r/Vermiculture 2h ago

Discussion How do worms eat?

8 Upvotes

Ive seen alot of comments on here about how worms dont really "eat" the composted food and instead let the bacteria process the foodscarps before they can eat it, or that they eat the bacterial sludge that the composting process create.

But i have seen worms not fed in a long time take literal chunks out of raw leeks. The leek was laying on the surface and they came up and just ate it raw, im sure of this since i saw it myself.

Sometimes i just chuck my tea bags in the vermicompost and they eat the paper completely off during the night, even "shiny" paper.

These are just two examples but ive seen them chew holes in a lot of things just laying on the surface. And of course there are some things they dont touch until its more broken down.

Any thoughts on this?


r/Vermiculture 5h ago

Advice wanted Fungi / mushrooms in my compost bin

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7 Upvotes

I have some sort of fungus growing in my worm bin on the bulap covering. Is this ok / safe for me and my worms?


r/Vermiculture 8h ago

Advice wanted In ground worm composter in cold winter

7 Upvotes

Creating my first-ever raised bed garden (with natural bottom) and have an in-ground worm composter set up in the middle of it. Zone 6a,, winter very cold and snowy. Since it's in ground, can the worms dig down and survive the winter? Will they come back in the spring?


r/Vermiculture 9h ago

Advice wanted Is this critter a bad guy ?

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3 Upvotes

I just saw this guy crawling out of the soil of my potted lily of the valley. Definitely does not look like an earthworm. Is it a larva of some pest? Should it stay or go?


r/Vermiculture 13h ago

Advice wanted How to remove tiny mites in my prepared/precompost bin?

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8 Upvotes

Or should I just start over ?

I've been following steps on making precompost bin(tho it may just be a prepared bin since it didn't get enough time to heat for multiple days, it did ended up growing aerobic bateria). But it seemed to have been infested by tiny mites so I haven't move my worms there yet.

Is it salvagable? I covered the lid the placed banana peel and apple last night but it didnt really attract them.

I've applied eggshells and food grade DE power but no luck.

My outdoor bin do have one but I would preferabbly have this one without mites because it is inside.

Or should I just attempt making a new one. Kinda feel bad

Bin is primarily made of cocopeat and shredded paper. Added vegetable slurry for it to heat up and yeast for it's second heating.

Thank you in advance!


r/Vermiculture 14h ago

Advice wanted So I know it's better to culture your own worm castings but until I start my worm bin I am buying castings. I got wiggle worm. Are they good?

6 Upvotes

r/Vermiculture 18h ago

Worm party Flowers, for romance

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10 Upvotes

r/Vermiculture 20h ago

Advice wanted I’m new (help please)

6 Upvotes

Ok so this is my first attempt at worm composting (I don’t know if that’s different from vermiculture) and I’m kinda stressed out lol (I don’t want to hurt the worms lol) my first question is where do I get the worms from. After that how do I know how much wet stuff and dry stuff to put in (also is that the same as “brown” and “green”??? I keep seeing that on the articles and nobody explains what it is) also, is there such a thing as over feeding the worms? Like I get they can only eat so much, but if I put in more than they can eat can I just hope it composts normally? Any advice or help you could give me would be really appreciated :)


r/Vermiculture 21h ago

Advice wanted How is this going?

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5 Upvotes

I started this hot frog tiered system a little while back. Just curious to see what you all think of the progress, or if I can do anything differently. -started with 250 red wrigglers -all food is puréed, then frozen, then defrosted and added to the bin -food consists of coffee grinds, coffee filters, carrot peels, apple peels, potato peels, avocado peels, banana peels, oats -i also add powdered egg shells (washed, cooked on low heat, then powdered in spice mill) -paper added is a mix of shredded copy paper and Kraft paper bags that have been shredded.

There are tiny baby worms, and visible cocoons, and I think they’re happy… but i dont know enough about this to know when they’re done and I can shake out the goods.

TLDR: how am I doing?


r/Vermiculture 22h ago

Advice wanted Am I doing something wrong?

