Homemade Worm Beds
Rather than throwing out leftover food and paper waste, many people choose to compost waste, turning it into nutrient-rich soil enhancer. Worms are helpful in this process, chewing through half their weight in household scraps every day. Easily-made worm beds provide a place where worms can be kept to aid in the composting process. The compost can then be added to the soil. Surplus worms can be sold as bait, used for reptile or bird food or released into the garden. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Plastic bin with lid
- Drill with 1/2 inch bit
- Newspaper
- Soil
- Water
- Worms
Instructions
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Rinse the bin thoroughly to be sure there are no contaminants that could harm the worms. Do not use any soaps or detergents, to avoid the possibility of leaving any harmful residue.
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2
Drill 10 half-inch holes in the bin lid. Scatter them over the surface so that air will reach all sections of the worm bed.
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3
Rip the newspaper into thin strips. Shake the newspaper strips into the worm bed so that they form a loose pile which fills the bin to a depth of about 4 to 5 inches.
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4
Sprinkle soil on top of the shredded newspaper to provide grit as an aid to the worms' digestion. Use about 6 to 8 cups for a small worm bed, more for a larger one.
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5
Sprinkle water over the bedding, being sure all of it gets moistened. Bedding should be damp but not overly wet. Be sure there is no standing water in the bottom of the worm bed.
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6
Add worms to the newspaper. Place them on top of the bedding and leave them exposed to light--but not heat--which will cause them to burrow into the bedding immediately. Give them some time to dig in.
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Feed the worms a few scraps and place the cover on the worm bed. They will begin to devour the food almost immediately.
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Tips & Warnings
Each pound of worms in the bed will need a surface area of about one square foot. Red wigglers (Lumbricus rubellus) are one of the best types of worms for keeping in worm beds, as they are adaptable to different temperatures, reproduce quickly and have voracious appetites. Starter worms can be ordered through the mail or purchased from local bait shops. Worms can also be fed ground chicken feed, such as cornmeal, instead of or in addition to kitchen scraps.
Don't allow the bedding to get too wet or the worms will die. Worms will not eat meat or dairy products, as a rule, so don't put these in your bin. Avoid placing your worm bed in direct sunlight, as overheating will kill the worms. Overfeeding can cause mold and acidity problems, which can kill the worms in the bin. Overfeeding can also attract such pests as fruit flies and gnats; fine screening over the ventilation holes can prevent these pests from getting into the worm bed. Worm castings -- the finished compost -- must be removed from the beds every month or two to allow the worms to thrive. Excess worms must also be removed to prevent overcrowding.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
