Eco-Outfitter Blog

There is a growing interest in composting with worms.  So we thought we’d take a little time to highlight some of the most common questions regarding vermiculture.   This is an on going exercise and for today we’ll take on five questions.

Q:  I’m thinking about getting a worm bin, how many worms should I start with?
A:  There is no absolute answer to this question. The starting quantity depends on whether you want to jump start right into composting materials.  Or to spend the first few months growing worms. The less worms you start with, the less material that you can compost. On the flipside, the more worms you have (meaning a full house) the less multiplying the worms will do. Quite a dynamic equation.

Q.  Will I get too many worms?
A.  No, you can never have too many worms. They will regulate their population to the confines of
available space and the amount of food you give them. Worm concentration should reach capacity (about 15,000 to 20,000 worms) after 2 – 5 years.

Q:  How much will my worms eat?
A: This depends on how many worms you have. Worms can eat up to half their own body weight every day and can double their population every few months. If you start your worm compost with 1 pound/450 grams of mature worms (identify mature worms by a distinct ring shaped swelling around their body) they will consume up to half a pound /225 grams of food waste per day. After a few months you should have double your worm population and you can feed
them more. The baby worms, however, won’t eat much and will take about 3 months to mature.

Q.  What shouldn’t I feed my worms?
A.  Be careful what you feed your worms particularly if you are unaware of its source. Manures, for example, from horses, cattle or dogs often has vermicides still active in it that were designed to kill parasitic worms in the animal. They can kill all your worms in one day. If you use animal manures make sure you know when worming is conducted and avoid using the manure for a few weeks.

Feeding worms bread is also not advised.  The yeast is still alive no matter the age of the
bread.  Yeast loves to live inside worms and will multiply actively, thus killing the worms.

Q. Will my worm bin smell?
A. The only smell associated with a well maintained worm farm is a pleasant rainforest
odour. If your worm bin has an offensive smell, it is an indication that anaerobic bacteria have built up in the system in uneaten food wastes. Stop feeding the worms and stir the wastes in the top tray lightly with a garden fork adding lime mix (not garden lime as it is too strong) as well. This aerates the organic material and allows worms to move through it more easily. Repeat this
aeration procedure regularly to prevent recurrence. Start feeding again when all smells are gone

Activators like BioWish Compost Boost might also help reduce odors.

Check out our selection of worm bins and supplies.