what to feed worms in a worm bin

Part 1.

• 1. Feed your worms fruit and vegetable scraps. Worms will enjoy a variety of fruits and veggies, like bananas, pumpkin, apples, lettuces, eggplant, ...
• 2. Add eggshells and coffee grounds to the worm bin. Coffee grounds are a great addition to a worm bin as they are full of nitrogen and have a neutral ...
• 3. Include hair, dust, wood ash, and sawdust. Pet and human hair, in addition to dust, like that which collects in a vacuum cleaner, can also be added ...
• 4. Provide organic matter for bedding. Leaves, grass clippings, black peat, and coconut coir, in addition to shredded egg cartons, paper, tissues, ...

Full Answer

What is the best food for worms?

Worm Food / What Worms Eat

• Greens, like kitchen scraps, are a great source of worm food and should always be something that grows from the ground. ...
• Composting worms are very resilient and can go a long time without food. ...
• This will help break down the cells of the plant, turning it into mush. ...
• Worm Food Using Manure. ...

More items...

What do you feed worms to keep them alive?

the average night crawler diet consists of:

• Decomposing veggies
• Decomposing fruit
• Decomposing plant matter
• Fungi
• Other microorganisms
• Lard & Cornmeal

What is your worms favorite food?

Try to limit or avoid these foods entirely:

• Onions and onion skins
• Potatoes and potato peels
• Citrus fruits and their rinds
• Animal feces
• Meat
• Fats or fatty foods
• Dairy foods

What should you feed vermicomposting worms?

• Pumpkin
• Leftover corn cobs
• Melon rinds
• Banana peels
• Fruit and veggie detritus

What do you feed worms in bin?

DO feed your worms a rich assortment of the following fruit, vegetable, and organic waste, including:Fruit and vegetable peels, rinds and cores.Egg shells.Coffee grounds and filters.Tea bags.Aged manure from any vegetable-eating animal (rabbits, horses, cows, llamas, etc.)

What should you not feed worms?

Items you cannot compost in a worm bin: Lemon, lime, orange or other citrus peels and juice (in excess this will make the soil too acidic) Onions and garlic (a good rule of thumb is if it makes you smell, it makes your worm bin smell) Meat, fats, grease, bones or oils (no butter, lard, stocks, soups, etc)

How often should you feed your worm bin?

Depending on the size of your bin, feed the worms from once a week to every two days with about a cup (240 ml.) of food. You may want to keep a journal regarding how quickly your worms consume certain things so you can adjust timings, amounts, and varieties. A stinky worm bin may be an indicator of overfeeding.

Can I feed my worms coffee grounds?

Worms love to eat coffee grounds, and that's great news for your garden. Add coffee grounds to your compost pile to help attract worms, which help speed up the process of turning food scraps into compost. You can also add coffee grounds directly to the soil, but you'll have to be careful not to overdo it.

Will worms eat banana peels?

Bananas are a great and inexpensive snack for both us and our worms. Those peels are desirable to compost worms no matter what shape they're in. They'll make short work of what otherwise would have taken up space in your trash.

Do worms like grass clippings?

Grass clippings are a great addition to a traditional compost pile and worms will eat these as well in their natural setting, but in your vermicomposting system, they will heat up the soil and can kill all of your worms.

What is the best food for worms?

The Best Worm Foods for Your SoilFruit peels (not citrus)Melon rinds.Carrots.Coffee grounds.Teabags (check if biodegradable)Bread.Cereal (unsweetened)Pasta (plain)More items...•

Is oatmeal good for worms?

Fruits and vegetables (uncooked or peels) – you can feed your worms any variation as long as it's not citrus based (you'll have to stay way from lemons, oranges, pineapples and all that since it has high acidity levels) Starchy food wastes – these can be in the form of bread, oatmeal, and pasta.

Can worms eat potato peels?

Vegetable Waste Carrot peelings, potato skins, broccoli and cauliflower stalks, lettuce, kale, even onion peels (in limited quantities) are perfect for the worm bin. Vegetable waste like this isn't prone to overheating your bin either, so this is another low-maintenance food.

Do worms eat eggshells?

eggshells - worms simply can't eat them. They will still be there when you remove the worm castings, and you'll have eggshells in the garden. Eggshells are good for the garden, so if you crush them up, and put them in the worm farm, they'll end up adding calcium to your soil.

