Can you keep a worm farm inside?

Asked by: Amy Murphy

You will want to put your bin in an indoor space as you do not want the worms to freeze in the winter or get too warm in the summer. Additionally, you may want to put the bin in a basement or other out-of-the-way space since you will be producing compost and worm “tea” in the composter.

Where is the best place to keep a worm farm?

Best to find a spot under an overhang, on a porch or under a large tree. Gallons of rain can drown your worms. A worm bin with a lid is ideal, because it discourages the larger vermin and keeps most of the rain out. Do not place your worm bin in direct sunlight.

How do you make an indoor worm farm?

Fill the bin loosely with the damp bedding. Mix in 2 cups of potting soil. Worms need grit from the soil for their gizzards, a part of their digestive tract that is similar to a chicken’s. Add the kitchen scraps, then add the worms, and top the bin with a fresh layer of dampened newspaper bedding about 2 inches deep.

Do worm farms stink?

Your worm bin should always smell like fresh garden soil, and in fact, should produce no odor at all. If there is a foul smell coming from your worm bin, it’s a clear sign that your system is out of balance.

What temperature should a worm farm be kept at?

between 40 to 80˚F.

Ideally a worm compost bin should be located in areas where the temperatures are between 40 to 80˚F. Red worms generally prefer temperatures in the 55 to 77 degree range. If you live in an area that has harsh winters, you’ll need to move your bin inside during the winter months or compost on a seasonal basis.

Can I leave my worm farm outside?

Worm bins can be stored outdoors or indoors, depending on your climate and available space. However, the worm bin should be in an environment with a fairly constant median temperature.

How often should worm bedding be changed?

After worms are added, bedding should be kept moist but not soggy and the top 6 to 8 inches turned every 7 to 10 days to keep it loose. About every 6 to 9 months the old bedding should be replaced with properly prepared new bedding. To change bedding, remove the top 5 or 6 inches (where most of the worms are).

Is composting indoors safe?

1. What can you compost indoors? Compost-safe materials include green matter (e.g., vegetable waste, plants, and coffee grounds), along with brown matter (e.g., dead leaves, wood chips, and coffee filters).

How many worms can live in a 5 gallon bucket?

Place the worms (about 1/2 pound of worms for 5-gal sized system will be fine) and compost or soil in on side of the top bucket.

How do worms breed indoors?

Grow earthworms in it then. I'm going to take the worm castings. You can even put in the compost pile or in the garden to grow tomatoes. And vegetables.

Can worm farms survive winter?

Although worms can’t survive freezing temperatures, they lay eggs that are encased and protected by very small cocoons. They can survive through winter to emerge as tiny baby worms, once temperatures warm up again.

How can I keep my worm farm warm in the winter?

To keep the worms warmer, add insulation to the outside of the worm bin. Bales of straw, blankets, used carpet, Styrofoam, or even bubble wrap will suffice. Leave gaps so that fresh air can flow into the bin’s air holes. Be sure not to block the drainage holes.

How hot is too hot for worms?

For optimal performance, the worms and the whole composter ecosystem need a temperature between 15° and 25°C / 59°F and 77°F. Below those temperatures, the ecosystem works at reduced level. Above, it does not work properly and it can even be lethal for the worms above 35°C / 95°F.

How do you keep a worm farm cool?

Make sure your worm farm is located in the coolest place you can find, and never place it in direct sun. On the shadow side of the house, in the garage or even in the laundry will work – where it will remain cool in the warmest months.

How do you insulate a worm farm?

Keeping Your Worms Warm and Cozy for the Winter

1. Leave them in the outdoor bin. …
2. You could leave your worms outside and then enclose the worm bin with thick layers of insulation, using blankets, hay bales and/or other insulating materials. …
3. You could move your worm farm to a warmer location such as your garage or shed.

Why do you add ice to worm bin?

You can cool and feed the worms all at once by freezing scraps and water together. Place kitchen scraps in a plastic container, add water, and freeze solid. Bury it in the middle of the worm bin. As the ice melts, the scraps defrost, providing a meal for the worms.

Should I stir my worm bin?

There is definitely no need to completely mix up your worm bin contents. The worms themselves – along with various other critters do a lot of mixing on their own.

Do worms like banana peels?

Bananas are a great and inexpensive snack for both us and our worms. Those peels are desirable to compost worms no matter what shape they’re in. They’ll make short work of what otherwise would have taken up space in your trash.

How often should I check my worm bin?

Ideally, in the beginning, you check on your worms once or twice a day. This might last for the first week or a couple of weeks. After that point, you should have a decent grasp of what you are doing. Each day you will check on the bin that the bedding is moist but not too moist.

Can worms eat potato peels?

Vegetable Waste
Carrot peelings, potato skins, broccoli and cauliflower stalks, lettuce, kale, even onion peels (in limited quantities) are perfect for the worm bin. Vegetable waste like this isn’t prone to overheating your bin either, so this is another low-maintenance food.

Should I add water to my worm farm?

Worms love an environment with a moisture content of 70% or more. Food wastes usually contain about 80 per cent water and this will be released as the worms break down the food scraps. However, it will remain in the bedding for a long time before eventually draining out, so it’s important to add water as well.

Can I feed my worms bread?

Yes, in moderation, bread, and in fact, all grain based foods, are worthy of your worms’ processing power. Stale bread remains just as full of nutrients and building blocks for worm growth as the fresh stuff.

Can worms eat uncooked pasta?

Yes, you can add pasta to a worm bin, but in moderation. Starchy things like pasta aren’t a worms favorite food, and won’t get broken down as quickly as something like vegetables. If you add too much pasta, you risk it going moldy and fermenting before the worms have had a chance to eat it.

Can I put moldy food in my worm bin?

Yes, you can! The composting process requires composition, so when you add moldy foods, you’re just adding in foods that are already decomposing. Worm and compost bins can have both moldy foods and fresh foods added and you will end up with great compost either way!

How quickly do worms multiply?

Worms are ready to breed once they mature from 50 to 90 days. Earthworms are hermaphrodites; they can be male or female (a great advantage!). They can perform both male and female functions and mate every 7 to 10 days. The mating process takes around 24 hours.

What to feed worms to make them big?

One of the surest ways to not only grow big worms, but also keep your worms healthy, is to spray you worm bedding and added food with a weak mixture of VermaPlex® (a liquid soil inoculant fertilizer made from worm castings) and water (80 parts water to 1 part VermaPlex®).

How do you fatten up red wigglers?

Add one cup of cornmeal and one cup of powdered whole milk to the mixing bowl. Dump in two cups of bran, followed by one cup of agricultural lime. Mix your worm compost fattener supplement ingredients together with a mixing spoon, stirring until the materials are thoroughly blended.