Mama's Worm Composting

Gusanito Worm Farm for Worm Composting

I'm happy to announce that Mama's Worm Composting is now an official reseller of all Gusanito worm composting and traditional composting products! I will be updating the site daily with new additions to our store. Gusanito is a leader in creating inventive systems to aid in worm composting. Check it out!

Green 3/4/5 Tray Gusanito Worm Composter PLUS HAND RAKE

• NEW IMPROVED (Patent Pending) Version with waterproof roof.
• Based on our many years of experience, we have created what we believe to be the World's Best Worm Bin design. We have a Patent Pending on this great new design.
• This new roof design is rain proof, has ventilation holes, and will fit on all of the thousands of previously sold American Made Worm Farms that we have sold for many years.
• Take a look at the great design, it is a sloped shed type roof with vent holes high and low to cause the wind to naturally drawn air and moisture up and out of this worm bin design.
• Roof can be turned in any of four directions to benefit from the wind drafts.
• Easy assembly. No tools required.
  
• Add-on Roof can be purchased separately to retro fit previously purchased 

  Worms farms.

• Our 3/4/5 Tray GREEN 

Gusanito Worm Farm Bin

• has a large Coconut coir brick or bag of loose coir. 325 gms compared to 250 gms in old style worm bins. More worm bedding to start with.
• Made in the USA.
• Recycled plastic
• BRAND NEW!!
  
• 5 year limited warranty 

FREE SHIPPING on all continental US orders. This item ships daily via Priority Mail. This worm bin is an upward migration worm composting system for home use. Comes with spout on bottom of the collection tray to drain and use the Compost Tea. You may choose which version of this item you prefer, the three, four, or five tray system. Additional trays can be purchased later if you want to start small and work you way up. 
Green Three Tray Gusanito Worm Farm 

$83.99 + FREE SHIPPING

  
 Green Four Tray Gusanito Worm Farm 

$89.99 + FREE SHIPPING

  
 Green Five Tray Gusanito Worm Farm 

$98.99 + FREE SHIPPING

Worm Composting Pests

He looks kind of cute, doesn't he? 

Well, he's NOT!

Ahhhh, the joy of worm composting... and all of the related critters you may end up finding in your bin. Two particular critters have been bugging me of late, the fruit fly and the slug. Slugs are easy so far; I find them when they're tiny and simply toss them out of the bin. Apparently if a slug is allowed to grow large enough it may eventually eat your worms (blech!!!), so if you see these fat freeloaders in your bin toss them on the double. 

Fruit flies have been quite another matter to deal with due to their incredible ability to reproduce at what seems like the speed of light. I have been fortunate enough to get the fruit fly population under control in about half of my bins, but in the other half they are still hatching from the last round of adults who so kindly laid their eggs in my compost (don't worry, I don't sell worms that come from bedding with fly problems). In all of my bins I have decided to put the lids back on; I have drilled 2" holes in the tops and stapled several layers of aluminum screen over the holes to keep the outside flies out while still providing some ventilation. My most recent trick has proven quite effective so far. I use a beer bottle or wine bottle, fill partway with both vinegar and corn syrup, and dig it into the bedding. I make sure there is enough clearance between the top of the bottle and the lid of the bin to allow the fruit flies into the bottle. Most of them can't figure out how to get back out and dive to their deaths (bwaaahahahahaha). I've seen a few flying back out, though, so I may try to make the hole a little bit smaller than the half inch opening of the bottle. So far the worms have been smart enough to steer clear of the bottles themselves. I'll keep you posted.

I believe the worm composting gods are testing me these days by making sure I experience every pest possible. That's fine in the end, as I will be all the more educated about how to balance the ecosystem in my bins and to pass that knowledge on to my customers. The good news is that my worms are thriving, oblivious to my struggles up top with flying creatures. 

Good worming!

Buy Can-O-Worms HERE!

Where to buy Red Wigglers? HERE

Where to buy European Nightcrawlers? HERE

Getting Started With Worm Composting

Here are instructions for using a homemade bin, open or closed. If you purchase your bin, such as a "Can-O-Worms" or a "Wriggly Wranch", follow the instructions that come with the system.

Things you'll need to start a worm bin:

A bin. See Build A Bin to decide which type of bin you'll use.

Bedding materials. See FAQ for information on different types of materials. 

