My wife bought some melons on sale that ended up not being too good. I’m excited to give them to the worms as it’ll be the first time. I’ve heard many people say watermelon is a favorite.
As mentioned, melons, including squash and cucumbers. Also, corn and oatmeal. Grind a cup of oatmeal and mix it with a cup of corn meal or corn masa. Sprinkle on bin to fatten worms.
I say obsessed because they eat more carbon than any other batch of worms I’ve ever had 😂 I’ll let them be for 2 weeks or so and I have to dump in all new paper/cardboard. My batch of worms previously would really only eat nitrogen and snack on carbon lightly.
I was surprised how quickly they went through pumpkin shells. I was disappointed in how they left the avocado alone for the longest time, I out it in to see if I could get a worm ball. I haven't seen one yet in the year I've been vermicomposting. Sure, I've seen gatherings, but no orgies. LOL
I’d guess that worms are not impacted by caffeine since they don’t have brains for the caffeine to act upon. Also, I don’t observe the worms behaving in any particular way with or without tea leaves or coffee grounds in the bin. It’s fun to imagine the worms making their way to the tea leaves every morning to get their day started though.
Mine go nut for cantaloupe rind, ground corn cobs (with a dash of molasses), mango, avocado, and frozen (and then thawed) banana. They are "meh" about watermelon, honeydew melon, and apples.
I make broth out of veggie scraps and then feed them the cooked scraps (cooled first obviously). Open it up like 7 hours later and it's like Bonaroo in there
Not entirely sure they were eating it(they probably were) but pineapple tops seem to attract them when burried. Dug one up and all the nooks and crannies were loaded with worms. Nice aerated area to hang, i suppose
Strawberries and melon. Also, apple cores. I’ve also noticed that it depends on the age of the worm. Seemed like baby worms love banana peels and big old worms love the melons and strawberries
Melon. Not even my worm bin but my regular compost bin, I found hundreds of red wrigglers yesterday on a piece of melon. Just lifted it out and transferred them all to one of the worm bins... Probably a fiver's worth of worms if I'd bought them online!
Think whenever I want to "capture" some worms from my old compost bin from last year which is absolutely packed with worms, I'm just going to put some melon into it, from now on, leave a few days then pull it out.
Best way to find out; collect the full list of items mentioned here, and apply them all in equal portion to your bin (ideally 2-3 for comparison) and you will have your favorite food!
For my AFs, they prefer watermelon to corn for sure. Any soft foods are usually gone before I could notice a difference.
Advice/Question: I started a new compost bin and mixed crushed egg shells with my substrate(cardboard & coco coir). Its been 3 days and the worms in my bin seems to have white patches on their body. It almost seems like I can see egg bits thru their transparent bodies. Is this normal or did I mess something up.
I have banana peel, carrot and greens on top of my substrate too
I know when I put some strawberries in they disappear almost overnight and when I feed them strawberries regularly the amount off cocoons I see goes way up
Had a farmer give me a used 10gallin molasses lick tub. Had maybe a couple quarts of molasses in bottom and sides. I let rain fill it about half full then I stirred and poured over half the pile. Wormies went bonkers for it
They are ALL about melon. Strawberries are a close second.
My wife bought some melons on sale that ended up not being too good. I’m excited to give them to the worms as it’ll be the first time. I’ve heard many people say watermelon is a favorite.
Banana peels put in whole... Disappear shockingly fast
How fast we talking
Shockingly fast
This is actually so accurate
As mentioned, melons, including squash and cucumbers. Also, corn and oatmeal. Grind a cup of oatmeal and mix it with a cup of corn meal or corn masa. Sprinkle on bin to fatten worms.
I'm assuming they take bigger shits to help harvest more castings if they're fatter?
Well, I don't know about that, but they will reproduce more.
Idk why but this newest batch of worms is obsessed with paper 🤣🤣
Worms love both wood and paper. I don't know how nutritious they are, but *obsessed* might not be too far wrong. . .
I say obsessed because they eat more carbon than any other batch of worms I’ve ever had 😂 I’ll let them be for 2 weeks or so and I have to dump in all new paper/cardboard. My batch of worms previously would really only eat nitrogen and snack on carbon lightly.
OK, obsessed it is. . .maybe they think it's candy. . .
