DIY Worm Bins For Kitchen Scraps

Before adding worms, prepare the bin by poking several holes in its lid and filling it with bedding materials such as shredded paper (not glossy magazine pages), food-grade cardboard shreds, coconut fiber or peat moss – moisture should still remain within this material, since worms breathe through their skins.

Chopped food scraps should be added to the bin in smaller pieces to expedite decomposition, and often check its bedding for moisture levels.

Construction

By using simple materials and basic tools, anyone can construct their own worm bin to recycle kitchen scraps into rich compost. For optimal results, an opaque plastic container with an opaque lid that blocks light is ideal, since worms do not thrive under bright lighting conditions and decompose slowly in these conditions. It would also be advantageous if it could be stackable so harvesting castings from multiple containers at the same time becomes simpler.

Fill your bin with bedding that holds moisture and makes working easy for worms. Bedding may include newspaper (only black-and-white sections), corrugated cardboard, peat moss or leaf mold. Bedding should be damp but not soggy – fluffy yet loose so worms can move freely in it – and should ideally not be tightly packed together for maximum worm movement. You may add some fine dirt from your garden for “grit”, which helps them digest their food more easily.

Add kitchen scraps that include fruits and vegetable scraps, un-stapled tea bags, and coffee grounds as your first food source for the worms. Avoid feeding them meat, fish or dairy products as these produce unpleasant odors and attract fruit flies or other unwanted insects to their environment.

To keep worms happy and ensure the most optimal environment for their colonization, it is recommended to feed them no more than one cup of food waste every week for at least a month after their arrival. Once established, however, you can gradually increase their feed.

If you decide to construct a multi-bin system, drill approximately 20 evenly spaced 1/4 inch holes in one bin before sliding it inside another bin. Place aluminum foil inside both bins as this will collect any leachate produced from worm castings as they migrate up from their bedding in one to their top locations, draining through these holes into another bin where it becomes rich fertilizer for your garden.

Ventilation

Worms need plenty of air in order to digest their food and create nutritious compost, so the bin must be well ventilated in order to ward off rodents, flies and other pests. In addition, protection should also be provided from rain, wind and sun which could cause overheating – such as being located inside a garage, shed or under deck where there’s shade or shelter from sun/rain/wind/sun exposure is ideal; outdoor bins should have lids that repel rainwater while keeping out rodents or animal predators such as raccoons/rodents etc.

Beginning worm farming requires customizing an ordinary plastic tote into a worm bin. Most worm bins feature two matching totes with hinged lids and an inset from the side to create an support frame which fits inside them – this should allow enough room for bedding material.

Fill your bin with several inches of bedding material that is at least three inches deep, such as newspaper (without glossy pages), corrugated cardboard, peat moss or coconut fiber. A small amount of soil or potting mix should also be added for digestion purposes – and the bedding should remain damp but fluffy without being soggy.

Once your bedding is complete, add your worms and feed them kitchen scraps each day for around a month – they will convert your organic waste into rich worm castings that you can use to fertilize your garden or give away to neighbors.

If your bin is filled with crawling worms, this could be a telltale sign that they’re overcrowded or need more food or moisture. Fluffing the bedding using either your hands or gardening fork can help alleviate this situation and create air pockets to break up dense areas in the bedding – try doing it once or twice per week as more frequent fluffing may disrupt their ecosystem too much.

Moisture Control

Moisture control is essential to keeping a successful worm colony. Aim for a bin that is on the dry side without becoming overly dry; direct sunlight may quickly dry it out. Also important is having adequate drainage; if water accumulates at the bottom, increasing watering schedule or adding bedding could be needed to drain away excess liquid; too much moisture in worm castings could produce unpleasant odors, while too much dampness could host bacteria harmful to plants and animals alike.

Plan to add one cup of food scraps per week during the initial months to give worms time to consume and digest their nourishment. This will ensure they can thrive.

Once the worms have adjusted to their new home, gradually increase food scraps as you progress with feeding them. When ready, prepare bedding by shredding paper (recycling printer paper works great!) or other high moisture materials such as cardboard, coconut coir and hay and moisten it using a spray bottle until it resembles a wet sponge texture.

Moisture levels within bedding affect airflow, while porosity plays an integral part in evenly dispersing it throughout your bin. Selecting suitable hydrophilic material (i.e. hydrophilic) for your worm colony is key – while hydrophobic will repel it and vice versa.

Moisture should always be monitored in your worm bin, especially if you’re adding high-moisture scraps such as fruits. If your bin feels like a swamp, chances are there’s too much moisture either in food scraps or bedding materials. In addition to increasing shredded paper or moist materials such as vermiculite bedding materials, try scattering some unhydrated agricultural lime around it for acid reduction and mite avoidance.

For optimal results, house your worms indoors or outdoors in a bin that’s fully enclosed by a layer of hay or straw to minimize heat loss and protect them against rain and wind. A double container setup may make harvesting castings more easily while discouraging rodents or raccoons from nibbling away at them.

Maintenance

A healthy worm colony requires food and bedding in order to flourish, from which they eat and urinate through it to create rich compost that can be used on plants. When the bedding becomes too wet, add dry material such as leaves to absorb excess moisture. Avoid adding foods that produce heat such as citrus fruits and vegetables, meat, fat, dairy products, eggshells or tea bags (without staple). Furthermore, woody materials or the labels put on fruit from grocery stores might not be digested by worms as efficiently.

To keep your worms happy and healthy, it is important to maintain a consistent temperature within their bin. Placing it in the shade on the north side of your house, shed or garden shed can help avoid extreme temperatures; but be mindful not to block air circulation either! Keeping this bin away from rain and wind while still permitting air circulation should help provide optimal conditions.

If you’re using a clear storage container, try covering it with cardboard or newspaper to prevent light from entering and increase worm survival. A darker worm bin will help ensure their success!

Create a supply of food for worms by shredding newspaper into 1 inch strips, as worms enjoy feasting on both black and white sections of paper. Shred corrugated cardboard, leaves or leaf mold, peat moss or garden soil are also excellent materials – you’ll need 3-4 inches in each bin.

Before adding food waste, make sure that the worm bedding is damp but not soggy. Too wet would absorb too much liquid from food waste and be difficult for worms to consume while too dry would attract fruit flies or other insects that feed off of its moisture content.

Once the worms have begun eating scraps, add additional bedding such as shredded paper to prevent overcrowding. Check your bedding every couple of days and remoisten as needed (ideally it should feel wet when squeezed) while also checking for fruit flies, centipedes or any other unwanted pests that may have infiltrated.