What do you feed worms in a worm bin?

Asked by: Keren Sebesta

As a general rule, you should feed worms a mix of equal parts “brown” and “green” foods. Browns are high in carbon and carbohydrates, while greens add a lot of nitrogen and protein to the soil. Greens include green vegetables and other natural foods—melon rinds, lettuce, carrots, fruit peels, etc.

What can I feed worms in a worm bed?

Worms will eat anything that was once living,

• Leftover vegetable scraps, fruit and vegetable peelings.
• Tea leaves / bags and coffee grounds.
• Vacuum cleaner dust or hair clippings (also animal)
• Torn up newspapers, egg cartons or soaked pizza cartons.
• Crushed egg shells (these will also help with the pH balance)

What do you fill worm bins with?

What to feed worms in a worm bin:

• When you feed worms always try to add equal portions of greens and browns!
• Greens: Vegetable and fruit scraps, bread, pasta, coffee grounds and filters, teabags, dead plant matter from houseplants.
• Browns: Paper, junk mail, paper egg cartons, cardboard, dry leaves.

What should you not feed a worm bin?

Items you cannot compost in a worm bin:

• Lemon, lime, orange or other citrus peels and juice (in excess this will make the soil too acidic)
• Onions and garlic (a good rule of thumb is if it makes you smell, it makes your worm bin smell)
• Meat, fats, grease, bones or oils (no butter, lard, stocks, soups, etc)

How do you make homemade worm food?

But a little bit of sugar is really good for the microorganisms. And the bacteria that's inside your web and it helps break down the food a lot quicker when there's more microorganisms.

What is worms favorite food?

Worms love lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, to name a few of these vegetables. Be sure to cut these scraps down into small pieces or even food process them. Remember to thoroughly rinse off all hot spices, sauces, oils, dressings, and cheeses because they can harm your vermicomposting project.

Do worms eat grass clippings?

Grass clippings are a great addition to a traditional compost pile and worms will eat these as well in their natural setting, but in your vermicomposting system, they will heat up the soil and can kill all of your worms.

Can I feed worms cereal?

Worms cannot compost all foods, so don’t feed them any meats, fish, dairy, oils, sugary stuff including baked goods or sugary cereals, or citrus, as the latter has a chemical that is toxic to worms.

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.

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.

Can you feed worms oatmeal?

Fruits and vegetables (uncooked or peels) – you can feed your worms any variation as long as it’s not citrus based (you’ll have to stay way from lemons, oranges, pineapples and all that since it has high acidity levels) Starchy food wastes – these can be in the form of bread, oatmeal, and pasta.

Can I feed my worms cornmeal?

Cornmeal is the perfect food to keep your worms lively and healthy. This is a simple trick that makes keeping a worm bin easier than ever. During the winter months, if you want to go on vacation, simply sprinkling a layer of cornmeal on the top of your bin, will give your worms a fresh supply of food the entire time.

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.

How often do you water worms?

Watering daily or multiple times per week is not normally required. In many cases you can water every week or 2 – it depends on temperature, humidity, and other factors so monitor the bin and if you see it getting dry give it a good misting or spray.

Can worms eat carrots?

It's quite a nice consistency. Now fairly damp they'll be perfect to spread on the testing bone we'll see how they go. So spread the whole the whole lot of carrots in here.

Do worms eat apples?

As a new season of harvest rolls around, fresh peaches, pears, apples and much more will be filling kitchen pantries. It’s a great time of year to make delicious morning smoothies, fresh fruit pies and give your worms a succulent treat!

Can worms eat egg shells?

eggshells – worms simply can’t eat them. They will still be there when you remove the worm castings, and you’ll have eggshells in the garden. Eggshells are good for the garden, so if you crush them up, and put them in the worm farm, they’ll end up adding calcium to your soil.

Do worms eat lettuce?

The Best Worm Foods for Your Soil



Greens include green vegetables and other natural foods—melon rinds, lettuce, carrots, fruit peels, etc. —and they don’t have to be green. Browns may be food or non-food items, such as coffee grounds, paper, egg cartons, or dry leaves.

Are strawberries good for worms?

It will remain on their plate until they grow up and EAT IT! Yes, an onion will take forever to compost while a strawberry will only last a day or two. My worms have a sweet-tooth. Just like other little kids, my worms will devour a bowl of strawberries, cherries or grapes like they are starving.

Can tomatoes go in worm bin?

Red wiggler worms (Eisenia foetida) enjoy eating almost any kind of fruit or vegetable you put into the vermicompost bin, including tomatoes. While the worms eat the tomatoes, there’s a chance they won’t eat all the seeds, so the seeds may sprout in your compost pile.

Can you feed worms blueberries?

Any vegetable that’s not spicy or really gaseous will make them happy. Non-citrus fruit work best, such as watermelon rind, strawberry tops, old blueberries, etc.

Can worms eat tea bags?

Tea Bags: Yes! The tea bags will start to break down in the worm bin, and the worms will finish off the contents. The string and paper tab might not break down as quickly.

Can I feed worms rice?

Bread, rice, pasta, processed foods – you can add the odd crust or bits of cooked rice off the dinner plate, but don’t add lots of starchy foods. Worms don’t like them and they may go off or attract pests.

What is the best bedding for worms?

10 Bedding Materials Your Worms Will Love

• Shredded brown cardboard.
• Shredded paper (not bleached white office paper)
• Shredded newspaper (not colored)
• Aged compost.
• Aged horse or cow manure.
• Coco coir.
• Peat moss.
• Straw and hay.

Can you feed worms celery?

Eating organic material is their method of composting and providing nutrients for the worms to grow and remain healthy. Cellulose is in all plants. Fiber found in foods like celery are favored by worms for their crop and gizzard. The crop and gizzard is the part of the digestive system where the food is ground.

Can I put uncooked rice in worm bin?

Can you add rice to a worm bin? Yes! Worms love rice and will eat it all before it’s had a chance to go off or grow any bad bacteria. The rice can be cooked or uncooked but should be plain before you add it.

Is cabbage OK to feed worms?

Contrary to their reputation, worms are not able to eat anything and everything you put into a worm bin. Large quantities of citrus should be avoided, as it contains a compound poisonous to worms. Brassicas (cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips, etc.)