FIX your WORM BIN FAST! QUICKLY fix VERMICOMPOSTING mistakes!

[@sic-n-tiredtired4273]

Hands down best informative video I seen so far 👍 just received my first 2,000 red wigglers and this helped out tremendously to figure out future problems which hopefully don't occur because of this video LOL. Sorry one more quick question do you feed your worms when you first get them or just let them meet the compost that they in ?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Wow thank you so much for the appreciation! Best of luck with your new worms. 🎊🎊 I would give them a few days to get settled into their new home, they will snack on the bedding till their first feeding. Keep a close eye on them, they love to make a break for it when they first get put in their new home! Once they get settled in then you can start giving a bit of food, keep an eye on how much they eat every day or so. 👍

[@sic-n-tiredtired4273]

@@TheWormWhisperer thank you and I will keep watching to learn more

[@tocooh6838]

@@TheWormWhisperer ...... Thank you for replying to SIC-N-TIRED, TIRED thanks for commenting because your comments led me to post my inquiry. Can I blend my fruit scraps and bury it in a trench in my bin?

[@corinabrand905]

1

[@nk-dw2hm]

​@@tocooh6838yes, a lot of people freeze them first and then do that

[@oseig]

I like how you go through the different ways to improve and care for the worms. I am fairly new to dealing with woorms. I can say that I learned a lot from you in this video. Thank you

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks for watching and your very welcome!

[@lynneb.3935]

Great video! All useful information without needless chatter. My 26 gallon tote/worm bin sits outside my back door on the concrete patio (apt complex).survived the too warm winter here in New England. Sad for the environment but was happy to use lots of my worm castings right away. Then I decided to add two large containers of ground up expired food: pumpkin seeds and peanut. 😢 Oh, the stink! I added as much brown as I had around here: paper bags, cardboard and alfalfa pellets (my nitrogen fertilizer), and separated it all into two bins. The smell has been drastically reduced, but the bottom portion was very hot, so I think I killed then. 😢 My son thinks I should just throw it all out, but I’m not ready to give up. Thinking of buying more worms, but the bins still smell a bit and I don’t want to put them in there if it’s still out of balance. Going to look for my ph meter (it’s somewhere around here) - this is the first video I’ve watched that mentions the ph!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Sorry to hear that happened! For sure make sure everything is right in the bin before adding more worms to it. No point in killing more worms if you are not 100% sure the bin is in good shape. When starting out it is best to keep things as simple as possible for your worm farm. Be careful with those alfalfa pellets I use alfalfa in my bins it great for the worms and the plants but it can heat your bin so it needs to be used carefully in the worm farm! Good luck with your next bin!

[@kdog543]

My nightcrawlers are happy in my bin.💜 I use tote with a lid to keep nats and bugs out and leave the lid partial open at times to air it out too i have alot of food but soil bedding and sweet smelling or soil smell so far not high toxicity or stinky smells as of yet for about 2 weeks old now. PH information was most helpful to me and thank you.🤔

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Gald the information could help! Thanks for watching!😊

[@montyshinn8704]

Thanks so much. I’m just starting my bin.❤😊

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Monty thanks for watching the channel!👍

[@tonysu8860]

Although most of the info in this video is pretty good, there are some ideas I take issue with. Such as why sour worm beds happen that have a problem with non-neutral pH or become anaerobic (possibly one leading to the another). IMO that all has to do with the manner you feed your worms. And it starts with avoiding some common mistakes like mixing food into your worm bed, throwing food all across the top of your worm bin covering the entire surface and feeding worms in layers like a lasagna. The key to any kind of animal husbandry including worm farming is to give your animals choice. Allow animals to move towards food, warmth, moisture or anything else you're offering them. But also give your animals the option to move away from anything you're offering, too. If you trap your animals in whatever you're offering them, a bad mistake will kill your herd. So, you have to think of your bin in 3 dimensional terms... Your scavenger worms will want to live in a 2D world in the top 4" (about 1.5 cm) with as much water, warmth and oxygen as possible. As cold blooded animals, colder temperatures will make them sluggish. Animals always need to breath lots of air and all living things need water. Worms also have teeny mouths and no teeth so generally have to have microbes break down food before worms can consume either the microbes or dissolved nutrients. Understanding all of the above, it should be apparent that feeding should be in vertical silos in a corner of the bin. Fed this way, it's almost impossible to overfeed worms. Even if the food doesn't fully decompose for weeks or months or decomposes instantaneously in a massive burst of aerobic activity, there is no danger of suffocating the worms by aerobic bacteria sucking up all the oxygen on the surface. Worms can move towards the food as it's ready to be consumed and away to its neutral worm bedding when it's preferable, and the worm bedding is not contaminated by too much of anything you give them.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

That's cool, I love to hear how worm farming works for everyone and thank you very much for your insights.

