Hi Jane
You can use any shredded paper, virtually all inks are made from vegetable dyes now, so don't pose any threat to your worms.
The only paper you can't use is wrapping paper that has tiny pieces of metal in it
Hope that helps
Ronnie
shredded Paper
Re: shredded Paper
Worms have been used for years to composts large amounts of paper pulp, and thrive on it
Ive never heard of worms being killed from the bleaches used when whitening paper
Ive never heard of worms being killed from the bleaches used when whitening paper
The life cycle of Dendrobaena veneta was studied to assess the potential of breeding this species for the fish-bait market. Development, growth and reproduction were investigated by rearing worms at 10°, 15°, 20° or 25°C on horse manure or on waste paper sludge for 6 months. At 10°C, the maturity was slow with a long period of development (104 d) and a low cocoon production. Productivity at 25°C was better than at 20°C or 15°C. The effect of temperature on cocoon production differed according to the source of food; on waste paper sludge, cocoons were produced at the same rate at 20 or 25°C while on horse manure cocoon production was better at 25°C than at 20°C. Whatever temperature, cocoon production was significantly greater on waste paper sludge than on horse manure. On waste paper sludge, maturation of juveniles was faster and adult worms larger. Adults started to produce cocoons at a younger age and more cocoons were produced worm?1 and d?1. These results showed that the life cycle of D. veneta may be influenced by the type of food and that horse manure is not the best substrate for breeding this species.
Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Volume 29, Issues 3-4, March-April 1997, Pages 747-750
L. Fayolle, H. Michaud, D. Cluzeau and J. Stawiecki