Worm SuppliesWorm SuppliesWorm SuppliesWorm Supplies

Red Wiggler WormsRed Wiggler WormsRed Wiggler WormsRed Wiggler Worms

Dean Allen - mcwormworker@comcast.net 815.483.6046

Flowerfield Enterprises www.wormwoman.com – search “worms”

269.327.0108

Bins & BeddingBins & BeddingBins & BeddingBins & Bedding

Magic Products – www.magicproducts.com 715.824.3100

Can-O-Worms - www.HappyDRanch.com 888.989.1558

Gardener’s Supply- www.gardeners.com 888.833.1412

VermicompostingVermicompostingVermicompostingVermicomposting Information Information Information Information

www.composters.com

www.vermico.com

www.wormdigest.com

If you have questions,If you have questions,If you have questions,If you have questions, contact SCARCE contact SCARCE contact SCARCE contact SCARCE:::: 630.545.630.545.630.545.630.545.9710 9710 9710 9710 ecoed@sbcglobal.netecoed@sbcglobal.netecoed@sbcglobal.netecoed@sbcglobal.net

Check your local library for all kinds of books on worms, gardening,

composting and recycling, and your favorite garden store, catalog, or pet store for worms, bins and supplies.

The mention of a specific product or company is not an endorsement by SCARCE.

(Revised May 2009)

Printed on paper with recycled content and using 20% less ink with

Ecofont.

Composting is a natural process in which organic matter decomposes into a dark nutrient-rich soil conditioner.

Vermicomposting is simply using worms to speed up the process. Worm composting is a simple, clean, pollution-free, odorless way to recycle kitchen scraps into a usable

product, right in your own home or classroom. Best of all, you will be reducing the amount of garbage

sent to the landfill.

SSSSCARCECARCECARCECARCE

SSSSchool & CCCCommunity AAAAssistance for RRRRecycling & CCCComposting EEEEducation

Our Mission:Our Mission:Our Mission:Our Mission: inspiring people, through education, to preserve & care for the Earth's natural resources, while

working to build sustainable communities.

www.swww.swww.swww.s----cccc----aaaa----rrrr----cccc----e.orge.orge.orge.org ecoed@sbcglobal.netecoed@sbcglobal.netecoed@sbcglobal.netecoed@sbcglobal.net

Phone: 630.545.9710

799 Roosevelt Road

Building 2, Suite 108

Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

This SCARCE educational handout is made available This SCARCE educational handout is made available This SCARCE educational handout is made available This SCARCE educational handout is made available with funding from DuPage County.with funding from DuPage County.with funding from DuPage County.with funding from DuPage County.

Setting Up Setting Up Setting Up Setting Up aaaa Worm Bin Worm Bin Worm Bin Worm Bin

Setting up a Vermicomposting System (called a Worm BinWorm BinWorm BinWorm Bin)

requires a container, bedding for the worms to live in, air,

moisture, food, and of course worms.

BIN BIN BIN BIN ---- Several commercial bins are available, but you may

already have a suitable container for a worm bin. Opaque

plastic storage containers, for instance, work well. The bedding

only needs to be 3 - 8” deep, but the surface size is important.

You need about 1 square foot of surface area per person in your

household. (Example: a bin 18 x 24” and at least 12” high would

be suitable for a 3 - 4 person household processing 3 - 4 pounds

of garbage weekly.)

The bin needs either a tight fitting lid with small holes drilled

in the top for ventilation (the holes smaller than the size of a

fruit fly), but our team has found that an old window screen

between the bin and top works as well and allows for adjustable

ventilation.

BEDDINGBEDDINGBEDDINGBEDDING - The bedding is what you put in your bin for your

worms to live in and devour. It should be, fluffy, moist and

about 3 - 8” deep. Our team has found coir to be ideal bedding.

CoirCoirCoirCoir is comprised of shredded, compressed coconut husk fibers.

It is sold in blocks that reconstitute in rainwater (or de-

chlorinated water) to form a sweet smelling, clean bedding. If

using chlorinated (tap) water, allow it to set for 24 hours and stir

often to speed up dissipation of the chlorine. Coir blocks are

sold in garden stores or by mail order, marketed under names

such as Moisture Magnets™ or PeatFree™ (these brands seem to

work best). You may also find the Magic Worm Farm in most

sporting goods departments. One block costs a few dollars and

is sufficient for an average bin, and lasts 3 - 6 months.

