Setting Up a Basic Worm Bin

[amommamust]

Do I understand you to say that I should not add worms until the bin sits for 2 weeks?

[gershom44]

hey man what do you use for covering?

[TheCompostGuy]

@gershom44 - what do you mean by "covering"?

[gershom44]

@TheCompostGuy as far as the top of the container? will a basic cover do

[TheCompostGuy]

@gershom44 - the lid that comes with these sorts of tubs should work ok as long as you make sure to put lots of air holes in it. You may also opt to keep the system lidless (great for air flow) - just make sure to always keep a really thick layer of bedding materials (shredded cardboard etc) up top at all times (not a bad idea in general for that matter).

[crazyaboutcompost]

Such a simple video to follow, thanks Bentley!

I found that exact container model in my basement earlier, time for the worms! So stoked.

[mafosta1]

wont it fill up with water(worm tea) as there are no drainage holes. unless if i missed soething

[katonet]

Hi, I started my compost based on this video, Thank You :D . But I have some doubts: How often do I have to mix the compost? and How often do I have to dampen?

[TahshaTPitsMe]

I recently started my own compost, but What are the friendly bugs we are looking for? Not maggots right??? That's what I've got in mine, Do I have to start all over??? Please help

[TheCompostGuy]

@TahshaTPitsMe - There aren't too many bugs I would consider "harmful". Often when you see an explosion of a certain type of critter it means you are feeding too much. If your "maggots" are large they are very likely black soldier fly larvae. They are not directly harmful to worms, but over time they may reduce the habitat quality. Try feeding only shredded cardboard for awhile. You definitely don't need to start over entirely.

[mjkc02]

@TahshaTPitsMe - Maggots come into the system from flies laying eggs in the compost one of the things you can try is putting a piece of small mesh shade cloth over the top of the compost to stop so many flies getting in and laying their eggs. This may help. I agree with the compost guy you certainly don't need to start again.

[ChogNompa]

can I make one by stacking 4 bins cut through the lids. Then put holes in them for the worms to pass. Will there be enough 02 for the aerobic bacteria to survive in every bin?

[TheCompostGuy]

@ChogNompa - you can do that, but what tends to happen with these is that the weight from the upper bins ends up pressing down and reducing oxygen in the lower bins (not helped by the fact that they are generally filled with lots of wet material).

[Theleoncio516]

good powerpoint!

[montyloree]

how many worms do you put in at the start of the process?

[TheCompostGuy]

@montyloree - it depends on the size of the system and the approach you want to take. I often like to start systems to a fairly small quantity of worms (simply transferred over from another system with some of their habitat) and then allow them to grow into the new bin/bed. Others like adding as many worms as they can get away with so as to start with fast processing speeds.

[triplej2002]

Thanks for the video... we have a few plastic bags that are filled with what WAS leaves... the bags were outside for a while and the leaves finally composted. There are TONS of worms in the bags, so could I add those worms to a composting bin like this? I saw you said below that you needed a certain type of worm and that they wouldn't reproduce in a bin. I would hate to buy worms if I can just use the ones that are already out back. Thanks for your help!

[TheCompostGuy]

@triplej2002 - If you have LOADS of worms and they are small and reddish in color you may be in luck since they are likely some type of composting species. If they are simply a bunch of soil worms that have come up from the ground, they won't likely do all that well in an enclosed bin.

[trigerboyy]

i remember we have a neighbor who does composting and it stinks all over the place, neghborhood were complaining, how can the foul smell be prevented? i want to start my own composting but don't wan't to be sued by neighbor

[TheCompostGuy]

@trigerboyy - what's interesting is that when you add composting worms they can get rid of foul odors quite quickly. I remember one time I set up a "normal" backyard composter with LOTS of food waste. It ended up stinking to high heaven. I decided to add a bunch of composting worms from another system and within a few days the horrible smell had vanished!

[JipseyGod]

How do I take the good compost out??????

[TheCompostGuy]

There are a number of different ways to do this, but generally it will involve some sort of dump and sort approach. Feel free to send me a msg if you would like me to point you in the direction of some info about this.

[jihadacadien]

Pretty great tutorial =)......probably gonna try this soon is you let it sit for two weeks before adding the worms.

[zzsicker]

does it mater wat kind of newpaper i use?

[TheCompostGuy]

I would definitely recommend sticking with black and white as much as possible

[dkim68]

I had some scraps left over from eating a bunch of artichokes. Can cooked vegetables be used in compost?

[TheCompostGuy]

Absolutely - in fact cooking and freezing vegetables is a great way to aid the breakdown process. Microbes and worms will be able to start feeding on the materials more quickly.

[anotherSA]

I assume from this video that you should wait 1-2 weeks before adding the worms. If this is incorrect, please reply saying so. I love the idea of putting cardboard/absorbant compost paper in the bottom of the scraps container.

[TheCompostGuy]

Yep - you got it. It is not critical to do this but it definitely helps get the microbes (ie food) going for the worms.

[carringtonblush]

Thanks for these great, clear instructions... but how do you get the worm castings? In one shot you had two tubs stacked so I thought the bottom one was to catch the castings, but I take it that's not part of the design?