Can worms eat tea bags?

Tea Bags: Yes! The tea bags will start to break down in the worm bin, and the worms will finish off the contents.

How much water do worms need?

Watering daily or multiple times per week is not normally required. In many cases you can water every week or 2 - it depends on temperature, humidity, and other factors so monitor the bin and if you see it getting dry give it a good misting or spray.

What to feed worms?

1. Feed your worms fruit and vegetable scraps. Worms will enjoy a variety of fruits and veggies, like bananas, pumpkin, apples, lettuces, eggplant, berries, squash, and greens. However, you should avoid feeding citrus fruits, including oranges, limes, lemons, and grapefruits, to your worms.

What to put in worm bin?

Add eggshells and coffee grounds to the worm bin. Coffee grounds are a great addition to a worm bin as they are full of nitrogen and have a neutral pH. Egg shells are also quite beneficial as they provide calcium for your worms.

How to keep fruit flies out of worm bin?

Cover the food with shredded newspaper. Shredded newspaper, or burlap, should cover the food at all times. It keeps the bin dark and moist, which discourages fruit flies. Always replace the covering after feeding your worms, and add new materials if the top layer starts to break down or become mushy.

How to feed worms with burlap?

Once your food or scraps are ready to be added to the worm bin, remove the newspaper or burlap covering. Place the food on the feeding tray or in the bin, but avoid burying it in the worm castings. Try to place the food in a different area each time you feed your worms.

What to feed worms before feeding them?

Just make sure the eggshells are free of fats, like cooking oil or butter, before feeding them to your worms. Include hair, dust, wood ash, and sawdust. Pet and human hair, in addition to dust, like that which collects in a vacuum cleaner, can also be added to the worm bin.

What do worms eat?

Worms will eat many things, including fruits, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds, leaves, grass clippings, paper, and cardboard ! However, there are also some foods you should avoid feeding your worms, like meat, grains, and dairy products.

What is the best bedding for worms?

Leaves, grass clippings, black peat, and coconut coir, in addition to shredded egg cartons, paper, tissues, paper towels, and cardboard are examples of good organic bedding choices that will break down and serve as a food source for your worms.

What do composting worms eat?

This includes grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans. Plant matter is filled with nutrients and vitamins that worms need.

How do worms digest food?

Worms do not have teeth. Their little mouths take in the food. Therefore, they can digest food faster if it is: 1 Soft 2 Cut into small pieces, with a knife or food processor 3 Somewhat moist 4 Buried in the bin – just below the surface for Red composting worms

What to do with leftovers from a plate?

When scraping leftovers from plates, discard meat, dairy products , and bones. Foods drenched in oils, oily sauces, and vinegar dressings should be rinsed or discarded. Citrus and pineapple can go in the trash. Small amounts of tomato are fine. The rest can go in the compost collection pail and later, in the worm bin.

What happens if a worm bin is too acidic?

If the bin becomes too acidic, there will be a bad odor, and the worms’ healthy could be compromised. Do not add citrus peels, pulp, or juice (orange, lemon, lime). Also, pineapple is too high in acid. Large amounts of tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato juice are not good. Very small quantities of these foods will not make a difference.

Can you put toxic items in a worm bin?

Discard the water. Do not put toxic items in the worm bin. Worms are living creatures and they could die. Sawdust from pressure-treated wood is toxic. So are plants heavily treated with pesticides and herbicides. Carbon paper and carbonless paper are off the menu. So is office paper, because it is bleached white.

Can you put animal products in worm bins?

How Animal Products and Greasy Foods Ruin the Composter. You should never add meat, animal products, dairy products, or greasy, oily foods to the worm bin. The oils, meat, and milk become rancid as they decompose. Rotting oils cause a powerful and unpleasant odor.

Do worms have teeth?

Their excrement, called “humus,” contains digested nutrients and earth-friendly bacteria. Humus makes an ideal fertilizer for growing new plants. Worms do not have teeth. Their little mouths take in the food. Therefore, they can digest food faster if it is: Soft. Cut into small pieces, with a knife or food processor.

Why use an urban worm bag?

Using an Urban Worm Bag gives you plenty of surface space, excellent depth, and provides that all-necessary air to keep your bin from getting too soggy.