For supplemental bedding, paper egg cartons, brown paper

bags, unbleached paper towels and corrugated cardboard torn

into small pieces can be mixed in. We do not recommend

newspapers because of the chemicals and dyes. 1

Using tUsing tUsing tUsing the Composthe Composthe Composthe Compost

Vermicompost will provide nutrients to your house and

garden plants and helps the soil hold moisture. It can be used in

a number of different ways:

1. Sprinkle 1/4 inch into each seed row when planting

seeds.

2. Add a handful to the bottom of the hole when

transplanting a plant.

3. Use as a top dressing for established plants by working

lightly into the soil around the drip line.

4. As a potting medium, mix 1 part worm castings to 2 parts

of (regular) purchased potting soil.

5. If using garden soil in potted plants, mix 1 part worm

castings with 9 parts garden soil.

6. As a fertilizer for houseplants, sprinkle compost over soil

every 45 - 60 days.

Kingdom: Animalia

Sub-Kingdom: Invertebrata

Phylum: Annelida

Class: Oligohcaeta

Order: Haplotaxida

Family: Lumbricidae

Genus: Eisenia

Species: Fetida

Common Name:Common Name:Common Name:Common Name: Red WigglerRed WigglerRed WigglerRed Wiggler

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Harvesting tHarvesting tHarvesting tHarvesting the Composthe Composthe Composthe Compost

After a few months, your worms will have digested much of their

bedding and food scraps, leaving behind castings and compost

consisting of decomposed food scraps, bedding, microbes and

nutrients. This vermicompost will look, smell and feel like dark,

rich soil. You may take out compost at any time to use as

needed. At some time (3 - 6 months), the compost will become

mostly castings, and the worms will need some fresh bedding.

””””NATURAL LIGHTNATURAL LIGHTNATURAL LIGHTNATURAL LIGHT” METHOD: ” METHOD: ” METHOD: ” METHOD: To harvest the vermicompost, place

the bin under any bright light. Because worms prefer

darkness, they’ll move under the top layer. Remove the top

layer using your hands or a scoop. Plastic garden tools or

toy shovels work well. As the next layer of worms is

exposed to the light, they will continue their migration to

the bottom of the bin. When the majority of what is left in

the bottom are worms, refill the bin with fresh layers of

moist bedding material, a handful of soil, some crushed egg

shells, and food. Pick out any wigglers or cocoons that got

scooped out and add them back to the bin.

“DIVIDE AND CONQUER” METHOD:“DIVIDE AND CONQUER” METHOD:“DIVIDE AND CONQUER” METHOD:“DIVIDE AND CONQUER” METHOD: Another easy way to harvest

is to move all the existing bedding and worms to one side of

your bin. Add fresh bedding, a handful of soil and some

crushed eggshells to the other side. To separate the two

sides, you can use a piece of screening fabric, but it is not

necessary. Now, add food only to the fresh side. In 4-6

weeks most of the worms will have migrated over to the

fresh food side. Remove the now vacated compost and use

it.

“CAN“CAN“CAN“CAN----OOOO----WORM” BIN:WORM” BIN:WORM” BIN:WORM” BIN: This bin allows the worms to easily move

to the next level where fresh food scraps are present. The

compost will be on one level free of worms.

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The WormsThe WormsThe WormsThe Worms

The best kind of worm to use is the RED WIGGLERRED WIGGLERRED WIGGLERRED WIGGLER. These are

not your normal backyard night dwellers, which burrow deeply

and like cool temperatures. Red Wigglers are surface dwellers

and like to be about the same temperature as humans. An adult

will grow to about 2 - 3” long and be dark red in color. You can

start a worm bin with a pound of worms (about 600 - 1,000).

Red Wigglers can be purchased from a worm farm, garden

supply, bait shop, pet store, or online. They are amazing

creatures - Red Wigglers have ten simple hearts (five pairs of

aortic arches), no bones or teeth, and each worm is both male

and female (hermaphrodite). They are quite prolific and will

leave small egg sacs in their bedding. Each egg hatches several

babies, who will be able to reproduce in about three months. You

should never run out of worms, and will be able to share your

worms within one year. Don’t worry - the population will not

grow too large for your bin.

Feeding Your WormsFeeding Your WormsFeeding Your WormsFeeding Your Worms

DO FEED YOUR WORMSDO FEED YOUR WORMSDO FEED YOUR WORMSDO FEED YOUR WORMS DO DO DO DO NOTNOTNOTNOT FEED YOUR FEED YOUR FEED YOUR FEED YOUR

WORMSWORMSWORMSWORMS

AAAAny type of kitchen ny type of kitchen ny type of kitchen ny type of kitchen scrapscrapscrapscrapssss that come that come that come that come

fromfromfromfrom fruit, vegetables or grains: fruit, vegetables or grains: fruit, vegetables or grains: fruit, vegetables or grains:

• peels, stems, rinds, cores, corn

cobs

• seeds and pits

• old lettuce

• coffee grounds and filters, tea

bags (without staples)

• bread crusts, plain rice, other

grains

An occasional paper towel, moldy

fruit or burned pancake is OK to add.

