subject: Do You Make These Mistakes When Starting a Worm Bin? [print this page] Do You Make These Mistakes When Starting a Worm Bin?
As I received yet another pound of red wigglers in the mail for my new worm bin, I started wondering if other vermicomposters experience what I like to call the "initial freakout phase". I'm noticing it's rather common in the first few days of having a worm bin that they try to escape and run all over the place...why is this happening? Chances are, it's due to just a few main factors: Container type (and air flow), proper food, and bedding.
One thing to remember is that your new shipment of worms just spent a few days in a tiny box...so chances are that's why they seem a little weird at first. They might seem dead, or they're hyperactive. I still remember when I got my last pound of worms...I put them in their new home (a cordura sack) and waited a few hours. I left the light on in the basement to help keep them away from the top of the bag...didn't matter.
I put in more coffee grinds. I added more bedding. I dampened the contents. The worms still hung out at the top. I actually put a piece of duct tape where the zipper ends so that they couldn't get out through that tiny little gap. By the next morning, everything was fine and they settled. I more or less forced them to burrow their way under by hanging a light over them.
Similarly with the plastic worm bin, the worms instantly clung to the top. I realized quickly that no matter how much bedding or proven awesome contents I added, they were freaking out. Then I wondered if they were having problems with air, since plastic bins don't get the same circulation as a Worm Inn does, obviously. Once I drilled nearly twice the amount of air holes, the worms went down in their new home. Solved!
Recently, a cool customer of mine was having the same difficulties with her new bin...my first thought is usually to advise leaving the light on and/or putting the bin directly under a light. I was curious how they were coming along, and she replied that she used Christmas lights to focus light on the top. Pretty darn creative. I almost wonder if it's "too much" light... while it's not direct sunlight outdoors, which would effectively harm your worms, it's kind of intense. However, in seeing the bin illuminated the way it is, it was easy to see what would also help here: more holes.
As with my first worm bin, extra air holes can't hurt. Since the plastic bin is not porous, improving the air circulation is critical. Now her bin looks like this:
Way to go, Karen! Now her worms are just fine. Have any of you out there experienced similar circumstances? If you have, take a look at your air flow and contents. Overall, it seems that no matter what you do, there will be a brief period in the beginning where the worms are wondering what the heck is going on and try to escape, or just look around outside their new home...I don't blame them.
I'm going to start a new system soon, and I'll be reporting on if it happens yet again. Have any of you composters been able to start a worm habitat without any freakouts? I'd love to hear about it.
