I'm sure the experts will weigh in, but I'll share what I do that seems to be working. I use newspaper and shredded cardboard (all hand shredded). I think the newspaper tends to clump and pack down, where the cardboard keeps things nice and fluffy for the worms to get around. When I started the bedding was about 6" deep in an 18 gallon plastic tote that has holes drilled in the bottom and along the top edge. Now it's about 10" deep. They like room to roam around in the bin, and more bedding means more playground.

I also had a lot of runaways until things settled down, at least a month or so. Now I only get one or 2 wanderers when I mess around in the bin too much. Keeping a light over the bin works GREAT at keeping them in. They hate light.

Since you're having a hard time, maybe start with fewer worms, and once you have things right for them then add more? I did that too, starting with about 100 panfish worms from walmart and adding another 100 every couple weeks. I'm up to about 1000 now and they're reproducing on their own so I don't have to buy any more.

I've had two worm bins. With the first one, I had serious problems like you've had -- the worms escaped, died, etc. It was bad news.

With the second I've had better luck. The main difference for me is that I used coir as bedding to start the bin. Coir is shredded coconut husk -- it's magic pixie dust for worm bins, and it's cheaper than the stuff you linked to. The worms seem to like it and it fixes most problems I have. I am assuming that you are getting Eisenia fetida worms -- variously called red worms, red wrigglers, tiger worms, etc.

If that's right, here's what I would do for your third try. This is the deluxe, super thorough method of starting a bin. Since you've had so much trouble, it's probably worth slowing down and taking a bit more time to prepare the bin for your new livestock. Notice that you don't add the worms until step #7!!!

1) Get some coir. It is sold in compressed blocks. You will need to soak it in a bucket of water to expand it. You can buy it at the pet store (in the reptile section) or from a horticultural source (usually online, unless you are lucky enough to have a good nursery near you). I recommend getting a horticultural block for a new bin, just to be safe (see step #2). You only need 1-2 blocks. Once the bin is established, you can stop using the coir if you want and just use paper. For your bin, 1 block should be enough to get started.

2) If you buy it from the pet store, rinse it in several changes of water, as it might be too salty. If you buy it from a horticultural source, it will be more expensive, but it will be low in salt already. When you are done, the coir should be damp but not sopping wet, with most of the water drained off or allowed to evaporate. It should feel like a wrung-out sponge.

3) Mix the coir with a some shredded paper bedding (you want an amount that is about 1/2 the volume of coir), and mix in some food scraps -- about 1-2 large yogurt containers of scraps. If you feel like it, it's probably worth hand-cutting these scraps to a small size so that they will decompose more quickly, but this is not essential.

4) Add a handful of dirt from outside that has something growing in it (this provides the necessary "start up" microbes). If you (or someone you know) has an outdoor compost bin, add a couple handfuls of partially or fully composted material instead of the dirt (the worms will go crazy for this stuff). Do not use compost or dirt that you've bought -- even it's organic, it might have additives that could harm your worms. Do **not** put the worms in yet! Put your cardboard on top as a lid.

5) Let the coir/paper/food mixture "stew" for a while. This will allow the food to start breaking down, which will allow microbes to grow, which will mean the worms will have a tasty meal waiting for them when you do get them! (they eat the microbes that decompose the food -- they don't actually eat the food directly). Check it every day or two and spray it if it seems dry. After a week, dig through the contents and check the moisture. You want that "wrung out sponge" level of moisture. Spray the contents as needed to achieve this. Give the bin a good stir. If there's an odor that you don't like or fruitflies appear add a layer of coir (1/2 an inch) or shredded paper (2 inches) to the top of the bin, under the cardboard lid.

6) Wait a second week. At the end of the second week, check the moisture levels again. Stir the whole bin again. You should begin to see that the food is decomposing, and the coir and paper should seem "integrated" with no clumps of paper.

7) After two weeks, add your worms! There should be plenty of microbes for them to eat by this point, but if you want to give them a special "welcome home" meal, put a small amount of squash shells (cooked or raw) or pumpkin (canned, cooked or raw) in the bin, then put the "squirm" of worms right on top of that meal. Then cover with a layer of paper and your cardboard top.

I know that sounds like a lot of work, but given your previous experience, it's probably worth it to try and create a worm "heaven" before you get the livestock home. That way, they will WANT to stay in the bed.

