Post by ogeezer on Jun 25, 2007 5:48:24 GMT -6
And Raising Bait at the same time
Every home kitchen generates food scraps for disposal. Throwing these scraps in the garbage creates odors and adds to the landfill's volume. Disposing of kitchen scraps in a garbage disposal is convenient, but it adds to the burden of the waste-treatment system and throws away a potentially valuable resource. And if your garbage disposal is in a country home that rely on a septic system for waste disposal, that's a no-n. A viable alternative to disposing of food scraps in the landfill or the sewer system is to recycle them using wigglers. Once recycled, the resulting material is a useful addition to gardens and potted plants.
You can purchase a worm bin or you can build your own. Two things to consider when selecting a bin design are the amount of food scraps you generate and where the bin will be located. Amount of food scraps will determine the size bin you need, and location will determine whether or not the bin needs to be insulated.
A good rule of thumb for sizing a worm bin is this: you can process one-half pound of food scraps per day for each square foot of worm bin surface area. For example, a bin that is 18 inches by 24 inches (18/12 x 24/12) is 3 square feet in surface area and can process about 10.5 pounds of food a week (3 sq ft x 1/2 lb/ft sq/day x 7 days/week = 10.5 lbs).
Worms can survive over a wide range of temperatures, but temperatures below freezing or above 100°F can kill them. If your worm bin will be in a location where the temperature is moderated such as a garage, mudroom, basement, pantry, or under a sink, then you do not need to worry about insulating it. If the bin is to be out doors all winter, it is a good idea to insulate it or bury it in the ground to help prevent it from freezing.
A worm bin must be open enough to allow for good aeration. The bin should include a cover to minimize the attraction of fruit flies and other pests, but if a plastic lid is used, be sure and drill holes in it so air can get in. If the bin is inside or in a location where seepage would be a problem, it should include provisions to catch any liquid that might drain through. Bins can be made of a variety of materials--wood and plastic are common.
Caution - if you use plastic bins, it will absorb heat (which can kill the wigglers), so don't set it near an open window to catch the sun or near any heat source (e.g water heater, furnace or heating vent).
The simplest way to construct a bin is to purchase a plastic storage container, drill holes in the bottom and lay down a piece of fabric, e.g. nylon, inside the container to prevent the vermicompost from falling through the holes. The container can be placed on top of its lid with the lid turned up to catch any liquid that might seep out through the bin. If you use the lid as a catchment tray, then a piece of cardboard cut to fit directly on the top surface of the bin will make an excellent cover for the bed. If you want to use the original storage container cover for the lid to your worm bin and devise something else to use as the liquid catchment tray, be sure and drill holes in the lid to allow air into the bin. Even if you use the plastic container lid with holes on top of the bin, it is still a good idea to place a piece of cardboard directly on top of the worm bin surface to discourage fruit flies from entering the bin.
SETTING UP THE WIGGLER BIN
Place a six- to eight-inch layer of bedding material in the bin. Suitable bedding materials include any nontoxic, pH-neutral material that holds water and allows air to circulate. Shredded paper, including office paper and newspaper, cardboard, and well-composted cow manure (don't use horse manure since it may contain worming medications that will kill the wigglers). Glossy paper does not make good bedding. Paper and cardboard should be shredded into two-inch or narrower strips; corrugated cardboard is especially nice, since the worms will devour the paper and the animal protein glues used in its making.
The bedding must be moist but it should not be dripping wet. Moisten the bedding material by soaking it in water, then drain it and squeeze out the excess moisture. The material should feel like a damp sponge. Fluff up the material to assure that it is well aerated.
Add one-half to one pound of worms for each square foot of surface area of worm bed. Because composting worms tend to live in the upper layers where the food is being added, it is the surface area of the bed, not the bed depth, that determines the worm population. Give the worms time to burrow into the bedding material before you feed them.
To discourage worms from leaving the bed, it is a good idea to leave a light on near the bin the first few days. Worms do not like light, and will not leave the bin if a light is on. It is not uncommon for worms that have been disturbed and relocated, to crawl out of a worm bin, if it is in the dark. It can be very disconcerting to see a large population of dead worms on the floor the day after you start your bin! After a week, the worms should be settled in the bin, and it is fine to turn off the light.
