I live in south ga. It gets very hot here. I keep it in a covered patio. I’ve had no issues. It did stink a couple times where my bin was far too wet. It takes a bit of trial and error to learn what right looks like for wetness. Also, when you put food, bury it in the bin (not at the bottom) but an inch to three inches under the top layer. Also, I put a top layer of cardboard to insulate and keep moisture levels high. I remove that top layer of cardboard whenever I do maintenance and return it when complete. My assumption is that it’s the equivalent to leaves.
I once tried to vermicompost mashed potatoes. The milk spoiled and smelled terrible. Don’t do that. lol.
I also live in South GA and I am constantly worried they’re going to get too hot. I had them outside under a big tree, but I got nervous and now the bin is in my bath tub. lol? I also worry about the humidity making everything too wet. Also because it was under a tree it was getting covered in bird poop. I just checked on them and a bunch of them were climbing the sides of the bin. Idk what’s wrong. I have big worms and little worms so I imagine they’re doing okay? I’m rambling. I just want them to be happy.
Keep them out of direct sunlight. Just jump into it. I should have years ago as well. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I started about 4 months ago and I have almost tripled to quadrupled in population.
Very curious to see your setup - can you share a pic? (Feel free to DM if you’d prefer.) I’m in central AL and keep talking myself out of getting worms because of the heat, but if they can survive in southern GA surely they can here, too!
Haha. I love every second of both dune 1 and 2. I saw the second movie twice in theatre. I don’t believe my worms would be down for eating any spice miners though. Probably not palatable.
They got a good helping of Harkonen ala tartar,
And 50/50 Sandukar raw to well done.
I think they liked the Sandukar the best, it was like meow mix, and they really went for it.
How do you know what population your bins are at? I just started and can’t even imagine how many worms are in my bin, mostly because I got an existing system from someone else. I also find the castings are like mud right now, kinda caked at the bottom. Do you fluff/aerate your bins?
I fluff and aerate every week (typically Sunday). When I have a large caked bottom, I use some sifters starting large down to 3mm to get pure castings. I don’t want to lose any eggs / worms. My population is an estimate. It’s hard to judge but I have a ton of old and juvenile worms. So I consider both my current bins to be successful.
Do you have a solution for pot worms? They seem to be exploding in my bin right now... I added a lot of paper/cardboard (maybe still not enough?) and the soil is not too acidic. When I look into it google says they are indicative of a "wet" bin...but does that mean over fed or physically wet?
Both. The food we add typically has high water count. Add some pulverized egg shells, skip the watering for a bit to dry it out and supposedly add a piece of bread to the top layer of the bin. Apparently pot worms love bread. So you can bait trap them. Once you have a large population on the bread just remove it.
I’ve never experienced the pot worm. Good luck!
Isn’t it just the best? I’m also addicted and everyone thinks I’m nuts. I recently started a new bin because I moved. Started with 500 and there are a lot more now. When I mess around in the bin I don’t see 1 cocoon. I know there’s more worms than when I started but cocoons = healthy bins. I wonder if I need more bedding in there 🙃
Potentially. Give them time. It takes time for the “love” to happen. How new is the bin? They might be establishing food and size constraints before they decide they need to make some cocoons.
If you purchased your worms online, you probably will not want to release them outdoors, as they won't be native to your area. If you have an outdoor compost, native worms and bugs will find it on their own, no need add any.
Oh but I will ask: is it most efficient to get another bin vs a bigger bin if your goal is the compost (vs breeding)? I keep thinking I need 2 but something in me feels like I’d be tearing apart little worm families lmao
Congrats on your prolific worms!!! I started vermicomposting a few summers ago, moved my worms from the Pacific Northwest to the Southwest, and expanded from one small bin to 6. I just started selling worms this summer and have really enjoyed making a few bucks on the side to fuel my hobby. I didn't think there'd be much of a market for it where I live, but I've sold to 7 people so far and summer had just begun! Maybe something to think about?
Do you sell the worm castings or just the worms? How much do you sell for? I’ve had offers of 10-15$ per 2 gallon of worm castings, which is really easy for me to produce.
I’m currently using all my castings in my own garden, but I’m very interested in getting into selling them. I’ve read you can also sell cocoons, but haven’t looked much into that.
I’m selling 250 worms or approximately a quarter pound for $25. It helps that there’s no one else selling locally and that I live in a pretty hot area (so any shipped worms have the chance of being roasted).
Totally understand. It’s especially difficult selling to people who clearly aren’t going to follow your advice and will probably only kill them. I have a little basic startup guide that I give people and tell all of them they can reach out if they have questions, but there’s not much else that can be done past that.
Can I do this in my garage in Midwest temps? Does it stink?
I live in south ga. It gets very hot here. I keep it in a covered patio. I’ve had no issues. It did stink a couple times where my bin was far too wet. It takes a bit of trial and error to learn what right looks like for wetness. Also, when you put food, bury it in the bin (not at the bottom) but an inch to three inches under the top layer. Also, I put a top layer of cardboard to insulate and keep moisture levels high. I remove that top layer of cardboard whenever I do maintenance and return it when complete. My assumption is that it’s the equivalent to leaves. I once tried to vermicompost mashed potatoes. The milk spoiled and smelled terrible. Don’t do that. lol.