Once you get them in there, feed sparingly at first. Wait until you see the first feeding disappear (the pumpkin/squash, if you did that), then add about a cup full of food. Wait until that disappears, then add another cup full. After a couple weeks, you can start gradually increasing the amount of food you put in the bin, and you can start putting the next feed in when the worms are engaged in the old one (but before the old one disappears) so that they overlap more. Also, continue to monitor the moisture level. Too wet is better than too dry, but sopping is never good. You'll eventually figure out what seems right for your bin -- since it's wood, you might need to add more water than someone with a plastic bin would.

It will take several months (4-6) for the bin to fully mature and establish a stable ecosystem, at which point you should be able to feed it a lot more.

i agree with all of the above and would emphasize steps 4 & 5 from katxena's msg: let the bin age for a while with any compost you may have, or some dirt from outside before adding any worms.

You could try local sports and fishing stores. Around here they sell worm bedding. I can even get it at the local fleet and farm supply. Works great and no shipping to pay. It looks like , and probably is the same bedding as Walmart and other bait suppliers use. Measurement of water is printed on the side of bag. It looks like recycled newspaper, but I no longer use it. MY bins are going strong and bedding is no problem due to waste paper products. Of coarse I can't find the coir around here and don't like pete moss. I can't add to katxena's reply, except welcome and best luck to you.

Curt :-)

I'd agree with the suggestion not to add the worms until you've got a good environment of well-rotted food, damp bedding, and the approx. right moisture level, meaning there's some drainage at the bottom and some dryish bedding towards the top. When there are a range of environments in the bin, the worms can migrate to an area that suits them. And contrary to what we might think at first, a fresh piece of carrot is of no value to a worm - it takes a village (of microbes).

When I was starting out and had trouble getting the environment right, I added a 1/2-inch layer of redwood compost over the top, the soil conditioner you can buy at any home center. I was trying lots of things at the time but that commercial compost seemed to stabilize the bin.

Congratulations for being patient and persistent.

lemontwist, it would be hard to go wrong if you follow katxena's very thorough instructions. A couple of questions:
-did you buy the worms from the same source?
-how deep was your 1' x 2' wood bin?

Although an 18 gal. tote is a good size, you may want to consider an 8 or 10 gal. tote to start with. The smaller area increases worm population density and should allow a pound of worms to more quickly become a 2 lbs. squirm. A smaller bin hopefully will also discourage overfeeding, but that doesn't seem to be the issue with you so far.

There are many different DIY bin designs. You may want to consider Kelly Slocum's design (see link below).
 Another good source for coir is a hydroponics store.

Here's another bedding prep option:
-put 2-3 gal. of water in a 5 gal. bucket and let it sit for a day or two
-soak cardboard & paper egg cartons in the bucket for 24 hrs.
-wring as much water out as you can & shred by hand (strips or pieces will work)
-add some leaves if you can find any in your area

Andrew

Shredders are pretty cheap. If you can afford it I recommend that you get one. But get one that will shred cardboard. Speaking of cardboard, be careful. I was just about to start shredding a box yesterday when I noticed that the outer surfaces were like slick paper so I wont use it. The grocery store has hundreds of plain ones that you can have for nothing.

Dave Nelson

I'm surprised that nobody has suggested using milled sphagnum peat moss as your principal bedding. It is less expensive than coir, and readily available at garden centers. Worms thrive in it, and it produces superior vermicompost.

Every time I go to the grocery store, I grab a few of the cardboard trays that the canned goods etc. sit in on the shelves. There are almost always a few empty or nearly empty ones. The cardboard is thin, so it goes through the shredder easily. It is good to mix with the shredded office paper that I accumulate so much of.

I agree with all the above. Also do people that keep tropical fish in your area need to just leave water out for 24 hours to air out the cholorine before using it for their fish, or do they need to add a chemical to remove the choloramine, which just airing out will not remove? I would think the cholorine water would temporarily kill all the bacteria you are trying to grow. If you have well water or rain water then you are all set and can use it right way with no airing out.

Good thought. I'm thinking of putting out a couple of rain barrels in the spring. Also, I have a good spot for a rain garden but I think these are things for another forum. Any suggestions?

Dave Nelson

Is the bin treated wood?That could be a problem. Do you have enough air holes drilled in the sides?Air flows horizontally for the most part. In an apartment you might like a wiggly ranch or can o worms.
Buying worms that have been raised in home bins with paper bedding and food scraps works best because they are used to that environment.
I use moist newspaper shredded and a handful of limestone every few weeks. It looks like you live in MA. email me if you would like to come and see how I have my bins set up.
Good luck

One more important point.
You need to feed them. They eat 1/2 their weight in food every day! They might be leaving to look for food.