I love selling composting worms to newbies who want to start a worm bin.  The excitement and joy they show when receiving their first “pet” worms is so infectious!  And I know in the coming days they will possibly become totally enamored with these gentle creatures.  It’s just a fun endeavor!

Fun, that is, if things go well.  Unfortunately, that is not always the case.  Too much love in the way of overfeeding, over-watering or just generally over-bothering, can have disastrous results.  Also, it is unfortunate that inaccurate information on the internet can lead astray many well-intentioned worm caretakers.

So…. I would like to share a simple document I have made for all my newbie worm farmers.  I hope it is a help to anyone out there who might have questions.  Enjoy!

Directions for Making a Composting Worm Bin

 Materials Needed:

• One 18-20 gallon plastic storage box (dark, not see through)  
• Drill  1/4″ bit for making drainage & ventilation holes
• Newspaper and/or cardboard
• About one pound of composting worms

Step 1

First of all, drill about twenty evenly spaced 1/4 inch holes in the bottom of the bin.  These holes will provide drainage, if needed.  Next, drill two rows of ventilation holes about 1 – 1 ½ inches apart on each side of the bin near the top edge using the 1/4 inch bit.  

Step 2

The next step is to prepare bedding for the worms by shredding newspaper and/or cardboard.  Worms need bedding that is moist but not soggy. Moisten the paper product by soaking it in water and then squeezing out the excess water.  Cover the bottom of the bin with 6-8 inches of moist bedding, fluffed up.  It is good to prepare the bedding the day before adding the worms.

Step 3

Now the step you’ve been waiting for…. add your worms to the bedding.  A good amount of worms to start with is one pound.  There are roughly 1000 worms in one pound.  Cut a piece of cardboard or black plastic to fit over the bedding. Then cover the bedding with the cardboard or black plastic.  You will not need another cover for the worms unless you have pets or children that you are concerned might bother the worm bin.  🙂 

Step 4

Place your bin in a well-ventilated area such as a laundry room, garage, balcony, under the kitchen sink, or outside in the shade.  The temperature needs to be ambient, not too hot, not too cold.  Place the bin on top of blocks or bricks to allow for drainage.  You can use the lid of the bin as a tray to catch any moisture that may drain from the bin.  You should never have lots of moisture coming from the bottom of your bin.  

Step 5

Finally, it is time to take care of your worms in their new home.  Feed your worms slowly at first.  As the worms multiply, you can begin to add more food.  Gently bury the food in a different section of the bin each week, under the cover and bedding. The worms will follow the food scraps around the bin. Burying the food scraps will help to keep fruit flies away.  Make sure you do not overfeed your worms!

What do worms like to eat? Feed your worms a vegetarian and fruit diet. Most things that would normally go down the garbage disposal can go into your worm bin. You will notice that some foods will be eaten faster than others. Worms have their preferences just like us.  Chopping and even freezing the food will aid in the decomposition process.

 Keeping the bin evenly moist is important.  Be careful if the food you are adding has a lot of water content.  You can add extra bedding to compensate.  Also, if the bedding begins to dry out, you need to lightly spray the bin with water.

There you go!  Starting a new worm bin really is that simple!  First of all create a good environment, and then give the worms the foods they like.  Following these directions should result in a home that will be perfect for your worms!