Then I tried using shredded newspaper but the worms would try to escape if I kept it closed for a few hours. It kept drying out because of this & I'd have to water it down every night.

After 3 months, I still had some shredded newspaper in it but harvested it anyway and found that my worm population decreased severely. I split up the worms I had left into 2 bins that I had filled with a mixture of peat moss, shredded newspaper & cardboard, sand, shredded leaves, rabbit manure, coffee grounds, and a little eggshell.

I was hoping this would be a good mixture for them, but I still have the same problem of having to leave the lids open. They're rubbermaid bins with holes drilled all over them and we've been keeping them in an unused bathtub inside since the weather's been too hot.

Do I have to just go back to peat moss? I'm on a severely limited budget but any advice would be very much appreciated.

Good luck, Pete

Otis - I did notice how difficult it was to tell the difference between VC and peat moss. I think I was in too much of a rush to amend my garden sand! That's a great idea with the lid, I think I can do something like that, thanks!

Greensand - I use as a soil amendment but I found out that it takes forever to break down in soil so I give it to the worms for grit to aid in digestion.

Alfalfa/kelp meal mix - small amounts because the alfalfa will cook the worms.

Fruits and veggies - the moisture in these foods is usually enough to keep the bedding moist as well. Foods like water melon and cantalope have a high water content as is and my worms absolutely love it!! They eat melon including the rind in only a few days. I dont get any run off but thats a good thing for me since I dont use it.

Aside from that, I mist the bed once a week if needed. My bin is an indoor one in totes...so it works pretty good for me.

Hope this helps.