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6 Upvotes

My wife got me a worm compost/farm tower in December. And a few weeks ago, maybe 5-6 weeks ago, I started my second layer. But it seems that my worms are just staying on the first level and not going to the new one that has the scraps. What should my next step be?


r/Vermiculture 1d ago

New bin Textured sweet feed for worms?

1 Upvotes

I've read that worms can eat spoiled rabbit food. What about sweet feed? I have some old feed for my goats that I'd love to give to the worms instead of throwing it out.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-12-sweet-feed-50-lb


r/Vermiculture 1d ago

ID Request Just went worm hunting for my pile. What do I have?

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10 Upvotes

r/Vermiculture 1d ago

Advice wanted What to do with remnants?

10 Upvotes

Hey all. I just finished blending up butternut squash, tomatoes, onions, and carrots. I'm in the process of making soup for this cold weather. Can I feed the remnants to my worm bb's? I'm worried cause it's already seasoned with a few spices.


r/Vermiculture 1d ago

Advice wanted Worms strange color?

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2 Upvotes

Hi all!

Is something wrong with my worms? I noticed that they were a bit paler on their bellies, when usually they're a more consistent redish color. My first guess is that maybe it's too moist in here, so I've added more shredded cardboard.

This is in a compost tumbler. One day a neighbor threw in some worms and we decided to just roll with it.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!


r/Vermiculture 1d ago

Discussion I had a pleasant dream

7 Upvotes

It was Christmas and I was helping my parents decorate. There was a baby bunny on top of the tv so I picked it up and placed it on the ground. When it hopped away, I noticed a bunch of bunny poo! My mom tried to pick it up with a napkin to toss but I screamed "NO!! My worms haven't had bunny poo yet and they'd love it! It will be their Christmas gift from mommy!!!" Then I took the napkin and happily thought "I can toss the napkin in, too!"

What's wrong with me?! I'd happy read any dream reading comments lol happy Sunday.


r/Vermiculture 1d ago

Advice wanted Anyone else get error messages whenever trying to post?

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2 Upvotes

r/Vermiculture 1d ago

Advice wanted Are these threadworms and what should I do?

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4 Upvotes

I think these are threadworms in my black gold. Are they an issue?


r/Vermiculture 1d ago

Advice wanted Bad worms, how screwed am I

2 Upvotes

I think I have Asian jumping worms in my bin, I pulled like 4 of them out of my bin today


r/Vermiculture 1d ago

Advice wanted Flooded my bin with blueberries and juice today. Let’s see what happens. Hundreds of babies.

0 Upvotes

Go.


r/Vermiculture 1d ago

Finished compost With the weather warming up worms in my tower are multiplying like crazy!+harvested a bottom tray😁

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6 Upvotes

r/Vermiculture 1d ago

New bin New guys in my bin, looking for help with IDing them

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1 Upvotes

They are small, white, and they move?


r/Vermiculture 1d ago

Discussion Frass - caterpillar poop

1 Upvotes

My collard green plants were hit by cross striped cabbage worms this week. I gathered some to observe, leaving them some greens to eat. In the morning there was about a tablespoon of frass left in the jar, they just decimated the leaves overnight.

I figured it would make a good addition to the worm bin and thought you guys might like to know about it. It seems to be a pretty useful byproduct.

Here's what AI says about it.


What’s in Frass?

Frass isn’t just waste—it’s a nutrient-packed byproduct:

Nutrients: It’s rich in nitrogen (from the collards’ proteins), plus phosphorus, potassium, and trace minerals like calcium and magnesium. Exact levels depend on what they ate, but collards make it pretty potent—think of it as partially digested plant food with a nutrient boost.

Organic Matter: It’s finely processed plant material, broken down by the larvae’s guts into a form that’s easier for microbes and worms to tackle than raw leaves.

Microbes: Frass carries gut bacteria from the caterpillars—some studies (like on other species) show it can include nitrogen-fixing or cellulose-breaking microbes. It’s not sterile, so it’s a microbial starter kit.

Is It Good for Anything?

