Below are some of the items I use for vermicomposting & my channel's videos. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you if you use these links. Thank you for supporting this channel! www.youtube.com/@vermicompost?sub_confirmation=1 Worm Bins I use: Vermihut 5-Tray Worm Compost Bin amzn.to/3w15lQt Vermihut Worm Tower by Vevor amzn.to/4dSvEt9 Urban Worm Bag V2 amzn.to/3XE9QsT 20 Gallon Fabric Grow Pots amzn.to/3EBYhdr 3 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck tote amzn.to/3eKDLhO Other Worm Bins: Worm Factory 360 3-Tray Version amzn.to/3AHnjqK Worm Factory 360 5-Tray Version amzn.to/3tYfWY4 Bus bins amzn.to/3fd8AvP Equipment I use: 12 Sheet Cross Cut Micro Shredder (I use it to shred cardboard) amzn.to/3xYZKYu Magic Bullet Small Blender (to pulverize egg shells) amzn.to/3gwEzb4 or amzn.to/42SQ4w9 (with extra coffee bean & nut blade) Worms Red Wiggler mixes amzn.to/3yGNhwl & amzn.to/3R5tKvD ENC's amzn.to/4bXN5XP Indoor Outdoor Wireless Thermometer for worm bin amzn.to/3wIdXbO Additional thermometer sensors 433 MHz amzn.to/41juD7v Please make sure Thermometer & sensor are the same MHz Additional thermometer sensors 915MHz amzn.to/3WTFgua Please make sure Thermometer & sensor are the same MHz Wrigglebrew Worm Casting Tea amzn.to/46PhV2A Food Dehydrator amzn.to/3O5Uj2H Mosquito Dunks 6 pack amzn.to/3Oe4Sl0 granular amzn.to/42KDtM0 or 20 pack amzn.to/42Br4Kf Kitchen scale to weigh worms & food: amzn.to/3HnOQjg Blue gloves amzn.to/3XsBg5n Spray bottles to mist bedding amzn.to/3Fq23rN Digital handheld Thermometer amzn.to/3EWfC2j Compost Tea Bags amzn.to/3fCb5o1 Solar powered light amzn.to/3nOucAq Reusable Keurig Coffee K-cups amzn.to/3FNXvt6 Other useful equipment for worm farming: 5 stackable sifter with different sized mesh: amzn.to/3S2k184 Cameras & camera equipment I use: Insta 360 ace pro amzn.to/3vgdmR8 Flexible Tripod amzn.to/3CGTjcF Insta360 GO 2 camera amzn.to/3oxCc80 Insta360 One X2 camera amzn.to/3nqV6hp iPhone 13 Max Pro amzn.to/3nq52aU Canon EOS Rebel T8i amzn.to/3HcBuX6 4 Ocean bracelets I wear Multiple colors to chose from bracelets amzn.to/3HMbHEx Books on worms & worm farming Worms Eat My Garbage amzn.to/3L4FXN2 Where to buy worms: www.TheGardenAndWormLady.com www.youtube.com/@vermicompost?sub_confirmation=1
😀Thanks Joe! Their instructions could use an update based on some of the tinkering I’ve done and efficiencies I’ve discovered with the rotation method I use…I’m waiting for the phone call😂🤣😂Just kidding, I enjoy the freedom of not being affiliated with any of the worm bins I use! Thanks so much for the kind words & thanks so much for dropping by to watch!🪱🪱🪱
Thank you so much for the kind words!! We're just having fun spreading the wonderful world of Vermicomposting!! Thanks so much for watching & for your support!!🪱🪱🪱
Awesome!! I'll head over to watch!! I love to hear other folks perspectives on my old reliable VermiHut!! Thanks so much for your long term support!!🪱🪱🪱
😂🤣😂 Yes she has!!!❤️❤️❤️ From the pictures, it looks a lot less tucked away, but that corner of the house is not very noticeable from the normal vantage point of watching TV!!🪱🪱🪱
Worm towers are the best aren't they!! I would love to get my hands on a Can O' Worms...but I have a feeling Autumn wouldn't be happy with me😂 Thanks for dropping by to watch Nick!!🪱🪱🪱
Leachate is what they call Worm Extract 🪱 I used to pour liquid in my Can-O-Worms every week. Now I run the Can-O-Worms drier. I like the looks of that Vermihut. It looks smaller than the Can-O-Worms circular trays. Good tips 👍 ❤Peggy❤
I would love to have a Can O' Worms!! I do think my VermiHut is smaller. Here is the way I distinguish between all of them...Leachate=liquid dripping down over time and sitting on the bottom for days to weeks...not good to use, Extract=pour over and use right away...very good to use, and Worm Casting Tea is bubbled with or without a food source like molasses to greatly increase the microbial mass...very good to use!! Thanks so much for all your awesome support Peggy!!🪱🪱🪱
@Vermicompost that's a good point, Patrick. If you use it immediately after it finishes dripping you have the bacteria and any urine from the worms and it's good for your garden 👍
😂🤣😂 If he's anything like me the garage is my space so maybe he'll let it in the house!!! For a while she made me put it in another room when we had friends over...but I wore her down!! Thanks for the hilarious comment Lisa, and of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Hi Patrick, you certainly have the best system I've ever seen for worm tower management. I've learned a lot! I have no idea about that red square in a raspberry container. Worms don't lie, so we will know soon whether it's degradable! ~ Sandra
It is such a good system! So far we’ve caught worms crawling across that red square but no nibbles yet! I’m having my doubts that it is made of anything natural but like you said the worms will tell us if it’s degradable!! Thanks so much for stopping by to watch Sandra!!🪱🪱🪱
I agree with you! Started my project with Worm Factory, then added a Vermihut. The VH was the better of the two because of moisture control, but both functioned well. I have now migrated both to a Vermibag Mini. It is the most elegant, clean and easy set up yet. The trays were heavy when they get going and there was always some mess when I was working with them. I have not harvested my first castings from the Mini, but I think using the pre-composted damp bedding from the towers with accelerate that over starting a CFT system from scratch. I liked the idea of the Urban Worm Bag, but I needed the smaller unit for the utility closet I have it in. I have also read that some folks think the current Vermibag design maintains moisture better. I will be watching for that.
That is awesome!! I would love to have a Vermibag Mini!! That's so cool that the worm towers got you started!! They really do give you confidence to know you can do it!! Your VermiBag Mini is off to a fantastic start with all the contents of your 2 worm towers!! Definitely let us know how it goes with your first harvest! Here is a video of our first harvest of our Urban Worm Bag...I have since switched to a mortar tray underneath now that I know you get sooooo much castings out of the bottom: ua-cam.com/video/6S8j0HdRz_o/v-deo.html Thanks so much for sharing your experience with worm towers and of course thanks so much for watching Mary!!🪱🪱🪱
I can attest to this. I have the same setup with 1K worms from Uncle Jim. Been running for 8 months. Frozen watermelon (with rinds) and Cherries (with seeds) were all decimated within a couple of weeks. Coco coir, shredded amazon packaging papers, coffee grinds and eggshell grits are my base that helps neutralize the smell.
Yay!!! I love hearing stories of other folks' worm towers that work so well!! It is amazing how easy it is to start one and get it up and running!! It sounds like you have yours running perfectly!! Thanks so much for passing how well it is going and how often and how much you can feed them!! And of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
I finally started my bin this spring. Have not harvested any casting yet, but I am amazed as to how much food the worms eat. I am feeding every 7 days or so and the worms are breeding and doing great. I ended up making my own bin using 7-gal storage containers.
