound" on odors. Worms need: moisture, air, food, darkness & warmth. I am adding a link, but there is no Last Word on this topic. Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell Worm Composting Basics...See MoreEmily Leuba
6 years agohummersteve
6 years agoEmily Leuba
6 years agoEmily Leuba
6 years agoShaul
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6 years agolast modified: 6 years agootcay
6 years agoEmily Leuba
6 years agoShaul
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6 years agoEmily Leuba
6 years ago11otis
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6 years agoEmily Leuba
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6 years ago
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