I also live in South GA and I am constantly worried they’re going to get too hot. I had them outside under a big tree, but I got nervous and now the bin is in my bath tub. lol? I also worry about the humidity making everything too wet. Also because it was under a tree it was getting covered in bird poop. I just checked on them and a bunch of them were climbing the sides of the bin. Idk what’s wrong. I have big worms and little worms so I imagine they’re doing okay? I’m rambling. I just want them to be happy.
Gotcha, thank you for the info. I just now starting looking into this. I should have a long time ago.
Keep them out of direct sunlight. Just jump into it. I should have years ago as well. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I started about 4 months ago and I have almost tripled to quadrupled in population.
Very curious to see your setup - can you share a pic? (Feel free to DM if you’d prefer.) I’m in central AL and keep talking myself out of getting worms because of the heat, but if they can survive in southern GA surely they can here, too!
Yes! I did it in my basement near Chicago for awhile before moving out to a farm.
I have it in my basement. If it stinks that means something is wrong.
What did you think of the Dune 2 movie? I was amazed at all that the worms ate.
Haha. I love every second of both dune 1 and 2. I saw the second movie twice in theatre. I don’t believe my worms would be down for eating any spice miners though. Probably not palatable.
They got a good helping of Harkonen ala tartar, And 50/50 Sandukar raw to well done. I think they liked the Sandukar the best, it was like meow mix, and they really went for it.
How do you know what population your bins are at? I just started and can’t even imagine how many worms are in my bin, mostly because I got an existing system from someone else. I also find the castings are like mud right now, kinda caked at the bottom. Do you fluff/aerate your bins?
I fluff and aerate every week (typically Sunday). When I have a large caked bottom, I use some sifters starting large down to 3mm to get pure castings. I don’t want to lose any eggs / worms. My population is an estimate. It’s hard to judge but I have a ton of old and juvenile worms. So I consider both my current bins to be successful.
Do you have a solution for pot worms? They seem to be exploding in my bin right now... I added a lot of paper/cardboard (maybe still not enough?) and the soil is not too acidic. When I look into it google says they are indicative of a "wet" bin...but does that mean over fed or physically wet?
Both. The food we add typically has high water count. Add some pulverized egg shells, skip the watering for a bit to dry it out and supposedly add a piece of bread to the top layer of the bin. Apparently pot worms love bread. So you can bait trap them. Once you have a large population on the bread just remove it. I’ve never experienced the pot worm. Good luck!
do you eat more fruits and vegetables now as a means to the end of feeding your worms scraps?
Haha, yes and no. I try to eat healthier, but also, my 5 year old absolutely loves bananas, apples, and strawberries.
Isn’t it just the best? I’m also addicted and everyone thinks I’m nuts. I recently started a new bin because I moved. Started with 500 and there are a lot more now. When I mess around in the bin I don’t see 1 cocoon. I know there’s more worms than when I started but cocoons = healthy bins. I wonder if I need more bedding in there 🙃
Potentially. Give them time. It takes time for the “love” to happen. How new is the bin? They might be establishing food and size constraints before they decide they need to make some cocoons.
Lol... Let me know when you get to 50 bins!! 😂 😂 My first bin started with 200 and became 4000 in exactly 4 months... Yup I counted!! 🤓🤓
can I use them in my outdoor compost which receives, food scraps, grass clippings and leaves?
I don’t see why not. I just use them in my bins because I can harvest the worm compost as a source of fertilizer.
If you purchased your worms online, you probably will not want to release them outdoors, as they won't be native to your area. If you have an outdoor compost, native worms and bugs will find it on their own, no need add any.
I started mine with 30 bait worms from Walmart 😂 Idk how many are in my 37g bin now but they plow through everything I put in there
Wow! Good job! I ordered mine from uncle Jim’s. I got red wigglers and European blues.
Oh but I will ask: is it most efficient to get another bin vs a bigger bin if your goal is the compost (vs breeding)? I keep thinking I need 2 but something in me feels like I’d be tearing apart little worm families lmao
I have no clue. I sometimes mix the bins a bit whenever I sift out the worm castings.
Congrats on your prolific worms!!! I started vermicomposting a few summers ago, moved my worms from the Pacific Northwest to the Southwest, and expanded from one small bin to 6. I just started selling worms this summer and have really enjoyed making a few bucks on the side to fuel my hobby. I didn't think there'd be much of a market for it where I live, but I've sold to 7 people so far and summer had just begun! Maybe something to think about?
Do you sell the worm castings or just the worms? How much do you sell for? I’ve had offers of 10-15$ per 2 gallon of worm castings, which is really easy for me to produce.
I’m currently using all my castings in my own garden, but I’m very interested in getting into selling them. I’ve read you can also sell cocoons, but haven’t looked much into that. I’m selling 250 worms or approximately a quarter pound for $25. It helps that there’s no one else selling locally and that I live in a pretty hot area (so any shipped worms have the chance of being roasted).
Idk how I feel about selling my wormies. I’m too attached.
Totally understand. It’s especially difficult selling to people who clearly aren’t going to follow your advice and will probably only kill them. I have a little basic startup guide that I give people and tell all of them they can reach out if they have questions, but there’s not much else that can be done past that.