Brand new setup question

18 years ago

I only learned about worm composting a couple months ago, but I was so fascinated by it, I ordered one right away. I've browsed this forum for hours at a time over the last few weeks, but now I have a question that maybe someone can answer and ease my anxiety over my new setup.

I purchased one of the stackable tray type composters. That was the kind I was first introduced to and it made sense (I did some worm raising in a bin when I was a kid and it didn't work as well as I'd hoped). Before the worms arrived, I setup a tray with some nice coconut coir bedding (I squeezed as much water as I could out of it. I also setup another tray with shredded paper and food scraps.

When the worms arrived, I put them in the tray with the bedding, put the tray near a light, and they quickly crawled down into the bedding. Then, I put the tray with the shredded food scraps on top. The tray was essentially sitting on the bedding below.

From what I've read, these worms will take a while to get acclimated to their new bedding and might hang around the coir. It seems to me like comfy worm bedding! However, this morning I noticed all the worms came to the top of the bedding and tons of them have crawled up into the bin with the food. Most of the holes are full of worms making their way into the food bin, and the ones still in the bedding seem to be anxiously waiting in line.

My concern is the "overfeeding" caution that I've seen so often. Are they fleeing the comfy coir for some reason, only to meet their death in the bin of 100% paper and food? Or are they just hungry and off to a good start? (I hope ::crossing fingers::)

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Comments (6)

sqh1
18 years ago
In those stackable tray systems, when you set it up, there should only be 1 tray (on top of the collection tray).

That 1 tray will have all your bedding, food and worms.
The second tray is not added until the first working tray is about 3/4's full of composted material.
plantermunn
18 years ago
Sounds like your on the wright track.The worms will not over eat.

The problem with over feeding is that it may over heat the bin or get to stinking.

Your worms are just happy and hungry.
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orialana
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for the help. It looks like I can remove the original bedding tray so that there's only one tray in use because all the worms crawled up into the tray with the food. I was surprised at how crazy they went after the food, but they seem happy.
shyspook
18 years ago
I just started too, abbynormal1, only I have made my bin out of those plastic storage containers (27 oz/26 ltrs). I seem to be having the same results with my 1000 worms, but they are eating their bedding first and moving up. I am only using cardboard/shredded paper/and some peat for bedding to begin. I have had the worms in the bins about a week and 4 days. Sounds like we are doing it okay. Nobody has died yet and they are looking for real food! I can't stop looking at them, yet. I wondered about the overfeeding. With just me around, I'm not too concerned with the smell as I can always add a little bit of lime dirt, or put the bin out the door for a few days, so it was good to hear that over-feeding warnings are just for the comfort of the people! Thanks! =o)
tclynx
18 years ago
If you overfeed too much and the food/bedding start to hot compost it could be hard on the worms too. You want to make sure there will be a cooler place in the bin to go if things do start to get too warm for them.
shyspook
18 years ago
I am not overfeeding yet, tclynx. I put a spoonful of left over garbage in the container, covered it with a little more paper and sprayed that down. I managed to forget about the worms for 4 whole days, it is my nature to jump from one NEW idea to another, but yesterday, I peeked in and found 3 0r 4 worms lurking upon the handles under the lid...all wrapped together. The worms on the bottom are moving up, nicely, and I can see more than 1 worm when I look into the container! I can actually see hundreds of them without having to dig down and disturb them. I am being careful with the food, though. I figure that with as many worm beds that I have tried to establish outside, what little food I have managed to scrape off a plate can go into more than one worm factory, right? =o) Everyone is making more of themselves. I am happy! =o)