[TheCompostGuy]

This is a very low-tech bin. To harvest castings you would likely need to dump the contents out on a tarp in the sun and gradually scrape it away (the worms will continue to dive down)

[theroilsoil]

Dumping on a tarp is not required, just remove the lid and let light shine on the pile for a few minutes - the worms will automatically start digging towards the bottom of the bin.

Then, just scrape off the layers of worm castings until you start seeing worms.

It's that simple, and simple is always better. :)

[pegonomics]

Simple Straightforword Clear.

Im gonna do it!

[pb6075]

do the worms repurduce

\

[TheCompostGuy]

They sure do! But make sure you have the right "composting worms" (Eisenia fetida is the most common species). Soil worms will not reproduce in a bin like this.

[Travisdjtg]

fission!!!!!!!!!

[borkumriff]

Why are you wasting all that food?

[TheCompostGuy]

This video was made for educational purposes, so yes some food was sacrificed in order to help me illustrate. I have no idea how this is a "waste" (rather funny to refer to it as such) - Just because a human didn't consume it certainly doesn't make it a waste. If you feed an apple to a horse, is that a waste? I just happened to be feeding worms, and making some beautiful compost in the process. :-)

[rileannas]

Bentley, you're the only person I know apart from me who sees worms as pets :)

[grizzlylongcut01]

my question in can i use nughtcrawlers that ive gotten from a vending machine as bait to start up my bin will they reproduce? or have they been put under stress being in the little containers???

[803honda]

theyll get over it eventually.

u can make em reproduce by cuttin em in half. lol

[TheCompostGuy]

nightcrawlers (Lumbricus terrestris) are definitely not well suited for worm bins. An outdoor worm bed sitting on top of the soil (with an open bottom) is a much better option. This worms require soil to love it, a lot more space to spread out in, and cooler temps.

[R3aper81]

Are earth worms composting worms? Cuz i have alot in my backyard and i wanna make a worm bin. Do earthworms go in what you just made or just dirt and food scraps

[TheCompostGuy]

Composting worms are 'Earthworms', but not soil worms if that makes sense. No? (haha) Ok - basically the group of worms is known as 'earthworms', but all of them don't necessarily reside in soil. The 'composting species' (such as red worms) prefer a much richer habitat like a compost heap or manure pile. the worms you get from your yard won't be good for composting most likely.

[Fog94142]

Beside cardboards, I'd like to use shredded newspapers for bedding material also but I'm concerned about the inks used in them. Will newspaper ink be toxic to worms? Thanks

[Bongosmania]

I would say: Call your local newspaper and ask them type of ink they use. If soy or other organic ink OK to use. Do not use any/all glossy pages...these are covered by a thin plastic film no good for composting =)

[Bongosmania]

I forgot to say; anytime we're in doubt of ink or addional materials added to the paper, it's the best to PUSH those multimillionaire companies to start switching to organic materials instead. If they know we are concerned they'll be eagered to change their burning of more fossils. We can help Mother Nature even if we don't compost =)

[saturno236]

NO there are no flies around a lot a humidity a have the bin in the balcony and I live in Florida so the heat and the humidity are very high. But I was thinking that when I put the worms in the bin I will move them inside the house were the temp is around 72F Because of AC. What do you think?

[TheCompostGuy]

Definitely better to have them in where it is cooler. It gets really reall hot in Florida in the summer so you don't want to cook them.

[saturno236]

I did this, but got fungus and trash worms did you know why this happen? I do have red wigglers in a box but haven't use them in the bin yet. Can you help me? Thanks

[TheCompostGuy]

Hi,

Without the worms in the system there is going to be a better opportunity for other organisms to establish themselves. The point of this waiting period is to develop the microbial community so don't worry about the fungus - just mix everything around before adding the worms. Not sure what "trash worms" are - do you mean maggots? If this system is left in an area where there are a lot of flies it is possible they will invade. Anyway - I'd recommend adding your worms to the system.

[bealsfamily]

I was wondering where i can get worms to start my worm bin.

[TheCompostGuy]

Forgot about the worm tea question. The best worm tea (compost tea in general) is made from fully mature compost, rather than from the leachate draining from a worm bin (which is generally anaerobic and can contain some harmful compounds that impede plant growth).

That being said, if you drill some holes in the bottom of the bin and catch the leachate you could then mix it with water and aerate it (with an aquarium pump) before use.

[TheCompostGuy]

Wow you are fast - I was just about to respond. :-)

For the benefit of anyone else wondering the same thing - composting worms feed on the diverse community of microbes that colonize food waste (causing it to rot). Fresh food waste doesn't have the necessary microbes to support the worms.

Thanks for the question!

[dionysusstar]

Well you answered the rotting question on your other video. Thanks for posting these vids.

[dionysusstar]

What about the worm tea? I've never seen anyone let the veggies rot for 1-2 weeks before adding the worms...most add the fresh waste from their kitchen...why the rotting? How long did it take for the worms to digest all of the bedding and veggies?