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Tue, May 5, 09 at 22:54
| Hello all.
I'm a newbie to vermicomposting, and I have started out with a five bin worm factory and a pound of red wrigglers. I am two and a half months in and I just started my third tray yesterday. Things seem to be progressing well, maybe a little two well? I have read alot about the dangers of overfeeding and not taking it slow in the begining, but it seems as though I can hardly keep up with the little guys. I feed the worms once a week, taking vegtable scraps, fruit cores and peels and blending them together. I then mix the slurry with carboard shredded by a home/office shredder. I add the cardboard until there is no excessive moisture present in the mix, and then I spread the mix in an even layer across the 16x16 bin. I cover this with moistened shredded paper, and four whole pieces of moist newspaper. I add coffee grounds every day. I know much of this is unnecessary, but can it be a part of the reason my worm farm has exploded so quickly in the begining? I keep the bin outdoors on my covered back patio in So. Cal where its usually warm. Do the warmer temps help or hinder? Because it is outside I am not to bothered by the fruit flys, but they do buzz about when I have the lid off. Any suggestions on how to control them? Thanks for taking the time to read all this. I am hoping some of you veterans can provide answers to my questions as well as any helpfull info or tips you may have. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by beth_monsterworms 9 SF East Bay (My Page) on Wed, May 6, 09 at 1:41
| Wormy-d, It sounds like you have it all figured out and are well on your way! If it seems like it is a little wet, you can also try adding in DRY shredded paper instead of wet or damp. For fruit flies, we use apple cider vinegar with a squirt of liquid dish soap in a cup or bowl. The flies fly in and can't get back out. Beth |
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| Thanks for the feedback Beth. Things dont seem to moist, in fact I left the spigot open for a day and the next morning I saw ants exploring the bin, they usually pay it no attention. I remember reading in the manual that ants will keep away if the mositure level is correct. This is important as I keep the bins outside, and in So. Cal there is no shortage of ants. |
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| i'm in socal and around my 7th week and i still only have half a 2nd tray and i've only fed them once (chopped up banana peels) since the intial feeding. so you must be doing something right! i don't have a problem w/ants or fruit flies, though, so it's probably a tradeoff. thanks for the tips! |
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| Congrats on starting a worm bin!! They are the best! Last Christmas I made boxes for my relatives. They thought I was joking when I said they were getting a box of dirt and worms. :) To help my gift recipients out, I posted a few "How to..." articles. I kept getting the same questions, and it was easier to not have to keep repeating myself. :) These will probably help you too. How to Build a Worm Box: How to Fix a Worm Box That Smells: How to Harvest Compost from a Worm Box: Good luck and happy composting! |
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