[@madhat127]

I'm new to this worm bin game (I know, not an actual game). Had mine going for about 2 1/2 months and so far all is doing very well. It's videos like this that help us newbies get it right. A big thank you for all the information given. Muchly appreciated : )

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey thanks for visiting and watching the channel! Glad to know some of my videos have been helping you out with your new worm farm!

[@timmartin8191]

Thanks for the info. I've watched quite a few of your videos and they are excellent! You should win a Grammy for best mix of music on KZbin videos. From classical piano to funk. Keep it up, Brother!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey thanks for watching Tim! So nice to have someone that appreciates the music in the videos! I stopped putting so much in because of all the complains! Glad you enjoy the videos! :)

[@wendysmith-Florida]

oh my gosh. incredible video. Thank you so much, I am a newbie worm farmer and this video provided more information than the last four weeks of searching the Internet. Thank you thank you thank you!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Wendy so happy you are enjoying the channel hope to have some more videos up soon!😉

[@debbieblum2275]

So very helpful.. I'm excited to get started.. already making mistakes but have great ways of adjusting the bin to get the right habitat for the worms!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thank you for the support of the channel! That's awesome I started years ago right around this time of year and it's been a great hobby! Hope my videos can help you out and get a great start!👍

[@Ryan92230]

Lesson learned today, my worm bin is outside on the ground and it was raining heavy and of course it got into the bin from the air holes and also. I think from the bottom getting soaked up the drainage holes. And I looked into the bin tonight and there was a mass escape attempt :( I’ve added lots of fresh shredded cardboard to the top and also now made sure I protect from the rain and stand it on bricks. Just hope it dries out quick

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Best thing to do, add some more bedding to soak up the extra water! Good luck let us know how it goes!

[@Ryan92230]

@@TheWormWhisperer all sorted now worms are very happy lots of cocoons and consuming all the food I put in for them :)

[@Chai4mom]

Very helpful information. THanks for sharing your expertise.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thank you for watching and your support of the channel!

[@jimmyn1544]

Excellent!! Thank you for the advice, I’ve been having trouble with my worms trying to escape I tried the light trick and it worked until I took it away. I now know that I’ve over fed, over watered, temp is too low, ph is too low, not enough carbon, basically everything a good worm bin is not supposed to be 😵‍💫I’ll do better! They deserve better! Now I know. Thank you

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thank you for watching Jimmy, glad that my video was able to help you fix the issues you were having with your worm farm. Good luck in the future!

[@nenaenriquez3480]

I wish I knew this long ago yet worms survived!... Thank you, I'll do better now thanks to you!!!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Nena thank you for watching and your kind words for the channel.

[@texaspatty4697]

What a great video! Detailed overall review with lots of great tips! I'm going to save it and use the material to get new people started.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Patty, really happy it was able to help you out. Hoping to make another one like this for all the worm farming things I have learned in my 3 1/2 years of worm farms so far! Thank you! :)

[@Vermicompost]

This is probably the best comprehensive video I have seen on worm bin mistakes/issues!! Not sure why it didn't pop up for me to watch earlier!! Just an outstanding professional editing job and all the info and tips are spot on!! Well done!!🪱🪱🪱

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thank you all so much it really means so much to me that you are watching the channel I do truely appreciate it. I love your videos some of my favorites on KZbin for farming worms keep up the great work!😁

[@nunya143]

Thank you!! Haven’t found a video this good!! Just put my first bin together today

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey Samie and warm welcoming to the channel! Thank you very much for the kind words and support!😉👍

[@BlueMountainWormsInc.]

This is unquestionably a very informative video, I keep watching worm videos and get pro tips Like the ones you laid out in this video, great job.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi BlueMountainWorms! Thank you for watching the channel and the very kind words for my worm video work. It's always nice when viewers let me know they are enjoying the content!

