Coffee grounds: They are a mixed bag. The don't like to decompose very quickly. However, some people have great results with them. I have picked up a bunch from Starbucks, and my worms did not care for them until they had sat for several months and started to grow a fungus on them. At that point, my worms devoured them.

Tea bags: My worms LOVE tea bags!

Dead roaches: Hard to say.

Insect poops: I don't know, but my guess is that the worms will go for them. They like almost any type of poop.

Acidity will not be an issue. UCG is only slightly acidic and worms are happy even at pH5. It might be difficult to maintain a balanced level of moisture if you have too much UCG - could easily get too mushy in a system like the Worm Cafe. Mix it in with plenty of bedding and you might be ok. Pre-composting will help. Everything else you mention is fine. Ask neighbors to save veggie/food scraps for you if necessary.

What weight of worms and which species are you starting with? Have you prepped bedding material in advance?

Cheers,
Andrew

I'm getting 1 kg Eisenia fetida, the shop that I ordered from says there's about 2000 worms in 1 kg. That means I'll need to feed them 3.5kg of food per week? I will microwave all food scraps before putting them in my bin, that'll make them easier to decompose and will kill off other insect eggs that are on the peels. I've had grain mites infestation in my mealworm colony before, that is something that I really don't want to encounter again! Do ALL worm bins have mites? Are there any exceptions? Where do the mites come from anyway? I'm really hoping that if I microwave everything first, I could be exempt from mites...

Its good to know I can feed them silkworm frass, as silkworms are pooping machines!! And their frass molds with the slightest presence of moisture, so it should be good for the worm bin...?

I'm going to start preparing for the bedding today. I've got white newspaper that I'll shred to thin pieces, and I've got some egg crates too. I'll add the saved up vegetable scraps to the bedding for pre-composting.

Just remember to give the new worms plenty of time to acclimate to their new home. They won't eat very much until they become accustomed to their new surroundings. I'd wait a week or so before giving them much else besides the prepared bedding and moisture. Eventually they will work up to half their weight per day, but it is not immediate.

I agree with coach. Start with very small, infrequent feedings after the worms have acclimatized to their new home. Try 500 g for the first feeding. Spread it over half the surface area of the bin and check back in a week. If it looks mostly processed, add the next feeding over the other half of the bin. I'd stick with the 500 g amount and shorten the time between feedings. Once you get a feel for how the worm bin ecosystem is functioning, go ahead and increase the feeding amount.

It's hard to starve worms, but it's very easy to overfeed them.

Andrew

Coffee grounds and tea leaves can also be sprinkled evenly over the ground without composting them.

What are the problems with overfeeding worms? I didn't realize it could be done, I thought they would simply ignore the excess.
Dan

At best, overfeeding will result in a smelly, wet worm bin with an overabundance of critters, including possibly maggots of various sorts. Worst case scenario is the worms will die of "protein poisoning" (aka sour crop) and/or overheating.

Overfeeding is easily the most common mistake for a beginning worm herder. Once a worm bin is well established with (in your type of system) multiple layers of organic material and a healthy microbial population, the danger from overfeeding is diminished.

Feed too much at the beginning and you risk much without gaining any benefit. Feed too little and you risk nothing since the worms can always eat bedding. It's very easy to ramp up feeding.

Hi everyone, I got my worms and worm bin yesterday! Yay! I think the 1 kg of worms that I ordered included the weight of the dirt the comes with it...there are only several hundred small-medium sized worms in the bag. Plus there are a lot of bright orange colored bugs in there, along with some mites and maggots. And so, I did the unthinkable - I washed every single worm before putting them in the worm bin...took me 3 hours+!! I also baked or microwaved everything that goes into the worm bin (coir, paper shreds, newspaper), I'm trying my best to creat a mite-free worm bin, I'll let everyone know if I can succeed. I know I have rinsed away many white super tiny baby worms, but I've also picked out a dozen eggs. If I'm doing everything right, the population should build up eventually.

So, after a few hours in the bin, some worms have climbed onto the lid and congregated at the top corners. Is this normal? Or is this because their new home is too sterile? or too wet?

I washed every single worm before putting them in the worm bin...took me 3 hours+!! I would give an award for worm survival dedication. But I can't. Instead I can award you a worm angel looking over your shoulder. She should give you the blessing of "time" other wise known as waiting before adding more food. And also the angel of "bedding". Many people feed, and feed, and feed. Which is very nice but overwhelming, the worms also need bedding. They probably do not sleep there but they need a location to retreat to when the food becomes too much. They need an area to hang out in. And slide around. Maybe it is equal to "reading time" and "vermicompost happens".

"...some worms have climbed onto the lid and congregated at the top corners. Is this normal? Or is this because their new home is too sterile? or too wet?"

It's normal for your type of bin. Condensation almost always forms in a stacking system and it's very easy for the worms to climb walls & ceilings. Although they will settle down eventually, there will always be wanderers.

I suggest that you fill the bottom leachate collection tray with dry, absorbent bedding (chunks of cardboard, egg cartons). Some of the bedding should be slightly damp if the tray is totally dry. Worms will wander down sometimes and can happily live off the bedding. Check on them every few weeks and dump the entire contents into the top tray.

Andrew

Yes you're right; I checked the bottom drainage tray and there were about a dozen worms in there too. But as of last night, only one worm climbed onto the lid. Two got out of the bin, and one dried up and died. The other one I managed to save! It was lifeless and dry when I picked it up, but it has not turned hard yet. So I put it in a shallow dish and sprayed water on it. After about 5-10 minutes, it started moving again!! I was so happy to be able to save his life (since I didn't get a lot of worms from the "1 kg", so every one of them counts!