That is fantastic!! Congrats on getting your worm bin up and running!! It is amazing how many food scraps the worms can eat after that initial start up month!! A 7-gallon storage container makes for a great 1st worm bin as well!! Thanks so much for passing on your worm bin journey!! I have a feeling you may start another worm bin once you harvest and see what it does for your garden!! Thanks so much for watching Ed!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost Well, I actually, started with a 3 tray system, but quickly added a 4th. So, bottom for liquids two with shredded bedding and the feeder. I made a wood stand for it and added a spigot to drain any liquids. Happy to finally do it and I look forward to the feedings. It is hard to stop yourself from looking in on them.
I'm putting used compost in the bottom tray so hopefully it will reinvigorate the compost, hopefully by spring I will have all the containers replenished with worm juice.😀👌👍
I'm about to put compost in my Outdoor Worm Bin!! I forgot to the last time around. The worms really love it!!...but so do the insects!! Your garden/allotment always looks so great...must be all your great compost and worm juice!!🪱🪱🪱
Very true!! I didn't even think of that!! Even when there is no food I always find a bunch in the corners!! Thanks so much for pointing that out and thanks for watching Frank!!🪱🪱🪱
😂🤣😂 That is soooooo true!!! We've had that matching dining room table forever so I think it is her way of letting me know it's time for a new one!! Thanks for the good laugh Mike!!! And of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Vermihut is by far the easiest and it is quicker to fix problems. I also have a urban worm bag. The only negative is there is only so much room to put food in. I added the urban worm bag because it can process a lot more food. I also think the vermihut does a better job making cleaner castings and easier to harvest than the UWB. In the UWB I have unfinished cardboard left on the sides, even if I fluff it weekly. Its not a big deal I just put it back into the bag when I harvest. Great video!
Thank you Eric!! Great points!! I love my Urban Worm Bag for all the same reasons! This VermiHut is such an easy bin to run and it is where I really got my start (or restart) as my first DIY worm bin crashed and burned!! The only thing I'd change about it is I'd have more!! Thanks for sharing your experience with both worm bins!! And of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Based on the time lapse so far, mold really helps the process and the worms are totally interested in them...Now, whether they eat them quickly or not? Time will tell!! Thanks for stopping by AV!!🪱🪱🪱
I'm so proud of you! This is your best video, Especially for a newby! I am Eighty one years old now and Am looking around to see who's going to own these worms when I am no longer able to care for them. This would be a good video to show somebody How to continue your bins if you are no longer able. But it still would be nice if you would do a specific video on that Subject.
Thank you Cookie!! We really appreciate the kind, encouraging words!! You still have another 20 years with your worms at least!! If you can't find a friend that wants to take over your worm farm, I honestly think the best thing for you to do, when the time comes, is to drop your worms off at a local family farm. They will almost certainly have a compost pile outback or somewhere on their property and would love to get a load of compost worms to help them process their pile!! Most of the time I've found a small farm will have compost pile that they don't turn and try to heat up, but rather just a place to put food scraps and manure...your worms will think they are in heaven if they get to go to a farm!! This video I did about a year ago shows a compost pile form a friends horse ranch where I found compost worms: ua-cam.com/video/w1GMc5-RRbk/v-deo.html I hope this helps!! I'll try to think about how I can incorporate this into a video for you! Thanks so much for all your steadfast support of our channel Cookie!!🪱🪱🪱
Nice video Patrick, the maker of your tower should put you on the payroll. I have a friend who has a balcony garden in Chicago, I sent him a link to this video, been trying to get him to raise worms for a couple years now, this just might do it. Great idea using the spigot at the bottom to make an extract Not sure if you mentioned the fact there are no odor issues with having a bin inside. Have a good week! Stay Well!!!
Thanks Brian!! I know I've helped to sell at least one to my son but, I like the independence to call the balls & strikes as I see them, so no payroll😁 This would be an awesome bin for a balcony gardener!! it has a small floor space profile and is a beautiful bin not an eye sore!! And as you said no odors at all!!🪱🪱🪱
I’ve been thinking about getting one of these. I’ve been vermicomposting for a year and it’s going great BUT, a system like this would be better than the black Lowe’s cement trays I’m currently using. The multiple trays overwhelmed me at first but your videos make it seem easy to do. I will definitely use your link if I get this system. Thanks!
You won't be disappointed if you get one, but it sounds like you also have a good thing going since you've been vermicomposting for a year!! BUT the only thing better than one worm bin is two worm bins😂🤣😂 Don't ask me what's better than two worm bins...I'm up to 4 so far!! Thanks so much for stopping by and for all your support!!🪱🪱🪱
@@VermicompostSo true! I do actually like the trays I use but my worm population is growing but I think my worms want some worm neighbors to move into the new VermiHut building across the room. Lol 😂
I love my VermiHut. I started with a home made set up but switched to VermiHut after finding your channel. You give great tips on how set up and use the system and I thank you for that. My VermiHut is in my kitchen, it never smells, there are never any flys or bugs and the compost is great. I use your system of rotating the trays. The worms go down into the lower trays after the bedding is moistened from above, jump starting those trays.
Oh wow thanks for the kind words Rachelle!! I get so excited talking about my VermiHut but to hear someone else is getting the same joy and worm castings bounty as me really gets me jazzed!! I'm so glad my rotation method is working well for you!! Thanks for sharing your experience with your VermiHut!! And thanks so much for your long time support of our channel!!🪱🪱🪱
As a new "vermicomposter", I spent quite a bit of time going down the UA-cam rabbit hole researching the best method to suit my needs/preferences. Your worm tower method seemed to make the most sense and I have copied your method nearly 100%. The only "hiccup" I've noticed with your system, which you identified was the worms munching your matting in the lid. Since you've been such a great help with my worming adventure, I thought I might share an idea, as I am trying to avoid the same problem. Instead of setting aside that 5th tray used for sifting etc, I place it upside down on top of my feeder tray. I use two alligator clips to hold them together, and then just place my lid on top of the upside down 5th tray. The worms can't reach the lid, and they still have the same air flow. You could also just drape a breathable cloth to cover the top if preferred instead of sitting the lid loosely on top. Just an idea, I thought I would share. Your videos have been inspirational in my vermicomposting adventure and have made this a fun hobby for me. Thank you so much for the information you've passed along.
That's so great to hear!! I'm so glad our videos have been helpful!! You have an absolutely fantastic idea with the 5th tray and lid!! Thank you for sharing it with us and the greater Vermihut worm tower community!! It is amazing how some modifications can really make this design even better! Again, thanks so much for passing on your idea & of course thanks so much for watching and for your long time support Samuel!!🪱🪱🪱
I am liking the vermihut so far. Just trying to figure out how to keep them out of the lid had a few escape that way. The other problem I have is sifting out the cocoons. I think alot of my problem is I think I need to get some cheaters so I can see better lol.