Why do worms need grit?

Remember, grit is necessary to speed their digestion process so they can eat more and break down your waste products. Be sure to add a handful whenever you replace the bedding or remove compost. So when you’re torn on what to feed worms, feel free to refer to this list for inspiration.

How much food do red wigglers eat?

Most red wigglers or European nightcrawlers will eat almost anything. The average worm will consume half its body weight in food and bedding per day. If you start with a pound of worms, they should eat a half-pound of food and bedding per day, and so on.

Do worms eat bedding?

Remember, worms aren’ t limited to the same things that we eat. They also consume their bedding, any other plant material, and so on. If it’s the dead of winter and you’re low on fruit and vegetable matter, and you’re out of homemade worm feed, don’t fret. Here’s another list of options for you!

Can worms eat citrus?

Worms will eat citrus rinds, but too much citrus can cause skin irritation for them. It’s best to pre-compost your citrus in a standard compost bin or compost spinner. Onions and other alliums like leeks often get ignored until they’ve broken down a bit. This means they can make your worm bin smell.

What to feed worms?

Some “DON’TS” in the feeding of worms are: 1 Do not add salty or oily foods 2 Do not add tomatoes or potatoes 3 Do not add meat or dairy products

What do worms eat?

Worms will eat any of the following: Pumpkin. Leftover corn cobs. Melon rinds. Banana peels. Fruit and veggie detritus. However, it is best to avoid putting citrus, onions, and garlic in the worm bin. Onions and garlic will eventually be broken down by worms, but the odor in the interim may be more than you can handle!

How much food scraps do worms eat?

One pound of worms (about 1,000 worms) will eat about ½ to 1 pound (0.25-0.5 kg.) of food scraps per day.

Can you feed worms hot manure?

Don’t feed the worms pet waste or any “hot” manure. “Hot” manure is un-composted animal waste and its addition may result in heating the bin too much for the worms.

Can worms eat tomatoes?

Worms will eat tomatoes but make sure to break down the seed or you will likely have some tomato sprouts in the bin. No big deal, however, as you can just pull them out. The same may occur with potatoes and their eyes spouting before the potato is consumed.

Can citrus kill worms?

Citrus pulp or any highly acidic fruit added to the worm bin in large quantities can kill off your worms, so be aware and only add small amounts or just add the citrus peels without the pulp. When vermiculture feeding, basically go “green.”.

What to feed compost worms?

The "Go" List of items you should feed compost worms includes most raw/uncooked fruits and vegetables as well as the following items: 1 Worms have a sweet tooth so most fruits are a great idea (just not citrus). Compost worms love bananas and banana peels, grapes, melon, pears, berries, peaches, apples, and avocado (but not the pit or rinds) 2 Green leafy vegetables (e.g., romaine) 3 Pumpkin and squash 4 Pulp from juicers (avoid citrus) 5 Crushed egg shells 6 Coffee and tea grounds in small quantities (too many can lead to an acidic bed which can harm the worms) 7 Shredded cardboard, egg cartons, and paper towels 8 Most leaves (as long as they haven't been treated with pesticides or herbicides)

What foods are good for worms?

Meat or other animal products. Cooked foods (due to oil and salt content) Citrus fruits. "Spicy" foods like peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger. Tomatoes or tomato sauce (it's too acidic for worms) Foods cooked with oils. Foods high in salt content.

How to know if compost worms are processed?

You'll know the compost worms have fully processed the prior feeding when 1) the food is no longer visible on the surface of the worm bin and 2) the worms are not grouped together in a ball where you fed them. Rule #4: Don't bury the food!

What do compost worms eat?

Compost worms love bananas and banana peels, grapes, melon, pears, berries, peaches, apples, and avocado (but not the pit or rinds) Green leafy vegetables (e.g., romaine) Pumpkin and squash. Pulp from juicers (avoid citrus) Crushed egg shells. Coffee and tea grounds in small quantities (too many can lead to an acidic bed which can harm the worms) ...

How to kill worms?

This is especially true with feeding your worms. Over-feeding, along with temperature, is one of the easiest ways to quickly kill your worm population. Think of feeding your worms like drinking a bottle of wine - you don't usually drink the entire bottle in 1 glass or gulp. You enjoy it in moderation over several glasses or days.