WHAT TO FEED YOUR WIGGLERS
Worms can process a wide range of organic materials as long as the materials are not too salty or too acidic. Fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds and filters, and tea bags all make good worm food. Citrus fruit and peels should only be applied in small amounts because of their high acidity. Worms and microorganisms will process chopped or ground food scraps more rapidly than they will process large-sized pieces of food, but, given time, whole foods will break down.
Meat, bones, dairy products, fatty or greasy foods, and pet manure should not be placed in worm beds due to odor and pathogen concerns.
To feed the worms, bury the food in clumps, putting each feeding into one small space within the bin. Feeding once or twice a week is recommended. Just place the food in a new place each time. The bin should remain covered with the cardboard except when you are feeding.
Under optimum conditions, worms can process their body weight in food each day, that is, a pound of worms can process a pound of kitchen scraps each day. Typically, however, processing rates are not that high. An over-fed worm bed can create odor problems, so it is best not to over apply. After the worms are established and reproducing, the population density in a well-operated bin should be about one pound of worms per square foot of surface area of worm bin.
WIGGLER RECYCLING MAINTENANCE
Adding Bedding: Worms need very little attention. It is a good idea to add new bedding material to the bin about every two months. This will replace the bedding that the worms have processed. A new layer of moist bedding three to four inches thick should be placed on top of the bin.
Harvesting the Vermicompost: Every three to six months or when the bin begins to fill, the worms should be separated from the vermicompost if your objective is to generate more worms. Remove the worms from the vermicompost relatively early (after two to three months), and divide the worms into new bins. Giving the worms extra room will encourage high reproductive rates.
One method for separating worms from vermicompost is to push the existing material to one side of the bin and add new bedding and food to the other side. Continue to add food only to the newly bedded side. Eventually, the worms will leave the older bedding and migrate to the side where the food is being added. At this point, the vermicompost can be removed from the older side, and additional bedding added to fill back in the empty space.
Another method for separating worms from vermicompost involves dumping the entire bed onto a sheet of plastic and sorting through the mass. Separate the material into several piles and shine a light on the area. This will cause the worms to burrow down into it the castings and the top layer can be removed by hand. The worms will burrow down again, and within a few minutes, the top layer can be removed. This process is repeated until the worms concentrate in each pile and most of the vermicompost has been removed. At this point, new bedding is added to the bin and the worms with the remaining vermicompost are returned to the bin.
Every home kitchen generates food scraps for disposal. Throwing these scraps in the garbage creates odors and adds to the landfill's volume. Disposing of kitchen scraps in a garbage disposal is convenient, but it adds to the burden of the waste-treatment system and throws away a potentially valuable resource. And if your garbage disposal is in a country home that rely on a septic system for waste disposal, that's a no-n. A viable alternative to disposing of food scraps in the landfill or the sewer system is to recycle them using wigglers. Once recycled, the resulting material is a useful addition to gardens and potted plants.
You can purchase a worm bin or you can build your own. Two things to consider when selecting a bin design are the amount of food scraps you generate and where the bin will be located. Amount of food scraps will determine the size bin you need, and location will determine whether or not the bin needs to be insulated.
A good rule of thumb for sizing a worm bin is this: you can process one-half pound of food scraps per day for each square foot of worm bin surface area. For example, a bin that is 18 inches by 24 inches (18/12 x 24/12) is 3 square feet in surface area and can process about 10.5 pounds of food a week (3 sq ft x 1/2 lb/ft sq/day x 7 days/week = 10.5 lbs).
Worms can survive over a wide range of temperatures, but temperatures below freezing or above 100°F can kill them. If your worm bin will be in a location where the temperature is moderated such as a garage, mudroom, basement, pantry, or under a sink, then you do not need to worry about insulating it. If the bin is to be out doors all winter, it is a good idea to insulate it or bury it in the ground to help prevent it from freezing.
A worm bin must be open enough to allow for good aeration. The bin should include a cover to minimize the attraction of fruit flies and other pests, but if a plastic lid is used, be sure and drill holes in it so air can get in. If the bin is inside or in a location where seepage would be a problem, it should include provisions to catch any liquid that might drain through. Bins can be made of a variety of materials--wood and plastic are common.
Caution - if you use plastic bins, it will absorb heat (which can kill the wigglers), so don't set it near an open window to catch the sun or near any heat source (e.g water heater, furnace or heating vent).
