Hi wonderpets

I's great that you want to start vermicomposting, but first you will have to weigh how much garbage you produce a week. This will give you an idea of the surface area of your "bin" and how many worms to get.

Calculate as follows:
* 1 pound of garbage per week = 1sq foot of surface area. Depth should be no more tan 18" and probably not less than about 3" since worms mostly dwell on the surface and in the top layer of the compost but they do need to build middens.

* Now divide weekly garbage weight by 7 to arrive at an average daily production. 1 pound of organic waste per day to 2 pounds of worms. It's not necessary to buy all the worms at once, they will reproduce and multiply to consume at the rate you supply them - unless you start overfeeding and they can't keep up.

Here are some designs for cheap worm bins.
Worm Bins

I hope this helps.
Alex

Of course I meant burrows not middens!

I appreciate the response.

I'm already doing traditional composting, so by no means do I ever expect the vermicompost set-up to take care of my scrap output. What I have in mind is more along the line of "start it as a science experiment and see where it goes."

Your worm bin link just refers back to my original post, btw.

sorry that link should point here:

http://www.vermiculturenorthwest.com/worm_bins.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: worm bins

Wonderpets, I have started worm bins for others in the 5 quart ice cream buckets. Also, if you contact a bait store and let them know you want composting worms NOT fishing worms, a lot of them have them for sale in small packages.
I would go ahead and set up a bucket now with bedding and wait a couple weeks before you add the worms. You should be able to keep them in there for quite awhile as they multiply. Start out by feeding only VERY SMALL amounts and then increase it as they grow and eat more and more.
Punch a few holes in the bottom of the bucket and use the lid as a tray underneath. You will have to keep a close watch on the moisture level as it will dry out quickly being so small. Remember, dry = dead! I would suggest shredded newspaper as bedding because it absorbs and holds moisture pretty well.

2 notes:

1) composting worms don't dig burrows.

2) at http://www.vermicomposters.com you may be able to find someone near you who would be willing to start you off with a few worms.

Update: someone on freecycle has some worms to spare, so I'll be getting setup next week. I really didn't expect a response -- I actually got two, one of which might turn into a lead for rabbit litter for my non-worm compost/gardening.

Silly library didn't have WEMG, neither did Books-A-We-pretend to be a bookstore-Million.

@sbryce: you are of course correct that they don't 'build' burrows, but they do burrow (or dig) to get to the food or away from the light.

I have also found this video on youtube about a small setup.

Here is a link that might be useful: Small Worm Bin

If you are still looking for worms let me know. I sell at a good price. I also sell worm eggs, a great way to start cheap. jsshjg@aol.com

I started with 100 worms in a medium sized flower pot. I though it would never take off. Exactly one year later I have 2 big bins and a zillion worms. The one that works the best is the flow through. It's worth checking out the 'my flow through bins' thread, even though it's SOOOO long.

I've started people out like this too. Gave my brother a few dozen and helped him set his bin up. Asked me for advice along the way and nothing was happening except for mold accumulating. Let it sit for a month and the mold went away. He fed some bits of apple core, kept checking and had all he could do to find one or two worms. Finally he got bored with it and gave up. Left his bin in the closet and pretty much forgot about it. Decided to pop the lid 4 months later and the bin was full of compost with worms in it.

On another instance I started a coffee can at work hidden in my desk; my secret and a stress reducer. A coworker was inquiring about my worm compost because he was a rookie giant pumpkin grower. Every other week or so he liked to talk about whether he could raise worms for compost. Finally he asked me for some worms so he could start his own bin. I reached in my desk and handed him the coffee can.

I've got a mini-bin in a Folger's coffee container, punched with holes.

I also have 50 worms in a clear plastic salad container, with holes punched around the perimeter. This is my second time around. The first time, I checked after a few months and I quit counting at well over 100 worms. I'm doing it again, just because it's so fun!

I now have a second clear plastic "nursery" set up. A friend is sending me some ENC eggs thru the mail. I'm not sure if I will get as attached to ENC's as I am with their cousins, but I'd love to see any differences in their preferences.

I just transferred my worms from the transport container that I got them in from a Freecycler last Wednesday. Quantity? No clue, but the industrial sized mayo pitcher was full of bedding and worms and a few recognizable bits of kitchen scraps.

I left them in their container until tonight. I was waiting on my copy of WEMG to get in from Amazon to see how sensible my idea was for their new home.

I have two topless sterlite bins, came with the holes all the way around already, just no drainage at the very bottom, sitting inside a 31 qt rubbermaid 6.5" tall bin, for now. The volume of worms and bedding that were in that mayo container was deceptive -- I really thought I'd only have enough material to fill one of the baskets.

The first basket got some crushed eggshells and half a handful of coffee grounds on bottom, a little bit of mushy apple as a welcome home, then filled the rest of the basket with the used bedding and worms, and a sprinkle of UCG.

Basket two has coffee grounds and filter on bottom, some mushed apple, and half of the remaining stuff from the original container. Handful of shredded computer paper because the bedding was super moist but also super clumped and wadded, then a few pieces of egg carton to take up some of the moisture from the rest of the bedding that I added. Sprinkle of UCG, then covered both of them with a damp piece of newspaper to keep in moisture.

The lid to the outer rubbermaid bin is just sitting on top, cracked, to provide ventilation, and the whole contraption is in the bottom of our bathroom closet. I have a temp sensor inside the rubbermaid bin - in the morning, I'll check for temp and humidity.

And that's what I'm trying.

Any opinions on my small-ish start? The bins came from Target on sale. The worms were free. WEMG was $8, so I have less than $25 in the whole experiment.

Sounds like you did some research. you should be just fine! I Started with a bin but realized I had little time for worm separation so I have the 'can-o-worms' plus some bins. I've been worming for about 7 months and I'm now seeing some great results in the garden. (Take a hike MiracleGrow!)

What is the market and commercial viability

What is the initial capital outlay

How successful is it in Malaysia

Sources of supply

I'm on my 2nd try for worming.

First time I began with a 5 gallon size rubbermaid, and a $3 bag of worms from a fishing supply store (20 worms, I counted). This was early October, end of December that year I did a count - zero worms! I was crushed! But wait, what are these? WORM EGGS! Lots and lots of worm eggs. By the end of April, I did another count, and had about 50 mature, and lots of little tiny worms (some could have been pot worms). But we were going through a move to a tinier place, and I didn't think I could hide my worm bin from dh, so I gave it away to some people that fed my worms to their chickens (boo hoo).

I never got over it - I missed those worms. So now we are in the present, and I've done it again, started small with a new 5 gallon sterlite container, and 2 bags of worms $5/bag now - inflation! (decided I should live it up!), and fed very little at the start. The 5 gallon bin is 18 months old, and getting full of vermicompost, and worms, in the beginning I had to spray the shredded newsprint lightly everytime I fed because the paper would dry out, now I add a bit of paper everytime I feed to absorb the moisture, and the worms look so happy, and there are so many of them, and I keep the bin in my kitchen pantry, and my dh with the ever so sensitive nose did not even know, until he asked "what's in that bin?", and since I don't believe in deception within the marriage, I told him. He wasn't grossed out, since it did not smell.

I need to make a second bin, and I'm thinking of buying another bag of 20 worms, just to increase the genetics in my own population, unless someone comes forward to say that is not necessary. I'm sure there's lots of inbreeding going on already, or maybe worms don't suffer from that?

Good Luck, best of fun!