CARE OF REDWORMS (Eisenia fetida)

CONTAINER

Almost any container that will keep the redworm in and offers drainage and sufficeint oxygen can be used. The basic worm box size is one foot high, two feet deep and three feet wide and has air holes in the bottom. However, a variety of containers will do.

BEDDING

We recommend bedding made from shredded newspaper and compost. Tear regular newsprint only ( no color pages) in strips approximately 1 1/2 inches wide. You will need about 10 pounds for the above container. The bedding should be moistened to the "firm ball" stage. When squeezed, water droplets ( not streams ) will fall and when released it will form a ball. The bedding should never be so wet that water drains out of the air holes in the bottom of the bin. Redworms are surface feeders and only the top six inches or so needs to be damp. Ideally the bottom of the bin can be bone dry.

SALT WILL KILL THE WORMS****

Spread your worms and the bedding they came in over the moistened bedding. The worms should disappear into the bedding in 10 -15 minutes.

The worms will have a tendency to try to crawl when first put into a new bin or bed. You will need to put a tight fitting vented lid on your bin or keep a light on over them to prevent them from escaping. The redworm will usually settle down within a few days.

It is normal to have worms crawling up the sides and getting under the lid of a plastic bin. They like to be in the condensation that forms in these bins. If you can tap on the lid to get them back onto to the bedding. Make sure there is a light on over the bin. Once the sides and top of the bin dry out the worms will go back into the bedding.

FOOD

The worms will consume any kind of biodegradable matter except materials containing excess oil or chemicals.

SUGGESTED- fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags, eggshells, and any vegetable matter.

NO- meat, bones, salt, vinegar, cooking oils and dairy products.

A 12 to 14 gallon worm bin will hold about six pounds of organic waste per week but we recommend starting more slowly. To encourage decomposition, you may want to finely chop material before adding it to the bin.

HARVESTING

Your worm bin should be ready to harvest in about two to three months. To remove your worms make a cone shape pile about 8 to 10 inches high in bright light or under the sun.  The worms will work there way down to the bottom of the pile and form a ball of worms just remove the castings from the top until you get to the worms. Place the worms in there new home to start the process over again. 

OUTDOOR COMPOSTING

Composting Redworms can also be used in an outdoor compost pile. If possible, release the worms in the morning. This will give them time to settle into their new environment before dark and help to prevent crawling. Simply dig a shallow hole in the pile; spread the worms along with the bedding they came with into the hole and cover. The worms will naturally seek out an area of the pile that is the right temperature. During cold months, they will migrate into the center where the temperature is generally warmer and in warm months they will migrate to the outside.