Welcome to the Worm People Community!
We are obsessed with worms and can’t wait to share everything we know about them. We already did that in our course Learn to Worm. It is the first step in worm farming. It will give you the foundational knowledge you need, and more importantly, it will help you avoid many of the pitfalls we’ve experienced on our worming journey.
Another excellent resource is Captain Matt’s YouTube channel. Captain Matt’s enthusiasm for vermiculture is infectious, and he has a lot of wisdom to share. Head over to his channel, like, and subscribe today.
Now, let's get you ready to start your first worm bin.
This article is a companion piece to our previous article Starting Simply A Worm Bin for Beginners.
1. Gather Your Resources
- A Container: This can be as simple as a tote, an old bathtub, or a styrofoam ice chest destined for the landfill. Read our previous article on how to choose the right bin. Once you've established a herd and have a better understanding of how to manage your worms, upgrade to a dedicated worm-farming product like the Urban Worm Bag (Affiliate link) or the VermiBag (Affiliate link).
We receive a small commission if you purchase through our affiliate link at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
- Bedding: We wrote a guide on bedding. It will teach you everything you need to know about bedding and contain lots of Worm People’s tips and tricks.
- Worms: Our forum has a growing directory of local worm sellers. We recommend you purchase locally.
If local is not an option, we are partnered with Meme Worms(Affiliate link). She is the best in the business, and we recommend her worms and all of her products. Samantha is a wise worm farmer who loves sharing her knowledge and helping people start their own worm farms.
- Monitoring Tools: The three things you need to monitor in your bin are moisture, pH, and temperature. We recommend you purchase a compost thermometer and a pH/moisture tester from a local nursery. If that is not an option, we recommend this pH/moisture tester (Affiliate link) and this compost thermometer (Affiliate Link) on Amazon.
Remember, local is always better.
2. Setting Up Your Worm Bin
- Location: The first step in worm farming is to determine where you will place your bin. Worms like cool environments and will not do well in hot temperatures. If you plan to keep it outdoors, put it in the shade, protected from the sun. Read our temperature guide for more details about controlling the heat.
- Preparing the Bin: Drill holes in your bin for drainage and place the bin on top of a catch tray for any adventurous worms that might sneak out. This will happen in the beginning because the worms are still adjusting to the new environment.
- Prepare the Bedding: Properly preparing the bedding for your worms is an important first step. If you plan to use shredded cardboard, soak it in dechlorinated water and allow it a few days to break down. It needs to be damp like a wrung-out sponge. If you have access to some aged compost, now is the time to add it to your cardboard and initial feeding. This will jumpstart the microbial life in the bin and make your new worms feel at home.
- Adding the Worms: Leave the castings from the transport container in the mix to help them settle in and increase the biological activity in your new bin.
- Initial Feeding: Feed your worms in one place. The smaller the particle size, the better. Remember, when you add food scraps to your bin, they generate heat for a few days as they decompose. Your worms will not like this heat and may try to escape your bin. Hot composting is a great way to supercharge your bedding and food before you feed it to your worms. Check out our Worm Bin Food Guide for more details about feeding.
3. Maintaining Your Worm Farm
- Feeding the Worms: Be careful not to overfeed your worms. This will create an anaerobic environment and can lead to pH imbalances. A good rule of thumb is never to feed them more than they will consume in a day or two. When you are first starting out, you will feel the need to feed them frequently. Resist this urge. Be patient.
The key to worm farming is patience and time.
Read more about how Captain Matt feeds Millions of Hungry worms here.
- Moisture and Temperature: Worms like a cool, moist environment between 55-77°F (13-25°C) and a moisture level around 80%. During the summer, be careful. The moisture will hold more heat, and if it gets too hot, it can hurt your worms. They will cluster in the corners of the bin and then try to escape.
- Harvesting Compost: In a few months, you will be ready to harvest your black gold. Click the link to read how Captain Matt harvests his and watch him and Jude in this video.
4. Troubleshooting Common Problems
- Odors: This happens when you overfeed and do not provide adequate oxygen. Anaerobic bacteria produce foul odors and are not friends with our worms. Aerate the bin and add less wet food. Add dry bedding to absorb the moisture.
- Pest: Check out our Worm Bin Pest Guide to fully prepare yourself for all of your worm bin mates.
- Worms Escaping: Worms will always look for the perfect environment to live in. If you have worms escaping, you are not creating the perfect environment for them to thrive. The best way to learn how to do that is to take our course, Learn to Worm.
Your First Worm Bin
Use this guide and the linked resources to prepare you for your first worm bin. Thank you for visiting WormPeople.com. We look forward to getting to know you better.
After reading this, you are one step closer to starting your own worm bin. We love what we do and can't wait to celebrate your worming accomplishments. Join the Forum, sign up for the newsletter, and subscribe to Captain Matt's YouTube.
Welcome to the community!
Happy Worming!