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WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS?
Worm-friendly? We set up these buckets by adding a big scoop of worms (and established bedding) from a thriving worm bin. We add food and some new bedding. And they live in this 1-gallon container, fed and tended until they move into your worm bin. You can empty this bucket directly into your worm bin, and you're ready to add food scraps! They adapt quickly, and you start accumulating worm castings right away!
How worms are prepared at other worm farms:
Separating worms from their bedding involves putting them through a rotating trommel or shaking them over a mechanized vibrating sieve. These separate the worms from their dried bedding. Often farms submerge them in (or spray with) water to clean off remaining debris. The advantage? A cleaned pile of worms allows a more accurate weight/estimated worm count. The disadvantages? Often some of the worms will be caught and torn in the mesh of a trommel or sieve. After this processing, when the surviving worms are added to their newly-prepared bin, their activity often appears lethargic within the first week. Some may die and often some will leave the bin.
Pricing is for local pick-up and includes WA Sales Tax.
"Worms, you're home!"
Since you chose a pre-established ecosystem, you can place the contents of your Starter Colony in the worm bin setup of your choice. Ensure that your worms have enough airflow in the bin (if there is a lid, there should also be air holes). Here are a few other start-up tips.
Moisture:
Worms breathe through their skin, so it's important to maintain an appropriate moisture level in your bin. While there is a little wiggle-room, classically we advise maintaining moisture at the level of a "wrung-out sponge." Mist with water* if too dry. Add a little more bedding if too wet. Worms like the extra-moist little crevices in the bottom of the bin, but if the bin gets too wet and soggy you may see increased mites or pests and (if it were REALLY wet) it could even threaten the worms.
How Much and How Often to Feed:
I recommend starting with 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup food scraps placed in a "trench" type row in your bin. This feeding pattern gathers your worms to "mingle" when they arrive to eat, and your worm population will slowly grow! Sprinkle with a little grit and cover food with pre-moistened bedding. Check back in 3-5 days and don't refeed until they've eaten most of it. As your herd grows, they'll eat more and faster!
MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE for Beginners:
Do not overfeed your worms. Especially as your population of worms is small and growing, they can't eat food scraps very quickly. If uneaten food scraps or even moistened dry foods accumulate, your bin's pH can change quickly and can kill the worms. There was a quote going around the worm-farmer circles that goes something like,
"Overfeeding your worms can make bad things happen fast.
Underfeeding your worms can make bad things happen slowly."
I have experienced this personally when I got my first set of red wigglers. You'll find the sweet spot and feedings can grow with your worm population.
One More Note Regarding Water:
* = To preserve the microbially-rich environment your worms need, use dechlorinated water. This would include distilled/filtered/rain water, unsoftened well water, or allowing chlorinated tap water to sit for ~24 hours with lid off to allow chlorine to off-gas before use.
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