Lol everyone is talking about the Executive Producer being fine with the chair outside and the living room worm bin, I was too focused on the one worm with the shredded cardboard flag in the time lapse 😂😂
😂🤣😂🤣😂 This wins the comment section!!!!!!! So many people are surprised about both!! I think with raising three very "active" boys (and me for that matter) nothing surprises her when I come up with hair-brained ideas!! I saw the flag carrying worm too when I was editing and I was like oh well, he's surrendering!! When we were actually filming we didn't notice...only when it was sped up!! Thanks for the deep guttural belly laughs!!! And as always thanks for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
I just bought my first worm bin and worms are on the way. I’m so excited to start this. I know I can make my own setup but wanted my first to be all together for me. I’ve watched so many tutorials and appreciate yours. Edit: I have a question that I hope I can get an answer to. The worm farm don’t come with holes in the sides for air. Should I drill holes?
Awesome!! Starting a worm farm is so exciting!! If you are buying this VermiHut or another premade worm farm I would not drill any holes or make any modification to the structure of the bin. The manufacturer has almost certainly accounted for the worms being able to get enough air flow. This VermiHut has holes in the lid and each tray is taper and stacks on the surface of the next bin with a little airflow between the tapered sides of the trays and from below the last tray and the basin. You may have already seen my playlist on how to start a worm bin: ua-cam.com/play/PLimznaPXKV09VLDzBAl71EZhmiBGmIMUN.html but the biggest mistakes are overfeeding and over loving your worms!! They need very little food at first and it is very...I mean VERY hard not to look at them like 5 or 6 times a day!! They really need to be left alone for the first several days (other than maybe lifting the lid) to not stress them out. You & your worms are gonna do great!! Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments of any of my videos! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Hi, I hope you're doing well! I'm just getting ready for the time to harvest my first crop and renew my vermicompost bin. Your videos provide us with a lot of information and help in all the processes. I have a question and wanted to ask, what do you use the 5 stackable sifter with different sized mesh noted in the description for? Thanks and regards!
Thanks for the kind words!! That's fantastic you are harvesting your first worm castings!! I have a built in sifter with my VermiHut worm tower trays, but I know not everyone has a worm tower whose trays can act as sifter. So I added a 5 stackable sifter in the the description to give more option to folks who don't have or want to buy a VermiHut Worm Tower. Each sifter, has different size openings in the mesh so you can use the one with bigger holes to sift out big chunks and work your way down to get super fine worm castings. The 1/4 inch works fantastic as an all purpose worm castings sifter, but if you go from the 1/4th then resift those castings with the 1/8th sifter you will get the best sifted super pure castings!! They also sell individual sizes if you look around on amazon if you don't want the full 5 sifter stack. I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Great question Tory!! two of my bins are a mix of reds and blues and two of my bins are pure red wigglers and I really don't see a difference in the castings. But I do see both the reds and lots of blues super active in the summers in my outdoor bins and the reds always super active even in our Florida "winters." So I guess my answer is a mix of reds and blues is a great way to cover all the temperature ranges in my climate! I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for the good words and for taking the time to watch!!
Hiya! Thx for sharing so much knowledge. Have you ever had issues with Mold spreading in your new inoculating tray? My bottom-most tray and m-board seem to be pretty damp and growing something :/
Thanks so much for the kind words!! I do get mold or slime mold sometimes growing throughout my bins, especially when they first start out and the ecosystem isn't balanced, but the great thing is the worms will eat it all and it adds to the biodiversity of the worm castings!! If your M-board is getting moist you can add another tray of dry shredded cardboard to the bottom of the stack, but if you are not getting liquid pooling in the basin you are good to go!! I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
I have a Worm Tower 360 and I’ve been fighting gnats for about a year. My tower is in the utility closet in the house. For 2 years I didn’t have any gnats, but it seems like once you get gnats, you never completely get rid of them.
Oh wow! Does the Worm Factory 360 have a thick lid with a coco coir mat that goes on the inside of the thick lid? I'm not sure if this is a difference between the two worm towers. I use BTI dunks in my rain barrel and then use that water to spray down my Urban Worm Bag and my Outdoor Worm bin which helps out tremendously, but if you tried it already it seems you may have some evolved persistent little creatures!! Thanks so much for passing on your experience & of course thanks so much for watching Peggy!!🪱🪱🪱
The lid is not tight, nor does it have coco coir in it. I’m not even sure that the gnats come from top of the lid, I think they get in anywhere they can, possibly the bottom. I have used dunk on newspaper in my top tray, I use sticky pads, and homemade drowning concoction, but I think the most effective is to vacuum up the stragglers. I don’t have a lot of gnats, but I think any are too many!
Ok, makes sense! My Vermihut's lid is pretty tight as is the bottom, but each tray tapers so there is plenty of potential if something really wanted to get in. This time of year here in the Tampa, FL area we have fruit flies and gnats get in the house and when I open the lid I always see one or two come check things out after a little while but no infestations and nothing coming from inside the bin...I agree any gnats are too many gnats in my worm bins!! You have tried all the things I have tried or heard about in the past so I'm fresh out of ideas but it was good to hear abut the differences in the two worm towers...I want to get a 360...I just have to convince the Executive Producer to let me have yet another worm bin!!!
@@Vermicompost Ohhhhh, my trays taper too, so it could be that the fuller the tray is, the bigger the gap is that allows gnats to enter. Condensation likes to hang out in those tapered areas too! My bottom inoculating tray is very full, but it’s full of dry shredded cardboard. Because of the dry shredded cardboard, I didn’t think it was a problem, but it could be an entry way into the much moister tray above it. A thought that I never considered. Now that it’s starting to cool down here in central California, a deep worm clean might be in order. My next tower, bucket purchased, will be in the garden!
Hey there! Awesome video as usual. Im making my first ever worm bin but i didnt want to spend too much money on pre made bins because as a beginner, i dont really know what im doing lol. I wanted to ask, how do you hydrate your bin? Im assuming you dont just dump a bucket of water in. I was thinking of using my hose with an attachment to add a soft shower over the bin while turning the coir over as im doing it. But how can i prevent the worms from drowning? Or do they drown at all? I would like to know how you do it. Thanks
That's great you are making a DIY worm bin!! I have a couple videos of how I start my worm bins with new worms and bedding from start until their second feeding after one week: ua-cam.com/video/UsH3k92KhYg/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/1IRP-Nu6_90/v-deo.html You are correct, I do not pour water over my bns to hydrate them. Instead I soak the dry shredded cardboard in water with just enough water to make it damp, with only about 3-4 drips of water coming out of it when I squeeze a handful in my hand. You could use a mist setting on your hose like you mentioned but it is hard to gauge how much is too much. You might find water pooling on the bottom a few hours after you use this technique. The best thing to do is pre-wet the coco coir (if that is what you plan to use) and then put it in your bin after a few hours so you know how much moisture it has...again use the 3-4 drips squeeze test. I hope this helps!! Feel free to ask any additional questions in the comments of any of my videos as start your journey worm farming!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Thank you for the reply. If I keep adding the wet cardboard into my bin every time it dries, won't I just have a mountain of cardboard that the worms, especially when new, won't be able to digest? Especially in the summer, I plan to keep it outside, although in a shaded cool area I still feel it would dry out rather quickly. Thanks again.