The simplest way to construct a bin is to purchase a plastic storage container, drill holes in the bottom and lay down a piece of fabric, e.g. nylon, inside the container to prevent the vermicompost from falling through the holes. The container can be placed on top of its lid with the lid turned up to catch any liquid that might seep out through the bin. If you use the lid as a catchment tray, then a piece of cardboard cut to fit directly on the top surface of the bin will make an excellent cover for the bed. If you want to use the original storage container cover for the lid to your worm bin and devise something else to use as the liquid catchment tray, be sure and drill holes in the lid to allow air into the bin. Even if you use the plastic container lid with holes on top of the bin, it is still a good idea to place a piece of cardboard directly on top of the worm bin surface to discourage fruit flies from entering the bin.
SETTING UP THE WIGGLER BIN
Place a six- to eight-inch layer of bedding material in the bin. Suitable bedding materials include any nontoxic, pH-neutral material that holds water and allows air to circulate. Shredded paper, including office paper and newspaper, cardboard, and well-composted cow manure (don't use horse manure since it may contain worming medications that will kill the wigglers). Glossy paper does not make good bedding. Paper and cardboard should be shredded into two-inch or narrower strips; corrugated cardboard is especially nice, since the worms will devour the paper and the animal protein glues used in its making.
The bedding must be moist but it should not be dripping wet. Moisten the bedding material by soaking it in water, then drain it and squeeze out the excess moisture. The material should feel like a damp sponge. Fluff up the material to assure that it is well aerated.
Add one-half to one pound of worms for each square foot of surface area of worm bed. Because composting worms tend to live in the upper layers where the food is being added, it is the surface area of the bed, not the bed depth, that determines the worm population. Give the worms time to burrow into the bedding material before you feed them.
To discourage worms from leaving the bed, it is a good idea to leave a light on near the bin the first few days. Worms do not like light, and will not leave the bin if a light is on. It is not uncommon for worms that have been disturbed and relocated, to crawl out of a worm bin, if it is in the dark. It can be very disconcerting to see a large population of dead worms on the floor the day after you start your bin! After a week, the worms should be settled in the bin, and it is fine to turn off the light.
WHAT TO FEED YOUR WIGGLERS
Worms can process a wide range of organic materials as long as the materials are not too salty or too acidic. Fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds and filters, and tea bags all make good worm food. Citrus fruit and peels should only be applied in small amounts because of their high acidity. Worms and microorganisms will process chopped or ground food scraps more rapidly than they will process large-sized pieces of food, but, given time, whole foods will break down.
Meat, bones, dairy products, fatty or greasy foods, and pet manure should not be placed in worm beds due to odor and pathogen concerns.
To feed the worms, bury the food in clumps, putting each feeding into one small space within the bin. Feeding once or twice a week is recommended. Just place the food in a new place each time. The bin should remain covered with the cardboard except when you are feeding.
Under optimum conditions, worms can process their body weight in food each day, that is, a pound of worms can process a pound of kitchen scraps each day. Typically, however, processing rates are not that high. An over-fed worm bed can create odor problems, so it is best not to over apply. After the worms are established and reproducing, the population density in a well-operated bin should be about one pound of worms per square foot of surface area of worm bin.
WIGGLER RECYCLING MAINTENANCE
Adding Bedding: Worms need very little attention. It is a good idea to add new bedding material to the bin about every two months. This will replace the bedding that the worms have processed. A new layer of moist bedding three to four inches thick should be placed on top of the bin.
Harvesting the Vermicompost: Every three to six months or when the bin begins to fill, the worms should be separated from the vermicompost if your objective is to generate more worms. Remove the worms from the vermicompost relatively early (after two to three months), and divide the worms into new bins. Giving the worms extra room will encourage high reproductive rates.
One method for separating worms from vermicompost is to push the existing material to one side of the bin and add new bedding and food to the other side. Continue to add food only to the newly bedded side. Eventually, the worms will leave the older bedding and migrate to the side where the food is being added. At this point, the vermicompost can be removed from the older side, and additional bedding added to fill back in the empty space.
Another method for separating worms from vermicompost involves dumping the entire bed onto a sheet of plastic and sorting through the mass. Separate the material into several piles and shine a light on the area. This will cause the worms to burrow down into it the castings and the top layer can be removed by hand. The worms will burrow down again, and within a few minutes, the top layer can be removed. This process is repeated until the worms concentrate in each pile and most of the vermicompost has been removed. At this point, new bedding is added to the bin and the worms with the remaining vermicompost are returned to the bin.