When I start one, I place enough of an active, not-quite-finished bin including bedding, worms, compost and castings into a shoebox bin to fill it about half-way to the top (about 2 to 3 inches) into only ONE END of the box. I fill the other end with horse manure.

From that time, I tend to the bins normally but begin feeding only on the manure end when most of the worms have migrated to that end (as they surely will).

Then when the bin is almost full, I transfer the original end which is now close to "finished" but still with some worms and castings into another shoebox bin and repeat the process.

Major advantages of this system: easy to deal with, move, monitor, with no compaction problems, and when I sell/give away a worm system, that's what the new wormer gets.

If I were to stack these 3 wide, 3 deep, and 3 high, I'd have 27 compartmentalized, non-compacted, not-too-wet at the bottom, 2 pound units about equivalent to a huge plastic tote that would be very hard to tote.

Besides, vertical capacity in a worm bin is wasted space.

The containers cost about 2 bucks.

Holes: 2 in each end, 2 on each side....all just below the top, and 1 on each corner of one end of the bottom.

Chuckiebtoo

CB2,
Thanks for your instructions! I will definately try it.
Suzanne

When I was given a handful (at most) worms on Freecycle, my bin was a plastic salad container, that baby spinach comes in. (the larger size).

By monitoring it carefully so as not to over-feed it thrived and they multiplied. My worms are now in a regular worm bin. I love the mini-bins as a project. Even now, I sometimes start one just for kicks to watch their progress and multiplication. The light never seemed to bother them, I would see them against the sides.

jasdip, like your "light doesn't bother them" comment, I've discovered over the 15 or so years I've been worming the one consistent thing that keeps slapping me upside the head about this little thing we do:

a person starts this little journey and reads the Standard Operating Procedures, and Worms Eat My Garbage rules and Holy Grail and starts that first worm bin and begins to realize and understand and come to the conclusions that almost every single one of those rules and do's and don'ts just ain't true.

Light's OK. Moisture specs are way more flexible than we are first told. Acidic foods aren't nearly as no-no as we are led to believe. Worms don't go into spasmodic fits if you play music too loud. Bins don't need 500, or 100, or 10 holes for aeration to assure survival of the herd. Eggshells are not necessary. Neither are moisture meters, or ph measuring devices.

Actually, it's pretty damned hard to mess up worming unless you really screw up.

My experiences have found the three things we all need to treat with respect: DIVERSITY, MODERATION, PATIENCE.

Chuckiebtoo

"Acidic foods aren't nearly as no-no as we are led to believe."

Can we get a picture of Bart Simpson writing that on a blackboard 100 times and slap it on the forehead of every new wormer?

chuckiebtoo: Way philosophical. No doubt this rabid must follow the "rules" thing happens with other books, too. Some groups following one rule or else and another group following a different rule or else, neither side practicing diversity, moderation, and patience. Reminds me of two stories. One distressed mother tells the doctor her child will not eat anything. The only way she can get the child to eat is to put cinnamon on it. Another relaxed mother tells the doctor her child will eat any food at all. All she has to do is sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on it. I have heard when igloos were more common moms let their toddlers go barefoot. But inside of warmer structures moms make sure the toddlers have on shoes so they will not catch cold. Years ago babies always wore undershirts under their shirts. Nowadays many babies out and about in the summer time visiting stores wear only a diaper and no shoes. Grandmas who read the old instructions freak out.

"Nowadays many babies out and about in the summer time visiting stores wear only a diaper and no shoes. Grandmas who read the old instructions freak out."

Well......,did you know some Grandmas just might take the grandkids shopping at WalMart wearing diapers and no shoes?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YTfINhwG6o

Ok chuckiebtoo, I've gone with the totes for sometime now. BUT!! They have gone totally anaerobic! Boy do they stink!! (Anything to do with the "compost" other that trashing it?) When the moisture started to develop, I put in more paper. Did't solve the problem. I've followed your directions. Heck, I've been worming for about 10 years now in a COW. So my "patience" is not doing so good.

Cleaned the totes out this am. Plenty of worms, although I can't believe they liked their environment. Restarting them. Any suggestions??

You gotta watch the moisture in those bins. When they get that way, take the lid off, stir up the contents, let the thing dry out for about 12-24 hours (using a fan quickens it), and they'll be back to OK. No stink.

You got holes in the bottom? If you put holes in the corners only on one end, tilt the bin up with the holes lower.

Let me say that that happened to me twice....about 12 years ago.

Chances are the moisture of foodstuff you add contains all the moisture you ever need in those little boxes.

By the way, I usually leave the tops off those things after feeding for maybe one day depending on the amounts of moisture. The wormies ain't gonna go anywhere with a new grubstake on hand (or even if not). That whole thing about moisture content amounts is WAY too shortsighted.

chuckiebtoo

Thanks chuckiebtoo!