How to Set Up a Red Worm Habitat

If a small outdoor space limits your ability to start a compost heap, you can easily create an indoor composting bin with the help of redworms. These natural composters are easy to care for with the right habitat in place, and they convert kitchen waste into rich fertilizer for indoor and outdoor gardens all year long. The key to successfully creating compost in your home is setting up a redworm habitat that keeps the worms healthy.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Plastic bin, metal tub or wood box no more than 18 inches deep
• Shredded paper or newspaper
• Sterile soil
• Water
• Red worms
• Non-meat food waste
• Drill with 1/4-inch bit

How to Set Up a Red Worm Habitat

1. Drill holes in the sides and bottom of the bin to allow for air circulation and water drainage. Use a 1/4-inch drill bit so the worms will not escape.

2. Add shredded paper for the worms' bedding. Mix in some sterile soil or sand to add grit.

3. Moisten the bedding, but do not over-saturate it. When you can squeeze a few drops of water from some of the paper, you have the right amount of water.

4. Calculate the number of worms you need for your average kitchen waste. Two pounds of worms will eat one pound of scraps. Add the worms.

5. Feed the worms using kitchen scraps, but do not give them any meat, dairy or bones. Bury the scraps in a different part of the compost bin every day.

6. Store the redworm habitat in an area where the temperature stays between 55 degrees and 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. Harvest the compost from the bin after a few weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• Two pounds of worms need a bin that has a two-foot by three-foot surface area.
• To harvest just a part of the compost, add fresh bedding to a small portion of the bin, then harvest compost from another area. Carefully remove any worms from the compost and replace them in the bin.
• Worms will reproduce, so you will either need to add more food to the habitat or release some worms into your outdoor garden from time to time.
• A pound of redworms contains approximately 1,000 sexually mature worms. However, the number of worms you get in your pound will vary depending on the grower you purchase from and the age and size of the worms.
• Coffee grounds, tea bags, fruits, vegetables, pasta, egg shells, gravies and spoiled foods can all be added to the composting bin.
• The waste the worms create is excellent compost, but toxic to other worms. Completely change the bedding in the bin every four to six months.
• Avoid adding leaves harvested from the ground to your compost bin, because they can contain toxins or insects that will mess up the ecosystem within the bin.

References

• Eek! Our Earth: Composting with Worms
• Whatcom County Agriculture: Composting with Redworms

Resources

• All About Lawns: How to Fill the Compost Bin