A nice, shady place to put your bin

Scraps for your worms

Water

Worms

Your Bin

Once you decide on which type of bin you want to buy or build to use for your worm composting, you should set it up at least a few days in advance of receiving your worms. This allows a little time for microbes to grow (which is what worms actually eat) on your bedding and food scraps. It's a much friendlier environment for hungry worms if you can let your bin sit for a few days before adding your worms. Don't have time for that? No worries, it's not the end of the world, it's just nicer for the worms.

Bedding

Fill your bin about 2/3 full with the moistened bedding materials you have chosen. Save some dry bedding for the top of the bin to help keep out flies. I have successfully used shredded junk mail (no glossy or plastic), shredded paper grocery bags, shredded corrugated cardboard, coir (coconut husks) that has been rinsed of salts, and hay/straw. Most of my bins are some combination of a few of these materials. Your worms will eventually eat your bedding along with the food you provide them, turning it into castings as well. 

When your bin is full of bedding, make sure that the moisture level of the bedding resembles that of a moistened sponge: not sopping, not dry. Now lay either a layer of food scraps, or put the food scraps over to one side of the bin, your choice. I like to spread my scraps out at least a bit because it helps prevent anaerobic conditions while the food decomposes, which can get stinky. You want to be able to get some air down there so that your compost both stays moist and doesn't compact too much and produce anaerobic sludge (VERY nasty, believe me!). 

After your food scraps go in, put a nice thick layer of dry bedding on top of the whole thing. This bedding will keep out pests and keep things smelling nice. I really like using hay for the top layer; it's cheap and it smells really nice. But any dry bedding will do fine. 

When your worms arrive, gently open the box or package. If this is your first time handling worms, you might freak out a little bit to see 1000 worms squirming around in front of you, but it's ok. Take a deep breath and say the mantra I use myself when I get overwhelmed, "They're just little animals. They're just little animals. They're just little animals." Pull back some of the dry bedding in your bin and gently turn out the worms into the bedding in one big pile. Don't spread them out; they're probably a little traumatized from traveling and they'll venture out into the bin when they're ready. Cover them up with the dry bedding. If there are worms left in the package, simply leave the package on the top of the bin for a day, pointing down so there's a clear path; the remaining worms will not like the light or dryness of the top of the bin and will burrow down relatively quickly. If you are using an open system, leave a bright light on for a few hours if possible to prevent any escapes from nervous worms.

Give your worms a few days to settle in before you bother them again. You may want to use a hand rake to dig into the bin on the edge just to make sure that the bedding down below is moist enough, but otherwise give them a little time before you feed them anymore. When it looks like they're starting to make it through the scraps, you can start to add more. Add your scraps every few days in little pockets around the bin, underneath the dry bedding. The worms will migrate to the fresh scraps as they finish the old ones. 

Worm composting can be a great way to take care of your food waste responsibly as well as an educational tool for friends and children. Have fun with it!

Good worming!

Buy Can-O-Worms HERE!

Where to buy Red Wigglers? HERE

Where to buy European Nightcrawlers? HERE

Things you'll need to start a worm bin:

A bin. See Build A Bin to decide which type of bin you'll use.

Bedding materials. See FAQ for information on different types of materials. 

A nice, shady place to put your bin

Scraps for your worms

Water

Worms

Your Bin

Once you decide on which type of bin you want to buy or build to use for your worm composting, you should set it up at least a few days in advance of receiving your worms. This allows a little time for microbes to grow (which is what worms actually eat) on your bedding and food scraps. It's a much friendlier environment for hungry worms if you can let your bin sit for a few days before adding your worms. Don't have time for that? No worries, it's not the end of the world, it's just nicer for the worms.

Bedding

Fill your bin about 2/3 full with the moistened bedding materials you have chosen. Save some dry bedding for the top of the bin to help keep out flies. I have successfully used shredded junk mail (no glossy or plastic), shredded paper grocery bags, shredded corrugated cardboard, coir (coconut husks) that has been rinsed of salts, and hay/straw. Most of my bins are some combination of a few of these materials. Your worms will eventually eat your bedding along with the food you provide them, turning it into castings as well. 

When your bin is full of bedding, make sure that the moisture level of the bedding resembles that of a moistened sponge: not sopping, not dry. Now lay either a layer of food scraps, or put the food scraps over to one side of the bin, your choice. I like to spread my scraps out at least a bit because it helps prevent anaerobic conditions while the food decomposes, which can get stinky. You want to be able to get some air down there so that your compost both stays moist and doesn't compact too much and produce anaerobic sludge (VERY nasty, believe me!). 

