As an apartment dweller, I had some misgivings, but, I started my first worm bin this April. It is the black plastic bin with a lid and vents, very simple. It came with a pound of lovely worms, and they sure have been doing their jobs well! I now have a bin half full of the most lovely, fluffy, stuff !

I had a few stumbles along the way....but have seemed to get into a good groove now and all is working well.

Problem # 1 At first I was feeding them too much, we have lots o' vegie scraps, and it was eager to fill up the bin. I cut back and let the worms process all I had put in, and then for a while only feed once a week, about 3 pounds of various stuff.

Problem #2 Fruit flies! Yikes, we life in a courtyard complex,and I was afraid the neighbours would track the flies back to my box and make me get rid of it. and for a while I had hundreds of fruit flies, even though I put no fruit, only vegies in the box. Instant solution...Trader Joes orange oil air freshener, sprayed the wall behind the box, and the top ( outside!) of the box, and this has repelled the fruit flies, totally. Also, not putting too much food in at once helps this ( see problem #1)

Problem #3 Box getting very SOGGY ( which means stinky!! yuck) At first I just removed the liquid with a baster from the bottom, but this is a lot of work. Finally I decided to drill a small hole, about 1/2 inch in the bottom on one corner. Then I raised the box up, using inverted flowerpots, and in the corner with the hole I have put a opened can which both holds up the corner, and collects the liquid. The first week or so the can filled up every day, now it hardly fills up. And inside the bin is moist, but not soggy, in fact the casting are almost fluffy!

As well as those issues I have learned some other things. Not to put any onions, even green onion stalks, in the bin. These just really stink, even when well buried in the bedding.

some weird little white worms, found out this is ok, but means a bit too acid. Stopped putting all my used tea leaves in with the food. ( I drink a lot of tea)

Grind up my eggshells with some oatmeal in the coffee grinder, this makes it easier for the worms to access the calcium

Also, I did not realize just how much paper needs to be continually added to the box. I wish I had more dry leaves or something natural to give them for the browns, but the worms don't care, they love newspaper, and it is awesome how quickly they turn it into indistinguishable lovely soil.

I shred up about 2 big hands full and add once a week.

Now the amazing thing is all that has gone into the box, and yet it never seems to get more than half full! I can add food every other day now ( well chopped up ) and they make fast work of it all!!!

I think I will wait a couple more months, and try to separate out the worms from half of the box at that time.

I am sure that process will involve its own share of disasters! Til then my worms and I are having a happy summer!