[@CanineResources]

Great production. Enjoyed the bullet point presentation. Thanks for your knowledge and sharing.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks for checking out my channels glad it was able to help you out! :)

[@NanasWorms]

Thank you for this compilation of worm bin basics and troubleshooting. My experience is red wigglers can survive lower temperatures than 40°F. It’s not ideal and they don’t move around very much, but they are survivors!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

I believe cocoons can even survive over the winter! Thank you for sharing!👍👍

[@tonysu8860]

Agreed, IMO until worms actually freeze, they're not dead yet.

[@thedouglaspodcast]

Appreciate this comment! Getting down to the 50’s here and I got nervous so I moved them inside lololol

[@NanasWorms]

@@thedouglaspodcast We installed four inground garden worm buckets this year (5 gallon buckets). We check on them every few weeks and we see active worms. Our lowest temperature so far has been a couple degrees below freezing I think the gentle heat from the composting food in the bucket also keeps them warm. I have a playlist on these garden worm towers if you are interested. Cheers, Sandra.

[@trumpetingangel]

Thanks for such a thorough discussion of everything that can go wrong!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thank you for watching!

[@ralsharp6013]

The fruit fly hint was good.😊

[@IntoTheOutside000]

My worm been has never been so healthy after having been give this advice for my worm been.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Jah and thank you for your kind words for the channel. Happy I could help you out!

[@WanderingWonderer808]

I have mites. It grosses me out. I also have gnats. They irritate me. Super helpful video. Ty!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

LOL, if you have a worm bin you're going to have to live with them, a few will always be in there. Thank you Faith, for visiting the channel and your kind words, I appreciate it!👍

[@notmyhome]

Very informative, thank you!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Happy that the video are helpful thank you for watching Julie!👍

[@teresaholland4790]

Hi I’m new here excellent video sir, I recently stacked cement blocks about 20x10 feet filled in with garden soil from my garden and leaves and old garden scraps lot’s of night crawlers,could I also add red wigglers on the top I live in Central Fl the bin is under a shade tree.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Teresa, thanks for watching my video and the support for the channel! Yes, you can defiantly add some red wigglers to your bin, they will help the NC's with breaking down the leaves and garden scraps, just be careful not to add too much greens (green garden clippings) at one time as it will heat up your bin and may hurt your little worm friends! Best of luck keep us updated!

[@TheFishCorner]

Thank you for this video. Very helpful and informative. I literally corrected the issue of over saturation before the end of the video! 💪🏾 You got a sub from me brother. 👊🏾

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey fish corner happy to help you out and thank you for watching the video!

[@larissapearce9497]

This is so helpful! Thank you thank you! I just started a little 5gallon worm bin! I have added some shredded cardboard and newspaper and taken those larger chunks of food out to help with those pesky fruit flies. But wondering about maggots…have y’all had that issue?

[@rockyreyes9320]

What I understood from this video was that no matter what your problem is, more carbon is probably going to fix it.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Correct it can fix most things in the worm bin. But not heat, be careful with greens like grass and alfalfa if they heat up too much it can kill the worms and no coming back from that. Good luck!

[@adriansteele7023]

​@TheWormWhisperer oh my gosh! I'm so glad I saw this comment, I was collecting grass clippings to add as to my bin

[@carolp8870]

I made the mistake of putting too much spent coffee grounds in my inside bin. The temp rose close to 90 degrees.

[@adriansteele7023]

@@carolp8870 whewww. I got lucky there!

[@fishmut]

@@TheWormWhisperer….great advice , I found I used to use lawn clippings after mowing in a compost bin and it really heats up so I stopped doing that , I now make grass piles and spread them open every few days and when the heat is gone I put it in my worm farms and they love it with a mix of veggies etc .

[@MarthaTrahan]

Thanks for a good list of problems and the answers!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Your very welcome and thank you for watching the channel!

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

I have been a worm farmer since the 70's.. and yep, good common sense advice. To much rotten food..I just add fine egg shell and coir....mix it in and cover the top with some fine cut cardboard onv top...then I just check in every couple days and don't feed till just ruminate of food are left.madjustingvwater/ moisture as necessary..I cover bed with burlap..either dry or wet burlap as needed. Any good advice for the bewby..