The food you feed (I always freeze the food first) will provide enough moisture. You only need to feed damp cardboard when you give it a normal food scrap feeding. Put a piece of newspaper on top of the surface, then put a piece of loose plastic, like bubble wrap on top of the newspaper and that will help keep the moisture inside. If your worm bin doesn't have holes on the bottom then it is probably soggy on the bottom compared to the drier top. If it has holes on the bottom and a lid (with holes) or the newspaper/plastic combo on top then the moisture usually will be similar from top to bottom. Lots of bedding is a good thing as they can eat it and it provides them a home, but as they start to grow their population and turn the contents to more castings the bin will really start to maintain more moisture easily...to the point where you may feel it is too wet! Worms can breath through their skin under water, but the soaking water very quickly runs out of oxygen and deep within your bin, where the water pools, and there is no way to replenish the oxygen so the worm will die or migrate up if they have room...and the bin will smell really bad as the anaerobic microbes take over. All of this seems very scary and complicated, but it is rare and it is not going to happen to you!! These are the extremes, as long as your bedding is slightly damp 1-2 inches underneath and you don't overfeed your worms, you are going to have a thriving worm bin!!
Ernie!!!! So great to see you here!! I love, LOVE, LoVe not having to deal with the gnats and fruit flies!! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by & watch!!🪱🪱🪱
Although I don't have any ANC's in my Vermihut, I know from others that the holes are big enough for them. The holes are 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch if that helps. Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Depending on how much material you have to move, I would fill 1 to 2 trays with the material from your tote. Next fill 2 more trays with dry shredded cardboard and put them as your 2 bottom trays and the ones with material from your tote as the top two trays. Feed only the top tray for the next 60 days and harvest the one below it after 60 days. You can now rotate your VermiHut trays as I do in these videos: ua-cam.com/video/_uRRpwZcMXM/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/XNG4i8iXc_g/v-deo.html I think your VermiHut will get an amazing head start with the contents of your tote and you will be able to harvest trays much easier every 45-60 days! I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
That's a good idea! You could even break the brick apart if able and slowly use it up in the various trays as you add them on mixed with cardboard shreds.
Has anyone tried using garden millipedes in a worm tower? I have a mini compost bin with garden millipedes that i found in my garden and they produce beautiful casting too. But i want a more efficient way to harvest those casting, so I'm thinking of getting a worm tower, however im concern if the garden millipede will fit though the holes, what's the diameter of the holes?
Great question!! The holes are 1/4th inch square so the millipedes will fit through the holes if they are as small as the ones I have in my Outdoor Worm Bin. I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
If you have a lot of outdoor space your could build a Continuous Flow Bin that is ten times bigger than this to really generate a lot of worm castings. But to get started, I think a worm tower is the best way to make sure you like to farm worms and to make sure you get a win right out of the gate!! I have 3 other worm bins but this one was the one that gave me the confidence to know I could do it!! They feed my three 4x8 garden plots with lots of worm castings left over to share!! A worm tower can be indoors or out, but you do need to protect it from the elements. My outdoor worm bins are in the shade here in the Tampa Florida area. I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
A typical compost worm will go from a hatched baby worm to a full breeding worm in 2 months...and the population grows exponentially until they hit the max capacity of the container they are in. Then they self regulate to keep the population healthy. So if you like to fish with worms, or you have a hungry reptile or other pet, and you let the bin grow that first few months, you will never run out!! I hope that helps!!
Hi Angelia!! I didn't give them very much but I should have mentioned that I rinsed them before I froze them. The worms will avoid them if they need to (based on the time lapse I'm still running they do like them!) but you bring up a good point not to add too many if any salty foods in your worm bin!! Thanks for the reminder and of course thanks for watching & for your long term support!!🪱🪱🪱
Wow that is ann awesome shirt 😁. I have not done the worm extraction process yet. I couldn't agree more about the moisture in these types of bins. They are always great.👍🏼🪱😃
I see what you did there Ann😀 Your logo shirt always puts me in the mood to "play" with my worm bins...I love it!! Yes, worm towers always seem to have the perfect moisture no matter what I feed them or how dry or wet my bedding is!! Thanks so much for dropping by to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
This lazy worm farmer left one outside after harvesting some worm castings and the squirrels decided to wear down their teeth!! Needless to say I keep the trays inside now!! This squirrel chewed on tray has been making it's way up my system for the better part of this summer!! Great question!! I'm sure lots of folks were wondering the same thing!! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
Today i found a Bsf fly in my worm tower bin, i dont know how it come there when i opened the fly comes out i think the fly put eggs in worm bin, may be i will soon find bsf larvae in it.
Oh wow!! They are fairly large flies as they mimic black wasps so I bet it got in when you were feeding the bin! They are very docile and do not move much so they are sometimes difficult to spot around a compost pile...or when feeding your bin!! You are right, it no doubt laid some eggs/larvae so you may want to use some mosquito dunk solution to make sure they don't see adulthood!! I don't get them in my Outdoor Worm Bin anymore because of that but I kinda of like having them in there!! Thanks so much for watching and sharing how tricky those BSF can be!!🪱🪱🪱
If you do an internet search for "mosquito dunks" they are used to disrupt the larvae lifecycle of mosquitoes. It is a crumbly piece of material that has bacteria that attack the larvae. Here is an amazon affiliate link to learn more and check out how much they cost: amzn.to/42KDtM0 I just put them in my rain barrel and use that to occasionally spray down my Outdoor Worm Bin and Urban Worm Bag.
You're totally right, I should have done that!! One of the first comments mentioned some confusion on it and I realized I really should have spelled it out better. Here is what I wrote back..."Leachate=liquid dripping down over time and sitting on the bottom for days to weeks...not good to use, Extract=pour over and use right away...very good to use, and Worm Casting Tea is bubbled with or without a food source like molasses to greatly increase the microbial mass...very good to use!!" As you know leachate really is an unknown pool of cesspool like water with anaerobic bacteria and other microbes depending on the length of time it has been sitting there. Thanks for bringing this up so anyone in the comments has a better understanding!! And of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Wow you could see the mold on the strawberries and apple. Lots of good tips Patrick. I always worry about pests so I’ve always bury my scraps. Maybe I will give a top feeding a try one of these days. 😁🪱
This is the only worm bin I can top feed, but it is so cool to see what they do without digging in & disturbing them!! It is amazing how much mold always pops up on the foods I top feed...and kind of scary!! Thanks so much for dropping by to watch Rick!!🪱🪱🪱
Below are some of the items I use for vermicomposting & my channel's videos. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you if you use these links. Thank you for supporting this channel! www.youtube.com/@vermicompost?sub_confirmation=1
Worm Bins I use:
Vermihut 5-Tray Worm Compost Bin amzn.to/3w15lQt
Vermihut Worm Tower by Vevor amzn.to/4dSvEt9
Urban Worm Bag V2 amzn.to/3XE9QsT
20 Gallon Fabric Grow Pots amzn.to/3EBYhdr
3 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck tote amzn.to/3eKDLhO
Other Worm Bins:
Worm Factory 360 3-Tray Version amzn.to/3AHnjqK
Worm Factory 360 5-Tray Version amzn.to/3tYfWY4
Bus bins amzn.to/3fd8AvP
Equipment I use:
12 Sheet Cross Cut Micro Shredder (I use it to shred cardboard) amzn.to/3xYZKYu
Magic Bullet Small Blender (to pulverize egg shells) amzn.to/3gwEzb4 or amzn.to/42SQ4w9 (with extra coffee bean & nut blade)
Worms Red Wiggler mixes amzn.to/3yGNhwl & amzn.to/3R5tKvD ENC's amzn.to/4bXN5XP
Indoor Outdoor Wireless Thermometer for worm bin amzn.to/3wIdXbO
Additional thermometer sensors 433 MHz amzn.to/41juD7v Please make sure Thermometer & sensor are the same MHz
Additional thermometer sensors 915MHz amzn.to/3WTFgua Please make sure Thermometer & sensor are the same MHz
Wrigglebrew Worm Casting Tea amzn.to/46PhV2A
Food Dehydrator amzn.to/3O5Uj2H
Mosquito Dunks 6 pack amzn.to/3Oe4Sl0 granular amzn.to/42KDtM0 or 20 pack amzn.to/42Br4Kf
Kitchen scale to weigh worms & food: amzn.to/3HnOQjg
Blue gloves amzn.to/3XsBg5n
Spray bottles to mist bedding amzn.to/3Fq23rN
Digital handheld Thermometer amzn.to/3EWfC2j
Compost Tea Bags amzn.to/3fCb5o1
Solar powered light amzn.to/3nOucAq
Reusable Keurig Coffee K-cups amzn.to/3FNXvt6
Other useful equipment for worm farming:
5 stackable sifter with different sized mesh: amzn.to/3S2k184
Cameras & camera equipment I use:
Insta 360 ace pro amzn.to/3vgdmR8
Flexible Tripod amzn.to/3CGTjcF
Insta360 GO 2 camera amzn.to/3oxCc80
Insta360 One X2 camera amzn.to/3nqV6hp
iPhone 13 Max Pro amzn.to/3nq52aU
Canon EOS Rebel T8i amzn.to/3HcBuX6
4 Ocean bracelets I wear
Multiple colors to chose from bracelets amzn.to/3HMbHEx
Books on worms & worm farming
Worms Eat My Garbage amzn.to/3L4FXN2
Where to buy worms: www.TheGardenAndWormLady.com
www.youtube.com/@vermicompost?sub_confirmation=1
I still say Vermihut should hire you to make instructional videos.
