Worm Bins

Last weekend I finally started my worm bin! “Buy earthworms” had been on my to-do list for weeks. I had the bin ready to go and a pile of bedding materials, just waiting for the worms. Alex and I drove to Melrose to pick up a bunch of bagged horse manure we found on Craigslist, and stopped at this funky little bar/convenience store on the way home to buy cold drinks. There, at the counter, were little boxes of earthworms! I stacked up 4 little styrofoam boxes, grinning like a loon at not having to make one more stop, and the guy behind the counter asked where we were going fishing. I replied that I needed them for worm composting, and he gave me a big smile and a 5 minute explanation on which worms are better, how to take care of them, and even gave me a discount on the right worms!

Their new home is rich with horse manure, shredded office paper, and plenty of vegetable peelings. We’re getting quite a lot of fruit flies and roaches in the bin because the kids are just throwing the contents of the compost bucket in the bin and putting the lid on. Should they sprinkle shredded paper on top? I stirred everything up today, turning the rotting vegetables and fruit into the center of the pile. I hope that cuts down on the fruit flies.