• Meat, fish, bones

• cheese

• gravy, salad

dressings, oils,

butter

• heavily salted foods

like chips or

pickles

The worms cannot eat

plastics, metals or

glass.

2

Red WigglersRed WigglersRed WigglersRed Wigglers are able to eat about half their weight every day.

You can put one 1/2 pound of food scrap in the bin daily, if you

start with a pound of worms. You do not need to feed the worms

every day, and they may be left alone when you go on vacation.

Remember the worms want our scraps, and not good

food that you could eat later. The rule to never forget: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS

BURY YOUR FOOD UNDER THE BEDDING!!!BURY YOUR FOOD UNDER THE BEDDING!!!BURY YOUR FOOD UNDER THE BEDDING!!!BURY YOUR FOOD UNDER THE BEDDING!!! Unburied food in a

receptacle can attract fruit flies. Our team recommends adding

scraps to the bin as they are generated. You can put an entire

apple core or banana peel in the bin, but the smaller the pieces,

the faster the decomposition will occur.

Overloading the system may result in an unpleasant

odor. If this happens, gently use a trowel to loosen the bedding

to allow air circulation and do not add any new food for a few

days. With a little practice, you will become familiar with the

capacity of your own bin. If your bin has unburied food, cover

the bedding with a wet brown paper bag to keep fruit flies at

bay.

Worms need variety in their diet just like people do. Feed

them more than banana or orange peels – try including some of

their favorites such as watermelon, pumpkin and cantaloupe

rinds.

VitaminsVitaminsVitaminsVitamins::::

As an extra boost to fatten up worms and provide them with

trace nutrients to aid in reproduction. Consider these options:

1. Get Up &Get Up &Get Up &Get Up & Go: Go: Go: Go: Mix one tablespoon Milk of Magnesia and

one tablespoon Geritol with 14 ounces of water. Keep

in refrigerator and spray a few squirts over bedding

weekly.

2. CanCanCanCan----OOOO----WormsWormsWormsWorms™ recommends sprinkling recommends sprinkling recommends sprinkling recommends sprinkling wheat or corn

flour, powdered whole milk, or bran or wheat meal over

your bin

3. FrabillFrabillFrabillFrabill™ WormWormWormWorm Food Food Food Food is a commercial product available

at K-Mart or Sports Authority in the fishing department.

3

Other AdditivesOther AdditivesOther AdditivesOther Additives:

GritGritGritGrit: Red Wigglers have a gizzard, so giving them some sand or

soil will aid their digestion, as well as add beneficial microbes.

We recommend purchasing play sand, or bird grit pet food, to

give them a “dusting” once a week.

CalciumCalciumCalciumCalcium: Worms need this for reproduction. Boiled eggshells,

finely crushed, should be added regularly to provide calcium and

other nutrients. Our team has discovered that crushed limestone

or rock phosphate powder will also add calcium as well as help

keep the bin from becoming too acidic. These rock powders are

generally available at garden centers & are beneficial if “salted”

over the bedding weekly. Please don’t “salt” the worms’ bodies.

Protein:Protein:Protein:Protein: Worms need protein to help them maintain their

musculature. Magic Worm FoodMagic Worm FoodMagic Worm FoodMagic Worm Food, , , , a powdered worm protein, works

well. Do notDo notDo notDo not add meat or dairy products for a protein source.

Environment fEnvironment fEnvironment fEnvironment for Your Worm Binor Your Worm Binor Your Worm Binor Your Worm Bin

Your Worms will do best in temperaturestemperaturestemperaturestemperatures 60 60 60 60°°°° ---- 80808080°°°°FFFF. A closet

or basement, under the kitchen sink, or even your family room

could provide a convenient spot for your pets and their new

home. They like the darkdarkdarkdark and are very sensitive to vibrationsvibrationsvibrationsvibrations.

Do not place the bin close to appliances like washing machines,

dishwashers, or in spots where they may be stumbled upon or

kicked. MoistureMoistureMoistureMoisture levellevellevellevel is important since worms breathe through

their skin, and the bedding should remain as damp as a wrung

out sponge at all times. If you get puddles in the bottom of your

bin, you can remove some liquid with a gravy baster. You do not

want your worms to dry out either, so spray your bedding with

water if it is dry. (This rarely happens if food scraps are added

regularly.)

4