😀Thanks Joe! Their instructions could use an update based on some of the tinkering I’ve done and efficiencies I’ve discovered with the rotation method I use…I’m waiting for the phone call😂🤣😂Just kidding, I enjoy the freedom of not being affiliated with any of the worm bins I use! Thanks so much for the kind words & thanks so much for dropping by to watch!🪱🪱🪱
You and the executive producer are the North Star for vermicompost creators! Thank you for all you do!💚🫡
Thank you so much for the kind words!! We're just having fun spreading the wonderful world of Vermicomposting!! Thanks so much for watching & for your support!!🪱🪱🪱
I just posted a video on my channel about my yearlong Vermicomposting journey with the Vermihut All inspired by this channel. 👍
Awesome!! I'll head over to watch!! I love to hear other folks perspectives on my old reliable VermiHut!! Thanks so much for your long term support!!🪱🪱🪱
Wow! It's sitting in the living room. Autumn has come a long way ❤
😂🤣😂 Yes she has!!!❤️❤️❤️ From the pictures, it looks a lot less tucked away, but that corner of the house is not very noticeable from the normal vantage point of watching TV!!🪱🪱🪱
Hi Patrick I'm liking my new can o worms👍👌😀
Worm towers are the best aren't they!! I would love to get my hands on a Can O' Worms...but I have a feeling Autumn wouldn't be happy with me😂 Thanks for dropping by to watch Nick!!🪱🪱🪱
Leachate is what they call Worm Extract 🪱 I used to pour liquid in my Can-O-Worms every week. Now I run the Can-O-Worms drier.
I like the looks of that Vermihut.
It looks smaller than the Can-O-Worms circular trays.
Good tips 👍
❤Peggy❤
I would love to have a Can O' Worms!! I do think my VermiHut is smaller. Here is the way I distinguish between all of them...Leachate=liquid dripping down over time and sitting on the bottom for days to weeks...not good to use, Extract=pour over and use right away...very good to use, and Worm Casting Tea is bubbled with or without a food source like molasses to greatly increase the microbial mass...very good to use!! Thanks so much for all your awesome support Peggy!!🪱🪱🪱
@Vermicompost that's a good point, Patrick. If you use it immediately after it finishes dripping you have the bacteria and any urine from the worms and it's good for your garden 👍
You are so lucky the executive producer is okay with a living room worm bin! My hubby doesn't in want one in the garage...😂
😂🤣😂 If he's anything like me the garage is my space so maybe he'll let it in the house!!! For a while she made me put it in another room when we had friends over...but I wore her down!! Thanks for the hilarious comment Lisa, and of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Some luck is
all-natural;
some luck is
man-made.
Thanks for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Hi Patrick, you certainly have the best system I've ever seen for worm tower management. I've learned a lot! I have no idea about that red square in a raspberry container. Worms don't lie, so we will know soon whether it's degradable!
~ Sandra
It is such a good system! So far we’ve caught worms crawling across that red square but no nibbles yet! I’m having my doubts that it is made of anything natural but like you said the worms will tell us if it’s degradable!! Thanks so much for stopping by to watch Sandra!!🪱🪱🪱
I agree with you! Started my project with Worm Factory, then added a Vermihut. The VH was the better of the two because of moisture control, but both functioned well. I have now migrated both to a Vermibag Mini. It is the most elegant, clean and easy set up yet. The trays were heavy when they get going and there was always some mess when I was working with them. I have not harvested my first castings from the Mini, but I think using the pre-composted damp bedding from the towers with accelerate that over starting a CFT system from scratch. I liked the idea of the Urban Worm Bag, but I needed the smaller unit for the utility closet I have it in. I have also read that some folks think the current Vermibag design maintains moisture better. I will be watching for that.
That is awesome!! I would love to have a Vermibag Mini!! That's so cool that the worm towers got you started!! They really do give you confidence to know you can do it!! Your VermiBag Mini is off to a fantastic start with all the contents of your 2 worm towers!! Definitely let us know how it goes with your first harvest! Here is a video of our first harvest of our Urban Worm Bag...I have since switched to a mortar tray underneath now that I know you get sooooo much castings out of the bottom: ua-cam.com/video/6S8j0HdRz_o/v-deo.html Thanks so much for sharing your experience with worm towers and of course thanks so much for watching Mary!!🪱🪱🪱
I can attest to this. I have the same setup with 1K worms from Uncle Jim. Been running for 8 months. Frozen watermelon (with rinds) and Cherries (with seeds) were all decimated within a couple of weeks. Coco coir, shredded amazon packaging papers, coffee grinds and eggshell grits are my base that helps neutralize the smell.
Yay!!! I love hearing stories of other folks' worm towers that work so well!! It is amazing how easy it is to start one and get it up and running!! It sounds like you have yours running perfectly!! Thanks so much for passing how well it is going and how often and how much you can feed them!! And of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
I finally started my bin this spring. Have not harvested any casting yet, but I am amazed as to how much food the worms eat. I am feeding every 7 days or so and the worms are breeding and doing great. I ended up making my own bin using 7-gal storage containers.
That is fantastic!! Congrats on getting your worm bin up and running!! It is amazing how many food scraps the worms can eat after that initial start up month!! A 7-gallon storage container makes for a great 1st worm bin as well!! Thanks so much for passing on your worm bin journey!! I have a feeling you may start another worm bin once you harvest and see what it does for your garden!! Thanks so much for watching Ed!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost Well, I actually, started with a 3 tray system, but quickly added a 4th. So, bottom for liquids two with shredded bedding and the feeder. I made a wood stand for it and added a spigot to drain any liquids. Happy to finally do it and I look forward to the feedings. It is hard to stop yourself from looking in on them.