After your food scraps go in, put a nice thick layer of dry bedding on top of the whole thing. This bedding will keep out pests and keep things smelling nice. I really like using hay for the top layer; it's cheap and it smells really nice. But any dry bedding will do fine. 

When your worms arrive, gently open the box or package. If this is your first time handling worms, you might freak out a little bit to see 1000 worms squirming around in front of you, but it's ok. Take a deep breath and say the mantra I use myself when I get overwhelmed, "They're just little animals. They're just little animals. They're just little animals." Pull back some of the dry bedding in your bin and gently turn out the worms into the bedding in one big pile. Don't spread them out; they're probably a little traumatized from traveling and they'll venture out into the bin when they're ready. Cover them up with the dry bedding. If there are worms left in the package, simply leave the package on the top of the bin for a day, pointing down so there's a clear path; the remaining worms will not like the light or dryness of the top of the bin and will burrow down relatively quickly. If you are using an open system, leave a bright light on for a few hours if possible to prevent any escapes from nervous worms.

Give your worms a few days to settle in before you bother them again. You may want to use a hand rake to dig into the bin on the edge just to make sure that the bedding down below is moist enough, but otherwise give them a little time before you feed them anymore. When it looks like they're starting to make it through the scraps, you can start to add more. Add your scraps every few days in little pockets around the bin, underneath the dry bedding. The worms will migrate to the fresh scraps as they finish the old ones. 

Worm composting can be a great way to take care of your food waste responsibly as well as an educational tool for friends and children. Have fun with it!

Good worming!

Buy Can-O-Worms HERE!

Where to buy Red Wigglers? HERE

Where to buy European Nightcrawlers? HERE

How to Build a Worm Bin: Flow Through Design

I found this interesting article here from UC Berkeley about a flow through worm bin design which allows an easy harvesting of worm castings. They call it the "Vermitopia". I am working on building a worm bin like this in my own warehouse to allow for the easier sale of castings. My design is smaller and has a screen on the top instead of a full lid to allow for better air flow, but there are a lot of similarities. I will post pictures of my worm bin in a few days when it's completed, but for now if you want to see a different way to build a worm bin, check out this site! 

Buy Can-O-Worms HERE!

Where to buy Red Wigglers? HERE

Where to buy European Nightcrawlers? HERE

Wild Worms

I didn't have it in me this morning to ride the kids to school on the bike (see here if you don't know what I'm talking about), so we took the bus. While we were waiting at the stop, we noticed that there was a watering overflow from the border plants that lined the sidewalk. Since we started worm composting, all of our tolerances have gone up as far as bugs and slime and the like, so when we saw several worms being washed into the street my son decided it was time to act. Worms can't live on concrete, after all, and faced certain death if left alone. He quickly began gently picking them up and walking over to drop them back into the dirt where they belonged. They looked like red wigglers, but they were super tiny, so it was quite a delicate operation to get them back to the dirt without smooshing them. In all, we saved probably 10 worms, as many as we could before the bus came. 

I am both delighted and sort of horrified that worm composting has started to get me past my fear of all things slimy, bugs, and other creepy horror-movie type animals. But I never really expected to be plucking worms from certain death to make sure they would all have the opportunity to live their little wiggly lives to the fullest. Worm composting changes you in a weird sort of way. I have dirt under my fingernails and dig through piles of squirming masses almost every day; the result is that this city girl is just a little more connected to the natural world at large. 

Buy Can-O-Worms HERE!

Where to buy Red Wigglers? HERE

Where to buy European Nightcrawlers? HERE

How to Kill Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are not my friends; in fact they are some of the few creatures on this earth that I actually loathe. When you get fruit flies in your compost bin, or even in your house, they can be very difficult to get rid of. Worm composting is no exception, unfortunately. Preventing fruit flies can be done by setting traps in advance, maintaining a nice thick crust of dry bedding on top of your bin, and breaking out the vacuum cleaner the moment you see them buzzing around. You can also freeze your scraps before feeding your worms or blend them up to discourage flies. But of course, as you know, we are not always able to recognize the threat of invasion until it's too late...

Assuming that you have not recognized the threat until now, you can identify what kind of pest you have by closely examining the winged demon. If you have a tiny black fly that almost looks like a mosquito, that's a fungus gnat. You can purchase Hypoaspis sp. fungus gnats to eat up your flies and you're done. Fruit flies, on the other hand, have no such predator. You can identify fruit flies by their red, menacing eyes. And the sinking feeling of dread in your heart.

