anything else in there? coffee isn't really very attractive to worms, regardless of what folks say - maybe too big pieces for their little mouths to handle straight - mixed w/ carrot pulp they get consumed, and other material too - I suspect the most attractive microbial life isn't too interested in coffee, so it doesn't get 'active' enuff for worms

I usually mix coffe grounds with old cola, old fruit juice, or old fruit. If the grounds are dry they will suck up some of the juice (adding sugar content) which makes it more attractive to the bacteria.They also require alot of moisture in the bin to keep them ripe for bacterial activity. Im still undecided as to wether i should keep adding them to my bins, put them in the compost pile, or just bury them in the garden.

One other thing to mention ... If you are pocket feeding and filling the whole pocket with just grounds, that stuff seems to sit there forever. Ive found spreading them out through the bin (like with bedding) seems to have a better overall effect.

Bryan

Worms get to liking a particular diet, kind of like humans do. If you raise them on corn, carrot pulp, apple cores and rat litter, they get used to that.

It's easier to teach young worms to like newer things.

It took ages for the worms to get interested in the coffee grounds in both my bins and my compost piles - like 2 to 3 months. I get absolutely heaps - 20ltre bin daily from my work cafe - I work in a Museum and Museum visitors like their latte - any way... The majority of the coffee grounds either gets scattered straight onto the garden or layed in my compost bins if I'm setting a new one up. The worm life is unbelievable when the compost comes out. Same with the worm bins - alot more activity but only after the grounds are mixed with other greens/food and get a good soaking. When white mold starts to appear on the grounds is when the worms get interested. That said it does take longer than normal food. Mix a lot is my advice....

I have noticed that the coffe grounds are populated mainly by very small worms, but I seldom see adult worms in the coffee grounds.

I think that worms don't like big clumps of coffee grounds, but seem to "like" (or find that bacterial processes make worm-compatible (worm-palatable? - but worms don't have palates :)) coffee grounds that are well mixed in with the other stuff around them (especially chopped up coffee filters :)

I would expect the center of a largish clump of coffee grounds to go anaerobic, and the worms usually stay away from that.

(Although, IMHWB*, they seem to *love* the wet, slimy, nearly-next-door-to anaerobic, places.)

- Evelyn

*In My Humble Worm Bin :)