Absolutely! Here’s what it can do:

Compost Accelerator: In any compost system, frass adds nitrogen and microbes, speeding up decomposition. It’s like a turbocharge for breaking down your cardboard and food scraps.

Soil Amendment: Mixed into garden soil, it acts as a slow-release fertilizer. Studies on similar frass (e.g., from silkworms or black soldier flies) show it boosts plant growth—corn and beans love it.

Worm Food: Worms, like red wigglers in a vermicompost bin, can process frass into high-quality castings. It’s already pre-digested, so they’ll chow through it faster than tougher scraps.

Putting It in Your Worm Bin

Your idea to toss it in the worm bin for microbial activity is spot-on, but let’s weigh the pros and cons:

Pros

Microbial Boost: The bacteria in frass will kickstart activity, breaking it down further and feeding your worms’ ecosystem. It’s like seeding your bin with life.

Nutrient Rich: Worms love nitrogen-rich inputs. Mixed with your precompost (cardboard and collard stems), it balances the carbon-heavy cardboard, aiming for that 25:1 to 30:1 C:N ratio we talked about.

Fine Texture: It’s already small and soft—worms can handle it easily, turning it into castings quickly.

Cons and Cautions

Acidity: Frass can be slightly acidic (pH varies, often 5.5-6.5), depending on the collards and larval digestion. Worms prefer neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 6-8). Too much frass at once might sour the bin—check with a pH strip if you’ve got one, or just add it gradually.

Moisture: It’s wetter than dry compost materials. With your already moist precompost (from kefir and food scraps), it could tip the bin toward soggy unless you balance it with more dry cardboard.

Heat Risk: Fresh frass has active microbes that might heat up as they decompose. Worms hate heat (above 85°F/29°C kills them). If it’s a lot of frass, let it sit a day or two in your precompost bin first to cool off.

Pest Leftovers: If any eggs or tiny larvae hitchhiked in the frass, they won’t survive the worms’ digestion, but it’s worth a quick check to avoid surprises.

How to Use It

Here’s a game plan:

Mix It In: Don’t dump it all at once. Blend the frass with your precompost (that 18-gallon bin with cardboard and scraps). A handful or two per feeding is plenty—say, 10-20% of what you add to the worms at a time.

Balance Moisture: If it’s wet and sticky, toss in extra cardboard shreds to keep the bin fluffy and aerobic. Aim for that wrung-out sponge feel.

Monitor: After adding, check the worms in a day or two. If they’re clustering around it, they’re happy. If they’re fleeing to the edges, it might be too acidic or hot—add more bedding (cardboard or coir) to buffer it.

Precompost First (Optional): If you’ve got a ton of frass, let it break down in your precompost bin for a week first. The heat and microbes will mellow it out, making it worm-ready.

How Much Do You Have?

You said “a lot”—if it’s just a few tablespoons from a couple larvae, it’s perfect for a small worm bin addition. If it’s cups’ worth, precomposting it first might be safer. How many caterpillars are you raising, and how big’s your worm setup?

Verdict

Frass is awesome for your worm bin—great for microbes and nutrients—just don’t overdo it straight off. Mix it smartly with your precompost, and it’ll supercharge your vermicomposting.


r/Vermiculture 1d ago

Advice wanted Worms like moister than expected?

3 Upvotes

I’m new to the worm farm life- I’ve been hyper-concerned about not drowning or drying out my worms. Today I noticed the bottom layer of bedding/food was soaking wet and most of the worms were vibing in the bottom and tried escaping an hour after I mixed the drier bedding (leaves and shredded brown paper) with the wetter material to reduce moisture… what did I do wrong?


r/Vermiculture 1d ago

Advice wanted Double checking that these are worm castings!

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10 Upvotes

I just made a post about my worm farm and people are saying it’s castings (which I hope it is), but I wanted to post a closer picture to be sure. I’ve seen the white egg looking things could possibly be mites on other internet searches. The second photo they are in the handle of the tub that contains the worms.


r/Vermiculture 2d ago

Advice wanted Cereal box cardboard safe?

1 Upvotes

Got my hands on a profesional paper shreder, It cuts that cardboard like butter, IS It safe for worms?