Worm Bin Directions
- 1). Use 8- to 10-gallon dark plastic bins to make the worm bin. Use a 1/4-inch drill bit to put evenly spaced holes across the bottom of both bins. This will enable worms and compost to travel between the bins.
- 2). Drill evenly spaced 1/4-inch holes in the top of one of the lids. Leave the other lid intact.
- 3). Use a 1/16-inch drill bit to create small ventilation holes around the top edge of both bins. These will allow air to circulate through the bins for the worms.
- 4). Tear newspaper into thin strips and dampen it. Make sure the newspaper is not dripping when you add it to the bottom of the bins. Fill each bin with several inches of shredded newspaper.
- 5). Add handfuls of soil and leaves to the bins. Make sure there are no rocks or other insects mixed in with the soil and leaves.
- 6). Cut two sheets of cardboard to fit the interior portion of the bins and dampen them slightly. Add the red worms to the bins and cover them with the cardboard.
- 7). Place the bins in a warm area of the house where they will not freeze during the winter. Use a basement, laundry room or warm garage to house the worm bins.
- 8). Put the intact bin lid on the floor and place one brick in each corner. Put one of the bins on top of the bricks, and stack the second bin on top of the first before covering the top bin with the ventilated lid. The intact lid will catch any liquid that drains out of the completed worm bin and prevent it from ruining a floor.
- 9). Add food scraps to the top bin about once a week, or more often after the worm bins have been in use for a month or more. Add in tea bags, coffee grounds, vegetables and fruit. Do not add meat or dairy products to the worm bin. Bury the food items around the inside of the top bin.
- 10
Start adding food only to the bottom bin when there is no recognizable food matter left in the top bin. Allow the worms to migrate to the bottom bin, which can take a couple of weeks, before switching the bins. The original top bin should be filled with usable compost that can be removed and bagged for use in an outdoor garden. - 11
Refill the emptied bin with newspaper, soil and leaves before covering it with cardboard.