Awesome!! That is a perfect setup!! Your are correct...the hardest part of worm farming is to stop yourself from constantly checking in on them!!😀
I'm putting used compost in the bottom tray so hopefully it will reinvigorate the compost, hopefully by spring I will have all the containers replenished with worm juice.😀👌👍
I'm about to put compost in my Outdoor Worm Bin!! I forgot to the last time around. The worms really love it!!...but so do the insects!! Your garden/allotment always looks so great...must be all your great compost and worm juice!!🪱🪱🪱
Worms certainly do love corners 😀. Maybe they feel safe there. I wonder if lots of corners should be added to the advantages list 😉.
Very true!! I didn't even think of that!! Even when there is no food I always find a bunch in the corners!! Thanks so much for pointing that out and thanks for watching Frank!!🪱🪱🪱
I can’t believe the executive producer let that chair go in the yard 😂
😂🤣😂 That is soooooo true!!! We've had that matching dining room table forever so I think it is her way of letting me know it's time for a new one!! Thanks for the good laugh Mike!!! And of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost subtle 🤣🤣…thanks for the content. Especially the Timelapse footage.
👍 Thanks for the great feedback!!
Vermihut is by far the easiest and it is quicker to fix problems. I also have a urban worm bag. The only negative is there is only so much room to put food in. I added the urban worm bag because it can process a lot more food. I also think the vermihut does a better job making cleaner castings and easier to harvest than the UWB. In the UWB I have unfinished cardboard left on the sides, even if I fluff it weekly. Its not a big deal I just put it back into the bag when I harvest. Great video!
Thank you Eric!! Great points!! I love my Urban Worm Bag for all the same reasons! This VermiHut is such an easy bin to run and it is where I really got my start (or restart) as my first DIY worm bin crashed and burned!! The only thing I'd change about it is I'd have more!! Thanks for sharing your experience with both worm bins!! And of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Interesting idea for prepping the peanuts. I wonder how they'll do... :)
Based on the time lapse so far, mold really helps the process and the worms are totally interested in them...Now, whether they eat them quickly or not? Time will tell!! Thanks for stopping by AV!!🪱🪱🪱
I'm so proud of you! This is your best video, Especially for a newby! I am Eighty one years old now and Am looking around to see who's going to own these worms when I am no longer able to care for them. This would be a good video to show somebody How to continue your bins if you are no longer able. But it still would be nice if you would do a specific video on that Subject.
Thank you Cookie!! We really appreciate the kind, encouraging words!! You still have another 20 years with your worms at least!! If you can't find a friend that wants to take over your worm farm, I honestly think the best thing for you to do, when the time comes, is to drop your worms off at a local family farm. They will almost certainly have a compost pile outback or somewhere on their property and would love to get a load of compost worms to help them process their pile!! Most of the time I've found a small farm will have compost pile that they don't turn and try to heat up, but rather just a place to put food scraps and manure...your worms will think they are in heaven if they get to go to a farm!! This video I did about a year ago shows a compost pile form a friends horse ranch where I found compost worms: ua-cam.com/video/w1GMc5-RRbk/v-deo.html I hope this helps!! I'll try to think about how I can incorporate this into a video for you! Thanks so much for all your steadfast support of our channel Cookie!!🪱🪱🪱
Nice video Patrick, the maker of your tower should put you on the payroll.
I have a friend who has a balcony garden in Chicago, I sent him a link to this video, been trying to get him to raise worms for a couple years now, this just might do it.
Great idea using the spigot at the bottom to make an extract
Not sure if you mentioned the fact there are no odor issues with having a bin inside.
Have a good week! Stay Well!!!
Thanks Brian!! I know I've helped to sell at least one to my son but, I like the independence to call the balls & strikes as I see them, so no payroll😁 This would be an awesome bin for a balcony gardener!! it has a small floor space profile and is a beautiful bin not an eye sore!! And as you said no odors at all!!🪱🪱🪱
I’ve been thinking about getting one of these. I’ve been vermicomposting for a year and it’s going great BUT, a system like this would be better than the black Lowe’s cement trays I’m currently using. The multiple trays overwhelmed me at first but your videos make it seem easy to do. I will definitely use your link if I get this system. Thanks!
You won't be disappointed if you get one, but it sounds like you also have a good thing going since you've been vermicomposting for a year!! BUT the only thing better than one worm bin is two worm bins😂🤣😂 Don't ask me what's better than two worm bins...I'm up to 4 so far!! Thanks so much for stopping by and for all your support!!🪱🪱🪱
@@VermicompostSo true! I do actually like the trays I use but my worm population is growing but I think my worms want some worm neighbors to move into the new VermiHut building across the room. Lol 😂
Yes!!!!!!
I love my VermiHut. I started with a home made set up but switched to VermiHut after finding your channel. You give great tips on how set up and use the system and I thank you for that. My VermiHut is in my kitchen, it never smells, there are never any flys or bugs and the compost is great. I use your system of rotating the trays. The worms go down into the lower trays after the bedding is moistened from above, jump starting those trays.
Oh wow thanks for the kind words Rachelle!! I get so excited talking about my VermiHut but to hear someone else is getting the same joy and worm castings bounty as me really gets me jazzed!! I'm so glad my rotation method is working well for you!! Thanks for sharing your experience with your VermiHut!! And thanks so much for your long time support of our channel!!🪱🪱🪱
I really like your videos. I made me a bin out of a storage tote. I am thinking about upgrading to the vermahut
I'm so glad you're enjoying our videos!! You will love the VermiHut!!
As a new "vermicomposter", I spent quite a bit of time going down the UA-cam rabbit hole researching the best method to suit my needs/preferences. Your worm tower method seemed to make the most sense and I have copied your method nearly 100%. The only "hiccup" I've noticed with your system, which you identified was the worms munching your matting in the lid. Since you've been such a great help with my worming adventure, I thought I might share an idea, as I am trying to avoid the same problem. Instead of setting aside that 5th tray used for sifting etc, I place it upside down on top of my feeder tray. I use two alligator clips to hold them together, and then just place my lid on top of the upside down 5th tray. The worms can't reach the lid, and they still have the same air flow. You could also just drape a breathable cloth to cover the top if preferred instead of sitting the lid loosely on top. Just an idea, I thought I would share. Your videos have been inspirational in my vermicomposting adventure and have made this a fun hobby for me. Thank you so much for the information you've passed along.
That's so great to hear!! I'm so glad our videos have been helpful!! You have an absolutely fantastic idea with the 5th tray and lid!! Thank you for sharing it with us and the greater Vermihut worm tower community!! It is amazing how some modifications can really make this design even better! Again, thanks so much for passing on your idea & of course thanks so much for watching and for your long time support Samuel!!🪱🪱🪱
I am liking the vermihut so far. Just trying to figure out how to keep them out of the lid had a few escape that way. The other problem I have is sifting out the cocoons. I think alot of my problem is I think I need to get some cheaters so I can see better lol.
