An introduction to worm bin bedding
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Getting your worm container ready
You will want to prepare your bedding a few days to a week before your worms arrive. This will a little time for beneficial bacteria to start making a home in your container. We’ve put together a list of everyday items below that you can easily find to help create your bin.
You can think of a bedding pyramid for worms for proportion. You can use household paper items as the bulk of your worm bedding. Next, add in a reasonable amount of natural items.
It is important to note that red worms are not earthworms and do not live in the soil. While you can add a few scoops of garden dirt to help with grit, do not expect your worms to live in bedding only made of earth.
After all of the dry bedding has been added to your bin, you will want to add moisture. If possible, use spring water (its pH balance is naturally 7, the ideal for worms) to hydrate your bin. Your goal is not to soak the bedding but dampen it. Think of it as the same moisture level as laundry before you put it in the dryer. Depending on your bin’s size and the amount of bedding, you can use a spray bottle to wet the material.
Great items for worm bedding
You will want to prepare your bedding a few days before your worm arrives. Setting up your bin a few days early will allow beneficial bacteria to start making a home in your container. Be sure to use gloves when handling your worms and their bedding from this point on. Overall, there are no dangers in worm composting. It’s just a good practice to protect yourself from bacteria in the bin and the worm bin from your bacteria.
Household items that can be used as bedding
Many people want to get composting worms to reduce food and paper waste. There are a lot of household items your worms would love to use as their home.
- Corrugated cardboard (undyed, natural)
- Cardstock egg containers
- Toilet paper & paper towel internal rolls
- Newspaper (avoid pages with color ink or glossy pages)
- Office paper & mailers
- Coffee filters
- Used coffee grounds (acidic, use in moderation)
Natural items that can be used as bedding
Depending on where you live, you may need to purchase the following bedding items. Compost worms are notorious for living in outdoor composted manure. I bring this up as a matter of fact, but it may not be practical for indoor bins.
- Coconut coir
- Leaves (in moderation)
- Composted manure (not ideal for indoor bins)
- Peat moss
Where can you buy red worms in Michigan
Where you can buy red worms in New York
Where to buy worms in Idaho
Where to buy red worms in South Carolina
Buy Compost Worms In Kansas
Where to buy red worms in Virginia
Add-ins to help your worms
Worms do not have teeth. Instead, they have a gizzard. Their gizzards store coarse materials to help them break down food. You can include these items when creating their bedding and in future feedings.
- ground or pulverized, clean eggshells
- diatomaceous earth (also acts as pest control)
- sand
- dirt (not potting soil)
Making a bin a home
Summary Protein Poisoning in Compost worms
Protein Poisoning is a common issue. It can sadly kill a whole apartment composting bin. The good news is that it is easy to fix once you know what to do and why. Be sure to feed only when necessary, and add grit for your worms every other feeding. Add dry bedding to keep the moisture levels correct.
Keep those things in mind, and you will have a successful vermicomposting journey.
