If you need to speed the process you need to get more worms. The worms will work at some specific rate due to the food stuffs supplied. In general a pound of worms can process roughly from one half to equaly the weight of the mass of the worms. 1 pound of worms can consume 1\2 to 1 pound of food a day. Remember though that the food is mainly the inhabitants, digesters, not the material itself. You do not need to add bedding every time you add food. Dependant on what the food is you need very little if any bedding. There are many links you can search on for additional information. Do a search on Kelly Slocum. She is our resident expert.

lhafken..did you mean to say your outdoor bin was 18" X 10'?

Whoops, no I mean 10 inches. Also, I just moved it indoors, because it was getting too much sun outdoors. So now I have an undersink worm bin and a basement one.

lhafken.. okay, that's what I thought you meant. When I build bins I think "AIR". So I would drill holes in the bottom, for air/drainage, and along the top of the sides for a little added ventilation. Reproduction/speed of process, I believe, are something you cannot make happen. It is something that you will have to observe. Know that you are on the right path and follow the lead of the worms. I only add more bedding, (I use shredded newspaper), when the bedding on top is less than 3". I think the worms do need the bedding to rest, lay cocoons and eat. As far as what worms can consume, just remember feeding your worms is not like feed your dog. The worms are not going to eat today, what you feed them today. They are going to eat what you feed them today, perhaps, next week.