What do you do when your worm farm is full?

If you are feeding your worms too much, the excess food will go anaerobic and begin to smell. Stop feeding them for a few days or even a week and sprinkle the contents of the top tray with a teaspoon full of Tumbleweed Worm Farm & Compost Conditioner, then mix it in with a small fork or spike.

Can you overfeed a worm farm?

They prefer to eat their food as it begins to decompose, but not if it has become slimy and smelly. If the bin is overfed, the food scraps will begin to rot before the worms can eat them. Rotting food scraps not only smell, but also interfere with the lifecycle of the worms and the operation of the bin.

How often do you empty worm farms?

You don't need to worry about emptying the worm castings more than every 6 months. When you do, add more soaked, shredded paper as bedding for the worms. Worm castings need to be used once harvested or they will dry out. Worm tea and castings are more than chemical fertilisers.

What happens if you overfeed a worm bin?

Over-Feeding Causes Odors

The worms' job is to eat the food before it gets super-rotten and stinky. If you add too much food at a time, they cannot keep up. Too much food can also push the air out of the bin, leading to foul-smelling anaerobic decomposition.

Can you have too many worms in your worm farm?

If you are feeding your worms too much, the excess food will go anaerobic and begin to smell. Stop feeding them for a few days or even a week and sprinkle the contents of the top tray with a teaspoon full of Tumbleweed Worm Farm & Compost Conditioner, then mix it in with a small fork or spike.

6. WHEN YOUR WORM FARM IS FULL

Are banana peels good worm food?

Bananas are a great and inexpensive snack for both us and our worms. Those peels are desirable to compost worms no matter what shape they're in. They'll make short work of what otherwise would have taken up space in your trash.

How often should worm bedding be changed?

After worms are added, bedding should be kept moist but not soggy and the top 6 to 8 inches turned every 7 to 10 days to keep it loose. About every 6 to 9 months the old bedding should be replaced with properly prepared new bedding. To change bedding, remove the top 5 or 6 inches (where most of the worms are).

Should I stir my worm bin?

There is definitely no need to completely mix up your worm bin contents. The worms themselves – along with various other critters do a lot of mixing on their own.

Are maggots OK in worm farm?

If larger flies or maggots are present, it is generally a sign that food (especially meat) is rotting rather than being eaten by your worms. Avoid meat in worm farms, and make sure you are not over-feeding your new pets.

Why are my worms clump together?

However, when worms are clumping together in corners & around edges of the worm farm, this indicates that there is something wrong with the bedding they're in; i.e. too hot, too wet, too dry, too acidic, etc. They aren't happy with the bedding and are doing their utmost to get away from it.

How long can you leave a worm farm unattended?

Check that your worm farm is moist and add a sprinkling of wood ash, garden lime or dolomite to neutralise acidic conditions. Unlike other pets, you can leave worm farms unattended for weeks at a time. Worms will happily eat wet shredded paper for up to 6 weeks!

Do worms like grass clippings?

Grass clippings are a great addition to a traditional compost pile and worms will eat these as well in their natural setting, but in your vermicomposting system, they will heat up the soil and can kill all of your worms.

Why are my worms in the bottom tray?

The worms are heading to the bottom as they are trying to get cool. Add some bedding to the top layer (damp newspaper, cardboard) to encourage the worms upwards.

How do you remove compost from a worm bin?

Remove the top layer of compost from the pile, separating out pieces of undecomposed food and newspaper. After removing the top layer, let pile sit under light for 2-3 minutes as the worms migrate down. Then remove the next layer of compost. Repeat this process until all of the worms are left at the bottom of the pile.

Should I turn over my worm farm?

In traditional composting turning is necessary to introduce air and mix the ingredients properly. The waste breaks down and releases water, food waste especially will start to clump together and get matted down.

How do I know if my worms are happy?

But how do you know if your compost worms are happy and content? You can tell that compost worms are happy and healthy if they multiply and produce compost that does not stink. The key to happy and healthy compost worms is to give them a good home, adequate food, and maintain the right conditions in the compost bin.

What does a healthy worm bin look like?

A happy, healthy worm bin should always be slightly damp but never soggy. An easy way to remember is: the ideal consistency is that of a wrung-out sponge. Worms need air because they breathe through their skin!

Can worms have too much bedding?

BUT, if your goal is to produce as much high quality vermicompost as quickly as you can, then yes, excessive amounts of bedding can impede your progress – especially in a plastic bin system.

How often do you water worm bins?

Watering daily or multiple times per week is not normally required. In many cases you can water every week or 2 - it depends on temperature, humidity, and other factors so monitor the bin and if you see it getting dry give it a good misting or spray.

How fast do worms multiply?

Worms are ready to breed once they mature from 50 to 90 days. Earthworms are hermaphrodites; they can be male or female (a great advantage!). They can perform both male and female functions and mate every 7 to 10 days. The mating process takes around 24 hours.

Can worms eat potato peels?

Vegetable Waste

Carrot peelings, potato skins, broccoli and cauliflower stalks, lettuce, kale, even onion peels (in limited quantities) are perfect for the worm bin. Vegetable waste like this isn't prone to overheating your bin either, so this is another low-maintenance food.

Can worms eat egg shells?

eggshells - worms simply can't eat them. They will still be there when you remove the worm castings, and you'll have eggshells in the garden. Eggshells are good for the garden, so if you crush them up, and put them in the worm farm, they'll end up adding calcium to your soil.

How long is a worm pregnant?

Each cocoon can have 1-5 worms. If conditions are not right for hatching, such as dryness, my cocoons can be dormant for years and hatch when conditions are right. My babies will hatch in 2-3 weeks.