Lol everyone is talking about the Executive Producer being fine with the chair outside and the living room worm bin, I was too focused on the one worm with the shredded cardboard flag in the time lapse 😂😂
😂🤣😂🤣😂 This wins the comment section!!!!!!! So many people are surprised about both!! I think with raising three very "active" boys (and me for that matter) nothing surprises her when I come up with hair-brained ideas!! I saw the flag carrying worm too when I was editing and I was like oh well, he's surrendering!! When we were actually filming we didn't notice...only when it was sped up!! Thanks for the deep guttural belly laughs!!! And as always thanks for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
I just bought my first worm bin and worms are on the way. I’m so excited to start this. I know I can make my own setup but wanted my first to be all together for me. I’ve watched so many tutorials and appreciate yours.
Edit: I have a question that I hope I can get an answer to. The worm farm don’t come with holes in the sides for air. Should I drill holes?
Awesome!! Starting a worm farm is so exciting!! If you are buying this VermiHut or another premade worm farm I would not drill any holes or make any modification to the structure of the bin. The manufacturer has almost certainly accounted for the worms being able to get enough air flow. This VermiHut has holes in the lid and each tray is taper and stacks on the surface of the next bin with a little airflow between the tapered sides of the trays and from below the last tray and the basin. You may have already seen my playlist on how to start a worm bin: ua-cam.com/play/PLimznaPXKV09VLDzBAl71EZhmiBGmIMUN.html but the biggest mistakes are overfeeding and over loving your worms!! They need very little food at first and it is very...I mean VERY hard not to look at them like 5 or 6 times a day!! They really need to be left alone for the first several days (other than maybe lifting the lid) to not stress them out. You & your worms are gonna do great!! Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments of any of my videos! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost Thank you so much for answering and so quickly. I’ve been watching all your videos and appreciate the time and effort. Thanks again.
My pleasure!!
Hi, I hope you're doing well! I'm just getting ready for the time to harvest my first crop and renew my vermicompost bin. Your videos provide us with a lot of information and help in all the processes. I have a question and wanted to ask, what do you use the 5 stackable sifter with different sized mesh noted in the description for? Thanks and regards!
Thanks for the kind words!! That's fantastic you are harvesting your first worm castings!! I have a built in sifter with my VermiHut worm tower trays, but I know not everyone has a worm tower whose trays can act as sifter. So I added a 5 stackable sifter in the the description to give more option to folks who don't have or want to buy a VermiHut Worm Tower. Each sifter, has different size openings in the mesh so you can use the one with bigger holes to sift out big chunks and work your way down to get super fine worm castings. The 1/4 inch works fantastic as an all purpose worm castings sifter, but if you go from the 1/4th then resift those castings with the 1/8th sifter you will get the best sifted super pure castings!! They also sell individual sizes if you look around on amazon if you don't want the full 5 sifter stack. I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
❤️👍 Do you know what worm produces better ?
Red or blue , have you experimented??
Great content, Keep up the great vids.💚✌️
Great question Tory!! two of my bins are a mix of reds and blues and two of my bins are pure red wigglers and I really don't see a difference in the castings. But I do see both the reds and lots of blues super active in the summers in my outdoor bins and the reds always super active even in our Florida "winters." So I guess my answer is a mix of reds and blues is a great way to cover all the temperature ranges in my climate! I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for the good words and for taking the time to watch!!
@@Vermicompost Thanks for the reply
Hiya! Thx for sharing so much knowledge. Have you ever had issues with Mold spreading in your new inoculating tray? My bottom-most tray and m-board seem to be pretty damp and growing something :/
Thanks so much for the kind words!! I do get mold or slime mold sometimes growing throughout my bins, especially when they first start out and the ecosystem isn't balanced, but the great thing is the worms will eat it all and it adds to the biodiversity of the worm castings!! If your M-board is getting moist you can add another tray of dry shredded cardboard to the bottom of the stack, but if you are not getting liquid pooling in the basin you are good to go!! I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
I have a Worm Tower 360 and I’ve been fighting gnats for about a year. My tower is in the utility closet in the house. For 2 years I didn’t have any gnats, but it seems like once you get gnats, you never completely get rid of them.
Oh wow! Does the Worm Factory 360 have a thick lid with a coco coir mat that goes on the inside of the thick lid? I'm not sure if this is a difference between the two worm towers. I use BTI dunks in my rain barrel and then use that water to spray down my Urban Worm Bag and my Outdoor Worm bin which helps out tremendously, but if you tried it already it seems you may have some evolved persistent little creatures!! Thanks so much for passing on your experience & of course thanks so much for watching Peggy!!🪱🪱🪱
The lid is not tight, nor does it have coco coir in it. I’m not even sure that the gnats come from top of the lid, I think they get in anywhere they can, possibly the bottom. I have used dunk on newspaper in my top tray, I use sticky pads, and homemade drowning concoction, but I think the most effective is to vacuum up the stragglers. I don’t have a lot of gnats, but I think any are too many!
Ok, makes sense! My Vermihut's lid is pretty tight as is the bottom, but each tray tapers so there is plenty of potential if something really wanted to get in. This time of year here in the Tampa, FL area we have fruit flies and gnats get in the house and when I open the lid I always see one or two come check things out after a little while but no infestations and nothing coming from inside the bin...I agree any gnats are too many gnats in my worm bins!! You have tried all the things I have tried or heard about in the past so I'm fresh out of ideas but it was good to hear abut the differences in the two worm towers...I want to get a 360...I just have to convince the Executive Producer to let me have yet another worm bin!!!
@@Vermicompost Ohhhhh, my trays taper too, so it could be that the fuller the tray is, the bigger the gap is that allows gnats to enter. Condensation likes to hang out in those tapered areas too! My bottom inoculating tray is very full, but it’s full of dry shredded cardboard. Because of the dry shredded cardboard, I didn’t think it was a problem, but it could be an entry way into the much moister tray above it. A thought that I never considered. Now that it’s starting to cool down here in central California, a deep worm clean might be in order.
My next tower, bucket purchased, will be in the garden!
Hey there! Awesome video as usual. Im making my first ever worm bin but i didnt want to spend too much money on pre made bins because as a beginner, i dont really know what im doing lol. I wanted to ask, how do you hydrate your bin? Im assuming you dont just dump a bucket of water in. I was thinking of using my hose with an attachment to add a soft shower over the bin while turning the coir over as im doing it. But how can i prevent the worms from drowning? Or do they drown at all? I would like to know how you do it. Thanks
That's great you are making a DIY worm bin!! I have a couple videos of how I start my worm bins with new worms and bedding from start until their second feeding after one week: ua-cam.com/video/UsH3k92KhYg/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/1IRP-Nu6_90/v-deo.html You are correct, I do not pour water over my bns to hydrate them. Instead I soak the dry shredded cardboard in water with just enough water to make it damp, with only about 3-4 drips of water coming out of it when I squeeze a handful in my hand. You could use a mist setting on your hose like you mentioned but it is hard to gauge how much is too much. You might find water pooling on the bottom a few hours after you use this technique. The best thing to do is pre-wet the coco coir (if that is what you plan to use) and then put it in your bin after a few hours so you know how much moisture it has...again use the 3-4 drips squeeze test. I hope this helps!! Feel free to ask any additional questions in the comments of any of my videos as start your journey worm farming!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Thank you for the reply. If I keep adding the wet cardboard into my bin every time it dries, won't I just have a mountain of cardboard that the worms, especially when new, won't be able to digest? Especially in the summer, I plan to keep it outside, although in a shaded cool area I still feel it would dry out rather quickly. Thanks again.