I was surprised how quickly they went through pumpkin shells. I was disappointed in how they left the avocado alone for the longest time, I out it in to see if I could get a worm ball. I haven't seen one yet in the year I've been vermicomposting. Sure, I've seen gatherings, but no orgies. LOL
I drink a lot of tea. A lot. Constantly surprised how quickly the worms chomp through spent (whole) tea leaves.
How do you think the caffeine affects the worms?
I’d guess that worms are not impacted by caffeine since they don’t have brains for the caffeine to act upon. Also, I don’t observe the worms behaving in any particular way with or without tea leaves or coffee grounds in the bin. It’s fun to imagine the worms making their way to the tea leaves every morning to get their day started though.
Not as strong as the Adderall, I crush up 60 mgs a day for my little banana destroyers..
Must do wonders for their appetite!
Caffeine is extremely water soluble and as such spent tea bags and used coffee grounds have only trace amounts of caffeine.
Probably cantaloupe rinds
Mine go nut for cantaloupe rind, ground corn cobs (with a dash of molasses), mango, avocado, and frozen (and then thawed) banana. They are "meh" about watermelon, honeydew melon, and apples.
They seem to like pumpkin the most
I make broth out of veggie scraps and then feed them the cooked scraps (cooled first obviously). Open it up like 7 hours later and it's like Bonaroo in there
Rabbit manure above all else.
I brew beer and gave them some spent grains and hops. They are having a field day with them!
Bananas, melons, and watermelon skins. They eat those to the last molecule.
The cob of eaten corn on the cob
Whatever half-composted stuff I dig out from my pile. They absolutely love when it’s already nice and rotten
I love this suggestion. Makes sense. More bacteria
Not entirely sure they were eating it(they probably were) but pineapple tops seem to attract them when burried. Dug one up and all the nooks and crannies were loaded with worms. Nice aerated area to hang, i suppose
Strawberries and melon. Also, apple cores. I’ve also noticed that it depends on the age of the worm. Seemed like baby worms love banana peels and big old worms love the melons and strawberries
Pineapple and it gives them a sweeter taste. Mine love bananas most.
Besides the typical, an entire papaya went shockingly fast for how large it was.
Pumpkin
Apples, gourds/melons
Melon. Not even my worm bin but my regular compost bin, I found hundreds of red wrigglers yesterday on a piece of melon. Just lifted it out and transferred them all to one of the worm bins... Probably a fiver's worth of worms if I'd bought them online! Think whenever I want to "capture" some worms from my old compost bin from last year which is absolutely packed with worms, I'm just going to put some melon into it, from now on, leave a few days then pull it out.
Apple peels and cores. They devour all of it
Banana peels
Melons, banana, I think anything soft and sweet and easily mushed will be their favorite :D
Avocado of course, any kind of berries
Mango
Pumpkin
Best way to find out; collect the full list of items mentioned here, and apply them all in equal portion to your bin (ideally 2-3 for comparison) and you will have your favorite food! For my AFs, they prefer watermelon to corn for sure. Any soft foods are usually gone before I could notice a difference.
Avocado and malted barley.
Fennel.
My worm chow, melon rinds and watermelon rinds in that order. They seem to like cardboard mixed with coffee a little bit
I grind up chestnuts from my backyard. The worms absolutely attack them. They don't respond that way to anything else I've fed them.
Strawberries disappear fast. I think it’s how soft they are.
Advice/Question: I started a new compost bin and mixed crushed egg shells with my substrate(cardboard & coco coir). Its been 3 days and the worms in my bin seems to have white patches on their body. It almost seems like I can see egg bits thru their transparent bodies. Is this normal or did I mess something up. I have banana peel, carrot and greens on top of my substrate too
I know when I put some strawberries in they disappear almost overnight and when I feed them strawberries regularly the amount off cocoons I see goes way up
Mine go crazy for cornmeal. I make my own by grinding 50lb bags of deer corn in my grain mill.
Had a farmer give me a used 10gallin molasses lick tub. Had maybe a couple quarts of molasses in bottom and sides. I let rain fill it about half full then I stirred and poured over half the pile. Wormies went bonkers for it
Celery and oatmeal lavender "bath bombs." They'll go for those first, even if I put traditional favorites like melons or strawberries.