Red Wiggler Farmers?
- Thread starter IrnGynt
- Start date
I raise them. There is not really much to it. I use a couple 30 gallon tupperware containers. basically to start I just used a bunch of newspaper torn into small pieces and mixed it with just a little bit of dirt. Add worms. Just feed them pretty much any vegetable scraps, fruits, egg shells, coffee grounds (not too much). Mostly just stay away from meats, junk food, and anything citrus. When you put the food in cover it with moist newspaper.
Hardest part is seperating them from the "soil" they create. That is what I use second tupperware for. I drill holes in bottom of first tupperware and set it inside a second one that has the food. Now only start putting food in the bottom one and eventually over a few weeks most all of them will make their way to the bottom bin and the top one is now just soil. there are lots of fancy systems you can buy that do this sort of thing.
Also make sure to drill some holes in the sides of the bins for airflow.
Hardest part is seperating them from the "soil" they create. That is what I use second tupperware for. I drill holes in bottom of first tupperware and set it inside a second one that has the food. Now only start putting food in the bottom one and eventually over a few weeks most all of them will make their way to the bottom bin and the top one is now just soil. there are lots of fancy systems you can buy that do this sort of thing.
Also make sure to drill some holes in the sides of the bins for airflow.
^^^^
Right on.
Except I just use a little 2 gallon tupperware container, you don't need much. For substrate I just used dirt from the garden. Just make sure that you keep the top of the soil moist, but not wet or else you'll start to get mold.
Right on.
Except I just use a little 2 gallon tupperware container, you don't need much. For substrate I just used dirt from the garden. Just make sure that you keep the top of the soil moist, but not wet or else you'll start to get mold.
I use an old stand alone garage sink from HD. I collect the 'worm tea' that drips from the drain part and use that as liquid fertilizer for the garden/house plants. The worms are a great high protein food for fish. Induces spawning in my Australian rainbows. I put everything in there. They seem to like old leaves and coffee grounds the most.
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I also have a colony of them. 30g rubbermaid with 4 holes drilled in the bottom and a few vents in the top and sides.
I started with a bunch of moist, torn up newspaper...and got some worms from an organic farm in So. MD. I feed them kitchen veggie scraps. No too much, though
To feed the fish, I keep a plastic cup in the bin...and simply grab a bunch of worms...and feed them to the fish....
Matt
I started with a bunch of moist, torn up newspaper...and got some worms from an organic farm in So. MD. I feed them kitchen veggie scraps. No too much, though
To feed the fish, I keep a plastic cup in the bin...and simply grab a bunch of worms...and feed them to the fish....
Matt
No - and they'll make your bin smell bad as fish food is made from fish meal (not veggies)...
Matt
Matt
IrnGynt;3836534; said:
Here is my worm hotel. I started with just a couple little tubs of red wigglers from the pet store, and now I have about 4584953 worms. I use coco fiber as bedding, with a little bit of soil mixed in. You don't want to put them in dirt alone, but you need a little bit mixed with the bedding because the grit helps them digest their food. I ordered a big 4 pound block of it, and that's enough to last a pretty long time. You just break a chunk off the block and soak it in water, and it swells up to 390584 times its original size. The trays in the bin are perforated on the bottom, and the worms work their way up to the top. When the food in the bottom tray is gone, you change out part of the bedding, throwing the old stuff on your plants, and move the tray back up to the top and put in more food. I feed them fruit and veggie kitchen scraps, and sometimes ground up eggshell. The eggshell helps to add extra grit, and it also helps keep the pH from becoming too acidic. You don't want to add anything really strong or spicy, no hot peppers or onions or citrus fruit or anything like that. They seem to really like tomatoes, every time I put a piece of tomato in, I find a swarm of worms right underneath it within a day. I shoot the top of each layer with a spray bottle if it starts to look a little dry, but you don't want to overdo it. You want to keep it just barely moist, but not soggy.
You might encounter little tiny white spheres the size of a pinhead after your bin has been set up awhile. I first thought these were worm eggs, but it turns out they are mites. Actual worm cocoons look like brown popcorn kernels. The mites are a nuisance, but they don't harm the worms directly, although they can start to outcompete them for food if you let them get out of control. The mites are a sign that you are keeping your bin too moist. They seem to like sugary foods, like apples and banana peels. The way I combat them is to sprinkle a layer of really dry bedding on top of the food if I add alot of really moist sugary stuff. The worms can still get to the food from below, but it seems to make it harder for the mites. Then I place a slice of apple or something similar out in the open in the top tray, and let the mites collect on it, and just throw them away. You'll never completely eliminate them once you have them, but they're not a big deal to keep under control.
A worm farm is a great way to reduce your trash output, make fertilizer for your plants, and raise some fish food. And it pretty much takes care of itself once it's established.
You might encounter little tiny white spheres the size of a pinhead after your bin has been set up awhile. I first thought these were worm eggs, but it turns out they are mites. Actual worm cocoons look like brown popcorn kernels. The mites are a nuisance, but they don't harm the worms directly, although they can start to outcompete them for food if you let them get out of control. The mites are a sign that you are keeping your bin too moist. They seem to like sugary foods, like apples and banana peels. The way I combat them is to sprinkle a layer of really dry bedding on top of the food if I add alot of really moist sugary stuff. The worms can still get to the food from below, but it seems to make it harder for the mites. Then I place a slice of apple or something similar out in the open in the top tray, and let the mites collect on it, and just throw them away. You'll never completely eliminate them once you have them, but they're not a big deal to keep under control.
A worm farm is a great way to reduce your trash output, make fertilizer for your plants, and raise some fish food. And it pretty much takes care of itself once it's established.