The food you feed (I always freeze the food first) will provide enough moisture. You only need to feed damp cardboard when you give it a normal food scrap feeding. Put a piece of newspaper on top of the surface, then put a piece of loose plastic, like bubble wrap on top of the newspaper and that will help keep the moisture inside. If your worm bin doesn't have holes on the bottom then it is probably soggy on the bottom compared to the drier top. If it has holes on the bottom and a lid (with holes) or the newspaper/plastic combo on top then the moisture usually will be similar from top to bottom. Lots of bedding is a good thing as they can eat it and it provides them a home, but as they start to grow their population and turn the contents to more castings the bin will really start to maintain more moisture easily...to the point where you may feel it is too wet! Worms can breath through their skin under water, but the soaking water very quickly runs out of oxygen and deep within your bin, where the water pools, and there is no way to replenish the oxygen so the worm will die or migrate up if they have room...and the bin will smell really bad as the anaerobic microbes take over. All of this seems very scary and complicated, but it is rare and it is not going to happen to you!! These are the extremes, as long as your bedding is slightly damp 1-2 inches underneath and you don't overfeed your worms, you are going to have a thriving worm bin!!
I do like the idea of not having gnats and fruit flies running around.
Ernie!!!! So great to see you here!! I love, LOVE, LoVe not having to deal with the gnats and fruit flies!! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by & watch!!🪱🪱🪱
Are the holes in this large enough for European Nightcrawlers?
Although I don't have any ANC's in my Vermihut, I know from others that the holes are big enough for them. The holes are 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch if that helps. Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
I am wanting to move my homemade tote worm bin to the vermahut any suggestions
Depending on how much material you have to move, I would fill 1 to 2 trays with the material from your tote. Next fill 2 more trays with dry shredded cardboard and put them as your 2 bottom trays and the ones with material from your tote as the top two trays. Feed only the top tray for the next 60 days and harvest the one below it after 60 days. You can now rotate your VermiHut trays as I do in these videos: ua-cam.com/video/_uRRpwZcMXM/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/XNG4i8iXc_g/v-deo.html I think your VermiHut will get an amazing head start with the contents of your tote and you will be able to harvest trays much easier every 45-60 days! I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Thanks that does help alot I think I will save to the brick for a later date I got plenty of shredded cardboard and paper. Thanks alot for the help
That's a good idea! You could even break the brick apart if able and slowly use it up in the various trays as you add them on mixed with cardboard shreds.
Has anyone tried using garden millipedes in a worm tower? I have a mini compost bin with garden millipedes that i found in my garden and they produce beautiful casting too. But i want a more efficient way to harvest those casting, so I'm thinking of getting a worm tower, however im concern if the garden millipede will fit though the holes, what's the diameter of the holes?
Great question!! The holes are 1/4th inch square so the millipedes will fit through the holes if they are as small as the ones I have in my Outdoor Worm Bin. I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost thank you so much!
Silly question here Is this a good way to farm worms or this this just for great indoor compost
If you have a lot of outdoor space your could build a Continuous Flow Bin that is ten times bigger than this to really generate a lot of worm castings. But to get started, I think a worm tower is the best way to make sure you like to farm worms and to make sure you get a win right out of the gate!! I have 3 other worm bins but this one was the one that gave me the confidence to know I could do it!! They feed my three 4x8 garden plots with lots of worm castings left over to share!! A worm tower can be indoors or out, but you do need to protect it from the elements. My outdoor worm bins are in the shade here in the Tampa Florida area. I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Thank you! if I dare I say loose one every day to a pet will they breed or do I have to replenish them???
A typical compost worm will go from a hatched baby worm to a full breeding worm in 2 months...and the population grows exponentially until they hit the max capacity of the container they are in. Then they self regulate to keep the population healthy. So if you like to fish with worms, or you have a hungry reptile or other pet, and you let the bin grow that first few months, you will never run out!! I hope that helps!!
@@Vermicompost thank you so much I will be tuning in and watching some previous vidoes!
What about the salt in the peanuts?
Hi Angelia!! I didn't give them very much but I should have mentioned that I rinsed them before I froze them. The worms will avoid them if they need to (based on the time lapse I'm still running they do like them!) but you bring up a good point not to add too many if any salty foods in your worm bin!! Thanks for the reminder and of course thanks for watching & for your long term support!!🪱🪱🪱
Wow that is ann awesome shirt 😁. I have not done the worm extraction process yet. I couldn't agree more about the moisture in these types of bins. They are always great.👍🏼🪱😃
I see what you did there Ann😀 Your logo shirt always puts me in the mood to "play" with my worm bins...I love it!! Yes, worm towers always seem to have the perfect moisture no matter what I feed them or how dry or wet my bedding is!! Thanks so much for dropping by to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
What happened to the feeding tray? Some damage in that one corner
This lazy worm farmer left one outside after harvesting some worm castings and the squirrels decided to wear down their teeth!! Needless to say I keep the trays inside now!! This squirrel chewed on tray has been making it's way up my system for the better part of this summer!! Great question!! I'm sure lots of folks were wondering the same thing!! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
Today i found a Bsf fly in my worm tower bin, i dont know how it come there when i opened the fly comes out i think the fly put eggs in worm bin, may be i will soon find bsf larvae in it.
Oh wow!! They are fairly large flies as they mimic black wasps so I bet it got in when you were feeding the bin! They are very docile and do not move much so they are sometimes difficult to spot around a compost pile...or when feeding your bin!! You are right, it no doubt laid some eggs/larvae so you may want to use some mosquito dunk solution to make sure they don't see adulthood!! I don't get them in my Outdoor Worm Bin anymore because of that but I kinda of like having them in there!! Thanks so much for watching and sharing how tricky those BSF can be!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost ok Thank you for reply surely will try, so wht medicine u use for this flies, the ingredients i wana try too.
If you do an internet search for "mosquito dunks" they are used to disrupt the larvae lifecycle of mosquitoes. It is a crumbly piece of material that has bacteria that attack the larvae. Here is an amazon affiliate link to learn more and check out how much they cost: amzn.to/42KDtM0 I just put them in my rain barrel and use that to occasionally spray down my Outdoor Worm Bin and Urban Worm Bag.
You should differentiate between the extract and leachate. One should not use leachate in the garden.
You're totally right, I should have done that!! One of the first comments mentioned some confusion on it and I realized I really should have spelled it out better. Here is what I wrote back..."Leachate=liquid dripping down over time and sitting on the bottom for days to weeks...not good to use, Extract=pour over and use right away...very good to use, and Worm Casting Tea is bubbled with or without a food source like molasses to greatly increase the microbial mass...very good to use!!" As you know leachate really is an unknown pool of cesspool like water with anaerobic bacteria and other microbes depending on the length of time it has been sitting there. Thanks for bringing this up so anyone in the comments has a better understanding!! And of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Wow you could see the mold on the strawberries and apple. Lots of good tips Patrick. I always worry about pests so I’ve always bury my scraps. Maybe I will give a top feeding a try one of these days. 😁🪱
This is the only worm bin I can top feed, but it is so cool to see what they do without digging in & disturbing them!! It is amazing how much mold always pops up on the foods I top feed...and kind of scary!! Thanks so much for dropping by to watch Rick!!🪱🪱🪱