Thread: Pick Your Own Red Wigglers

Made another one. This is what I am using now. It has a locking lid. I have folded newspaper on top of the bedding. I will take and dampen the newspaper about every three days. That is all the moisture needed. Keep the newspaper just damp not "WET!"

My bedding consists of shredded newspaper, manure, peat moss, and garden miracle grow soil.

Feed them cornmeal. My container does not have bottom drain holes in it at all so the worms do not crawl out the bottom. . I keep the bedding mixture at about 8 inches because it is easier to stir or to let air circulate. I have about 20 1/2 vent holes in the top. There is screen wire (very fine) siliconed on the underside to keep the worms inside the container. They are kept in the garage where it will not get too hot or too cold.

Feed them cornmeal and tea bags. You should be good to go and have worms when you want to go fish.

Just make sure that the Miracle Grow does'nt have any pesticides in it.

Hey G3 and Az ..... I notice both of you put about 3 inches of gravel in your containers before adding the bedding mixture. Does that make a significant difference? Will red wigglers burrow into the pea gravel?

I am figuring it is a water barrier or something. Would aquarium gravel be a good size ?

Originally Posted by shipahoy41

Hey G3 and Az ..... I notice both of you put about 3 inches of gravel in your containers before adding the bedding mixture. Does that make a significant difference? Will red wigglers burrow into the pea gravel?

I am figuring it is a water barrier or something. Would aquarium gravel be a good size ?

Mike....I only use the gravel in my large outside boxes ( old freezers) I have a drain hole in the bottom at each corner.....then screen wire over the holes....then gravel. This is for drainage. The worms will not go to the gravel unless it gets too dry on top. I water these outside boxes with a garden hose and therefore they need the good drainage. I also keep either wet cardboard or news paper on the top. I usually water once a week on these and stir the bedding everyother day.

That is what I thought. My new bins are kept damp only by the newspaper. I have no bottom drainage hole.

I put the gravel in mine so the worms had no chance to be drowning in any standing water.

Originally Posted by azslabber

I put the gravel in mine so the worms had no chance to be drowning in any standing water.

Appreciate the response AZ. Mine will not be that wet. Still, it is a good idea.

Originally Posted by shipahoy41

That is what I thought. My new bins are kept damp only by the newspaper. I have no bottom drainage hole.

My inside bins do not need drainage because of the air tubes that I placed in them. I keep my bedding nice and damp on my inside bins....I add about 12 oz. of water daily pouring it over the newspaper and letting it soak on in. My inside bins....I strir and fluff the bedding material daily.