Where to start ...

If you are having problems with an existing wormery, or just need some advice - then ask it here
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Wormyginner
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Where to start ...

Post by Wormyginner » Mon Apr 19, 2021 2:10 pm

I’m a wormery beginner (wormginner) I have 3 year old twins who are really looking forward to receiving the wormery. I went for the 4 tray one after a bit of research. How many days do I have to leave it before feeding the worms there first meal? And do I have to leave the food to rot for a day or two before putting it in or do I just put it straight in ? And does the wormery need to be a certain temperature and humidity?

WillyWorm
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Re: Where to start ...

Post by WillyWorm » Tue Apr 20, 2021 9:14 am

Good morning, the worms food can be fresh when fed to the worms but this may result in the taking a day or two for them to start on it. Nothing should be “rotten” (smelly, slimy) when it goes into your bin. It is fine if it is way past it’s best and way beyond any thing we would think about eating but not rotting, before or during the time it’s in your bin. Rotting food can easily result in anaerobic conditions developing (without oxygen) in your bin a result in your worms dying. Leaving food for a day or two is fine.
If you have just set your worm bin up leave it for a week before feeding kitchen scraps, if you have a Wormcity wormery then it will have come with some dry food, you can sprinkle a small amount of this in one area after a couple of days and repeat daily or when the previous feed as gone.
Your worms will be happy from 10c to 25c the can tolerate 5c to 30c. Your worms alway need to be moist, because they breath through their sink, the bedding should feel likes a wrang out sponge, when you squeeze it, no water should come out but it should feel damp.

Hope that helps
Willy

Wormyginner
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Re: Where to start ...

Post by Wormyginner » Tue Apr 20, 2021 10:28 pm

Thanks for your help Willy. Is it best to place the wormery in a shaded spot then ? And if the bedding isn’t moist enough one day , do I just spray water onto it ? And if after a couple days the worms havnt eaten all the food and some had started going rotten - do I remove it?

WillyWorm
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Re: Where to start ...

Post by WillyWorm » Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:18 am

Hi, some of my worms have just gone out to their summer location. They are now in a plastic garden storage thingy on an east facing wall of the house. Here they get a couple of hours of warm sunshine early in the morning, to wake them up, then shade for the rest of the hot part of the day. Over heating in summer can be a big problem for worms.
Much of the kitchen waste we feed our worms is made up of 80 to 90 percent water so once your bin settles down it will not need much wetting. In the mean time a small cheap spray bottle may be useful to have to hand but don’t over use it (don’t be tempted to use a spray bottle which contained and chemical cleaners or disinfectant, it may kill your worms)
If food is going rotten yes remove it. I have never had food go rotten in my bins. If you feed the correct amount to should never happen to you. If you go to our forum search and put in “four corner feeding” you will find a technique that will help you avoid over or under feeding. If you can’t find it let me know and I will explain it to you.

Hope that helps
Willy

Wormyginner
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Re: Where to start ...

Post by Wormyginner » Thu Apr 22, 2021 5:03 pm

Thanks again for your help , because it’s only been 2 days I’ve placed them in a shaded spot just so I’m sure they don’t get too hot. We’ve had some really warm weather in Norfolk over the past few days. Because it’s the first week shall I leave them to it or check it everyday ?? Don’t want to disturb them unnecessarily. And also , because it’s the first week , do I need to keep topping up the damp shredded paper in the top ??

WillyWorm
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Re: Where to start ...

Post by WillyWorm » Fri Apr 23, 2021 8:36 am

Hi. good morning. There is no harm in looking in on your worms daily to ensure all is well but try to resist digging around in the bedding, let them settle in and make friend first 🙃.
You can add more bedding at anytime but it should not be necessary after two days.
If the bin as only been set up for two days and is outside, it may be worth putting some wet cardboard on the floor, a foot/12cm, all around it and keeping it wet. This will act as a refuge for worms should any get out (this is common for the first week or two)
and makes it easy for you to collect them up.

Willy

Wormyginner
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Joined:Mon Apr 19, 2021 2:05 pm

Re: Where to start ...

Post by Wormyginner » Sat Apr 24, 2021 5:59 pm

So I checked on worms and loads of them had escaped into the sump - are they trying to get out ??
When do I start adding the other trays - as only got one on the go at the minute and that’s the one with all the worms and bedding in with some shredded paper over the top and then the lid.

WillyWorm
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Joined:Sat Jun 06, 2015 9:10 am

Re: Where to start ...

Post by WillyWorm » Sat Apr 24, 2021 7:04 pm

Hi, just think if you were snatched from home, put in a box, bounced about in a van, the put in a new home, given different food, would you not want to explode even get away? Worms don’t do clean, yet we put them in a new sterile worm bin and expect them to settle.
You can return your worms to the top tray it may take a week or to for them to settle but they will in their own time. Cardboard on the floor around the bin will help you gather them up. A new bin is always a bit of a problem and a worry for the owner be assured it will be ok.

You don’t need to think about the next tray for a month or so. It’s only when the food stuff and bedding you have put in can’t be identified that time is right to add a tray.

Willy

WillyWorm
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Joined:Sat Jun 06, 2015 9:10 am

Re: Where to start ...

Post by WillyWorm » Sun Apr 25, 2021 9:02 am

Hi, have you put something on the bottom of the first tray to block it off from the sump. You could use a couple of sheets of newspaper, a piece on cardboard or a square on material. What ever it is make it a snug fit, this will greatly reduce the number of worms going down into the sump.

Willy

Wormyginner
Junior Member
Posts:8
Joined:Mon Apr 19, 2021 2:05 pm

Re: Where to start ...

Post by Wormyginner » Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:02 pm

Hi, I just followed the instruction booklet - which said to use sheets of paper or cardboard as the base layer , but I only had paper at the time of setup.
I have cardboard , but I’m a bit reluctant now to disturb them by taking everything out - just to put the cardboard in!
What about if I put the cardboard on the underneath part (tape underneath tray) ??

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