Do worms eat food?

Worms actually eat microorganisms that are feeding on the food waste, so they like soft food or food that has been cut into small pieces (this helps accelerate the decomposition process and increases the number of microorganisms for worms to eat).

Can you sprinkle worms over food?

It is ok to sprinkle a little of their original bedding (which should already be in the bin) over the food, but the food should never be buried and should be visible to your eye. Rule #5: See rule #1! Rule #6: After the first feeding, feed the worms 1/3 to 1/2 of their weight. So if you purchased 2 pounds of worms, ...

What is the best bedding for worms?

In my opinion, the best worm bedding, with or without first inoculating your bin with vermicompost, is aged horse manure. It is rich in microbes and seems to be a good mix of carbon and nitrogen, without being too rich in either which makes it a great “dual purpose” medium as a bedding and secondarily as a food.

How much moisture should a worm bin be?

A worm bin should be a moist, but not wet environment. Maintain moisture at approximately 60-70%. (Update: I used to suggest a higher number, but I recently wrote this blog post about how I think I was steering you wrong about worm bin moisture!)

What does a worm look like?

Unless you started with a leafy, woody, worm medium, the surface of your worm environment may start to look like the top of a billiards table as the worms have worked through the surface material. This is especially so if you use a layer of carpet, fabric, or cardboard on the top of your bedding and food.

What to put in your bin if you can't import an ecosystem?

So if you can't import an ecosystem, you'll need to do your best to simulate one by adding small amounts of the following material to your bin along with your bedding: Soil. Dead or composted leaves. A small amount of sand or limestone. Anything you wouldn't mind finding in your garden, basically.

How much do worms eat per day?

per week! This is far, far less than the oft-repeated 50-100% per day number bandied about. So if you've got a handle on how much to feed, please check out this article on what to feed your worms.

Is worm composting aerobic?

Worm composting is an aerobic process and the quality of your castings (if you intend to use them, and especially if you intend to sell them) is strongly correlated to maintaining highly aerobic conditions in your bed.

Can worms escape the first night?

But as I learned a few years ago, starting a successful, thriving worm bin from scratch where worms won't try to escape the first night is another matter. While the following directions are necessary, they are not sufficient to ensure you make a hospitable environment for your worms to eat, poop, and reproduce.

How to keep worms in a worm bin?

Lift up the bedding and underlying material to bring air into the system. Keep your worm bin in an environment with a fairly constant temperature that is neither too hot nor too cold. Never keep your worm bin in an area that receives direct sun exposure, or in an area that will become colder than 5 degrees Celcius.

What is a worm bin?

When fully balanced and working productively, a worm bin is home to an array of insects and micro-organisms. Not to worry; every single one of those creatures prefers to stay inside the worm bin.

How to get oxygen into worm compost?

You should add lots of dry, shredded paper, lifting it into your worm compost to bring additional oxygen into your system. Lift up the dry shredded paper or bedding every few weeks and gently dig to the bottom of the tray, taking care not to disrupt the worms too much. If the material at the bottom of your tray or bin looks wet and smells a little, ...

What are white worms?

Potworms (Enchytraeidae) or white worms are white, threadlike worms which many people frequently mistake for baby redworms. Don't be fooled! Baby red wigglers are red and look exactly like their parents. Potworms thrive in moist areas, so the wetter your worm bin, the more white worms you will have.

What is the only predator you're likely to see in your worm bin?

Generally reddish, they move fast and are the only worm predator you're ever likely to ever see in your bin. If you see one, remove it carefully by hand. Careful - they pinch! Bacteria are by far the most numerous organisms in your bin, along with molds and fungi.

What are the most abundant inhabitants of worm bins?

They have a segmented, armored shell, seven pairs of legs and two antennae. Mites (Acarina) are typically the most plentiful and visible inhabitants of a worm bin, feeding on decaying organic matter, fungi and other organisms. They are generally found on the surface amongst the upper layers of the bedding.

What are pill bugs?

Their most striking feature is a spring-like organ that they use to catapult them forward. Sow or pill bugs (Isopoda), so called because of their tendency to roll up when threatened, sow bugs shred and consume some of the toughest materials, which are high in cellulose and lignins.