Worm Tending 101

What and How Do I Feed Them?

They should be fine without added food for the first week or so, while they get used to their new home. Then start adding small amounts of kitchen scraps, either by burying it in the bedding or placing another layer of moistened bedding on top (this will help prevent flies and odors). Wait until you see that the worms are actively working on the food before adding more – DO NOT OVERFEED, as this can cause the bin to become smelly and attract pests.

DO NOT feed them dairy or meat products and avoid grease (i.e., don’t give them salad scraps with dressing on it.)

They don’t like hot peppers, garlic, onions, or anything too spicy; they’ll eat small amounts of citrus, but don’t overload ‘em with a whole bunch of orange or lemon peels all at one time. I’ve heard that papaya seed is too acidic, so you may want to avoid large amounts of that also. They could probably eat that stuff eventually, but it will attract flies and other pests, and start to smell pretty bad before the worms can eat it. Grains, like bread or rice, etc., are fine, but add them in small amounts, as they will tend to get moldy if you put in too much at once (this is also a factor to consider if you have allergies to mold - it probably won’t hurt the worms, but it might bother you...)

When feeding, less is better when starting out. Never add more than a quarter to half-inch deep layer of food at a time, and don’t add more until you can see that the worms are well involved into eating what’s already there. (You’ll see them crawling around when you first take the cover off, and you’ll see evidence of the castings). After a while, you’ll get a feel for how much your worms are eating and how often to feed them. Remember, you’ll slowly be feeding more as your worm squirm grows and multiplies.

For the first few weeks, you should check on them every day or two to monitor moisture content (should be like a damp sponge) and make sure the bottom container is not too full of liquid. If things seem to be drying out too much, spray them with some water. Usually just adding fruit and vegetables will add enough water to keep things even. When the brown liquid begins to accumulate in the bottom container, pour it off into a jar, mix it with some water and spray/mist it onto your plants - they’ll love it! By the same token, BE PATIENT and don’t stir them up all the time. Don’t rip the bedding apart just to see ‘how they’re doing’, since this will only disturb them and keep them from breeding and otherwise doing their worm thing….. .

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