Things You'll Need:
- Hand Drill or Drill with ½" bit
- Plastic (Rubbermaid style) 8-10 gallon dark colored storage container.
- newspaper
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Step 1
Why Worms? Yard and food waste make up a major component of solid waste in most cites around the United States. Although much of this organic waste can be recycled in the backyard using traditional aerobic backyard composting techniques, these techniques are not appropriate for apartment dwellers and are often inconvenient, particularly during bad weather in the winter. Additionally, many cities prefer that food wastes NOT be composted in the backyard compost pile in order to cut down on problems with odors and pests. That's why!
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Step 2
Using your pre-bought or re-used plastic box, you just need to add ventilation and drain holes. Drill about ten to fifteen air holes in the side and top of your bin for ventilation. Then drill five or more holes in the bottom of your bin for drainage.
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Step 3
Next, add shredded newspaper. Simply tear into long skinny strips or use a shredder if you want to save time. You'll want to soak the strips in water then wring out the excess. Make enough of this damp paper to fill box 2/3 full. Then add a hanfull of dirt or sand and mix it up.
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Step 4
Now to add the right worms! Red worms or red wigglers (Eisenia foetida or Lubricus rubellus), often found in bait stores or at specialty garden stores are the ones you want, not the big fat earthworms you see in your garden naturally,
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Step 5
The worms will eat the paper and most any type of food; almost all fruits and vegetables, such as citrus and melon rinds, wilted lettuce, potato and carrot peelings, etc. You can also add coffee grounds and filters, tea leaves and bags, crushed egg shells, and house plant prunings. Never add meat, fish, dairy products or oils.
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Step 6
Unless you live where it rarely freezes at night, place your bin in a place with moderate temperatures between 55 degrees and 77 degrees. Some people keep them in their basements, next to their hot water heaters, or in their garages. In apartments they can be stored under the kitchen sink or in a cabinet. Worms like darkness, so keep them out of the sun or light.
Keep the contents moist, not wet & not dry, at all times. -
Step 7
After a few months, most of your bedding will have been converted to castings and you will need to add new bedding and remove the compost material. The most convenient method of performing this procedure is to move the compost to one side of the bin and add new bedding and garbage to the other. Allow about one month for the worms to migrate to the fresh material. At this point the compost may be removed and replaced with new bedding.