If you find yourself with a fruit fly invasion, try some of the steps below. Remember to be consistent for several days, even a week or two, so that you can be sure that you've sent all those little buggers to fruit fly heaven before you let your guard down again!

#1 The Vacuum Cleaner

Your vacuum will be your #1 ally when dealing with fruit flies in number. I have a small shop vac that I keep near my bins so that I can quickly handle any outbreaks. Fruit flies aren't as strong as black flies, so they will easily be sucked into the hose. If after a while you get tired of the vacuum, just remember that every little critter you suck up has the ability to lay 500 eggs at one time. Use my mantra to keep yourself motivated, "500 eggs. 500 eggs. 500 eggs."

#2 Homemade Fly Traps

An easy way to help deal with fruit flies near your worm composting bin is to set traps. You should do this both preventatively and when dealing with an outbreak. What has worked best for me is to use 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar and 1/2 c. corn syrup in an old plastic milk jug. Poke 30 or so tiny holes into the sides of the jug. The smell lures the flies in, but then they can't get out. Ah, the joy of seeing them all flying around inside! 

Other fruit fly traps can consist of a simple glass jar with a piece of banana inside, cover it in plastic wrap and poke the tiny holes.

Another favorite around here is the wine bottle fruit fly trap. Leave an inch or so of wine at the bottom of the bottle and voila, fruit fly trap. Just leave the open bottle where you see flying monsters.

#3 Store Bought Fly Paper

You can't beat it in many ways. I've tried homemade fly paper without much success, but whatever those corporate fly killers have going on, it works way better.

Remember, you want to try to PREVENT fruit flies from entering your system. Keep some traps around and a vacuum handy and you'll be on your way to maintaining a fly free environment!

Buy Can-O-Worms HERE!

Where to buy Red Wigglers? HERE

Where to buy European Nightcrawlers? HERE

Happenings From a Newbie Worm Farmer

I'm not going to try to pretend to anyone who might be reading this blog that I have been composting or growing worms for years and years. It just ain't true. I'm a newbie, and while I'm fascinated by my worms and weirdly concerned about their well-being, I'm still getting used to the squirming masses. I'm excited about starting up this urban worm farming business of mine, and there is much to learn.

If you've read my Mama Does Good blog then you know that I've screamed more than once out of surprise/fright/terror when handling my worms. It has taken months for me to get used to the critters, and now that I have 20,000 of them in my garage I'm really dealing with a crash course in learning-not-to-freak-out. 

Yesterday was no exception. I had received another order of 10,000 worms and was all set to get them ready for sale (I'm ordering in while I wait for my own stock to grow and reproduce). I had neat little buckets with bags of moistened brown paper all shredded up and waiting for the wigglers to make themselves at home. I laid out a tray and dumped out the first of four bags of worms. I'm not really sure what was so surprising, the fact that there were so many, the fact that they were so close to my face, or the fact that they looked like something out of a horror film. In any case, I yelped a little when I saw them all there. I spoke my familiar mantra, "They're just little animals. They're just little animals. They're just little animals."

I proceeded to spend the next ten minutes waiting for them to dive down into the pile to get away from the light so that I could separate them from their bedding. This did not happen. I realized that this might take a while and thought that I may as well do the entire bunch at one time. I dumped out the second bag and this is when things went horribly wrong. The bag burst and the worms spilled out all over the place, all over me, all over my shoes, all over the floor. Insert another yelp here. I stepped back, took a breath, thought it through to come up with a plan of action, and then took off my shoes. In the 30 seconds that they had been on my feet they had already tried to burrow down into the darkness of my shoes. I was able to shake them all out onto the floor, where I then swept up the pile and put it into the bin.

When I finally looked up I saw hundreds of worms literally dripping, slowly like molasses, out of the tray and onto the floor. I sort of wish someone could have photographed my face at that moment.

In the end I dumped all 10 pounds of them into a bin and took some time to think about how to handle this situation. I also took a little time to ask myself if I really want to get into this business (the answer, ultimately, was yes). The solution to my sorting problem was solved by a trip to Target; upon arriving home the winning method proved to be a lingerie laundry bag and a bit of gentle shaking to get the bedding out and keep the worms in. I emerged upstairs triumphant and renewed after my challenging day. 

I'll keep you posted. 

Buy Can-O-Worms HERE!

Where to buy Red Wigglers? HERE

Where to buy European Nightcrawlers? HERE