Start Your Own Worm Bin (2024)

FAQs

How many worms do you need to start a bin? ›

That said, we recommend starting with 1 pound of red worms per square foot of surface area (for example a bin 1 ft x 2 ft =2 sqft of surface area) needing 2 lbs of worms– this should give them enough resources to break down organic matter quickly without overloading them with too much work!

Combine shredded paper, soil and just enough water to dampen everything. Put the mixture into the tall bin and fill the bin about three inches deep. Add your worms to the mixture and let them get used to it for a day before feeding them. Make sure the mixture is very moist, but not forming puddles of water.

These crafty minds figured out what the numbers would come to if we did take the time to measure a pound of worms by age. This is what they calculated: Roughly 1000 mature composting worms equal one pound. Roughly 4000 juvenile composting worms equal one pound.

Red wigglers only burrow 3-8 inches deep and more horizontally; unlike earthworms who burrow deeper. Red wigglers like temperatures between 55-75 degrees F. An adult red wiggler worm is 2-3 inches long and is dark red. Red wigglers reach maturity after 90 days.

Play It Safe, Start Slow: 1/2 lb per square foot

Worms aren't cheap, so I'd much rather see a newbie start a new worm bin with about 1/2 lb per square foot. For Red Wigglers, this is 2 lbs, or about 1600-2000 worms. For European Nightcrawlers, 2 lbs will equal about 600-800 worms.

You need enough bedding to cover the bottom of the worm bin to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. It's best to include several different materials in the bedding. Mix at least two or three of the following materials for good bedding: Shredded newspaper or recycled printer paper.

If you notice that some your worms are dead, act quickly to save the remaining worms with these steps: Move worms to a new, clean bin. Even if you don't have another designated worm bin, clean and use whatever container you have on hand. In the future, keep another bin around in case of emergency.

When do I add the bedding? When you start your worm bin, and at each harvest time, fill or top off the bin to about three-fourths full with damp- ened bedding. Add a few handfuls of garden soil to provide bacteria and grit to help worm digestion. Maintain a 2- to 3-inch layer of dampened bedding at all times.

Worms are ready to breed once they mature from 50 to 90 days. Earthworms are hermaphrodites; they can be male or female (a great advantage!). They can perform both male and female functions and mate every 7 to 10 days. The mating process takes around 24 hours.

How many lbs is 500 worms? ›

There are roughly 1000 worms in a 1lb bag, 500 worms in a 1/2lb bag and 250 in a 1/4lb bag. Please remember that worms will roughly double their numbers every 90 days. Check out our Worm Care page for insightful information on how to keep your composting worms happy and healthy!

For optimal composting performance, worms and the entire composting ecosystem thrive within a temperature range of 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F). Below this range, the ecosystem operates at reduced efficiency, while temperatures above 35°C (95°F) can prove fatal to the worms.

The breeding cycle is approximately 27 days from mating to laying eggs. Worms can double in population every 60 days.

The rolled oats, cornmeal, and alfalfa work together to plump up your worms quickly. The finer this mix is powdered, the quicker your worms will eat it up and fatten up. Moisten your worm bedding and then sprinkle it over the bedding surface.

They are the most efficient at breaking down food scraps and work great in home composting bins. You will need around 1000 worms (1 lb.) to start your 10 gallon worm bin.

Generally, you can use 1/2KG (or 1000) worms to start one worm bin, using a 35-40L storage container. If you wanted to divert ALL of the food waste your classroom is creating, how many worm bins would you need?

However, soil from your garden and shop bought compost also works. Coir bedding adds absorbency. Half a bucket of bedding will give your worms room to burrow right from the start. To start with, we recommend adding between 300 and 500 worms to your new wormery.

Try to keep a ratio of 70 percent brown matter (paper, wood, dried and dead plants) to 30 percent green matter (food scraps, young plants and wet leaves). To reduce the chances of fruit flies (eggs are often laid in items like banana peels) freeze scraps for 24 hours before adding them to your bin. Give the worms air!