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Wow that's a long time nice work! You should start a worm channel! Great information thank you for sharing with the channel!👍

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

@The Worm Whisperer ps...sold my set up except I bin that my caregiver helps me keep going in the kitchen....I joke that they go on the ground with my ashes in the outside compost bed...dust to dust and all that crap....my motto for YEARS has been TURN DIRT INTO SOIL...

[@TheWormWhisperer]

@@marjoriejohnson6535 Great Motto!

[@romanticwarrior97]

Great video! I started my first bin about two months ago. I might have started out with too big a bin - it's about 32 gallon size. I put about 4000 red wiggler's in and I used coconut coir and shredded newspaper as the bedding about 6 - 8 inches deep. Because I live in South Texas I keep them in a spare room in the house as it can get to be 90 in the shade down here. They seem to be doing well but I still have some runaways. I probably had 50 go over the top and it's always the larger worms. I will put a lamp over them as you suggested but I wonder why some are still trying to bail. The bedding is moist like a rung out sponge, no bad smell just kind of earthy and I don't overfeed.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Some worms just want to adventure I think after a while they will settle down and stop trying to leave l, just takes a bit of time if the bin conditions are good! Thank you for sharing! 👍

[@tonysu8860]

IMO there is no such thing as too large a worm bin but a bin that's too small magnifies mistakes. Just make sure that you only feed as much as your herd can consume within a few days. Constant care is better by beginners so that if you observe you've made some kind of mistake, you should catch the problem early enough to fix the problem. When people feed their bin a couple weeks at a time, they can come back to a bin where the worms are all dead or escaped because a problem was bad enough that the worms couldn't live in the toxicity.

[@dawngagliano6118]

Great video ! I live in Central Florida and started vermicomposting with a Subpod in my raised bed garden .You gave the best and easiest advise .Thank you very much .

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks for watching Dawn!

[@vildhallon4709]

Thank you this is just what I needed! I'm a newbie and I feel more prepared now

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey very happy to hear that this video helped you feel more conformable starting out with your worm farm! Wishing you the best of luck with your new bin and if you have any questions please feel free to come here and ask!

[@wetpaint6354]

Thanks for the help!! My worms seem happier now!!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Happy I could help out some hope your bin is going well!

[@Rian-up6qi]

Love your video, it's so details. I'm going to start my worm bin in this evening. Hope to be successful 🙏 😌

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Great hobby to get into! Best of luck and I hope my videos can help you out :) Thank you for the kind words :)

[@donnatapper7967]

Thank you! This vedio was very helpful!!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Donna, thank you for the kind words and watching my videos!

[@TheDonTj]

I've been through a lot of videos. And I gotta say I got the exact information I was looking for from this video. thank you.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks for watching glad it could help out!👍

[@noeyvillanueva9099]

GREAT INFO! Thank you!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Noey, thank you for join us on the channel! I appreciate the support! :)

[@yfarkash]

Great advice. One topic not covered is what do do if I have mold/fungus growing in my bin?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Yoav, thank you for watching the video. I have a short about mold on my channel if you would like to check it out. It explains about mold in your worm bin.

[@mnm99999]

Thank you for your video! This has been the most informative and to the point. I had a good chunk pass from the soil being too wet perviously. I was wondering if you should remove dead worms from the bin?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey thanks for watching! Nope the dead worms will break down and the live worms will take care of them just like anything in the worm bin.👍

[@jasonabercrombie1373]

I turned 55 gallon barrels into flow through worm bins. I have found that the easiest way to keep them warm in the winter is to create a hot compost pile on the top. The worms will migrate up or down based on their preferred temperature.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey Jason that's for watching my channel, that is a great idea thank you for sharing with the channel!👍

[@cmillet9293]

I watch your videos over and over with the goal of making my worms happy. Thank you for all the wonderful information. Your video shows lots of worm presumably at the top of the soil. I added about 300 worms, babies and eggs in an 18 gal tote 2 weeks ago. How do I get them up close so I can make sure I still have live worms working in my bin?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thank you so much for watching the videos and your support!👍 The best way to see your worms and get them to the top of you bin is to, bait them. You can use something they really love at the top of the bin like watermelon rinds, apples peels or cores. Or something simple like lettuce to bring them to the top of your bin. Then after a few days just turn the food over and check how many worms are under it. Keep all the food scrapes at the top of the bin to draw the works up to that layer. Also the juice from the watermelon or apples will drip down into the bin this is a great way to draw the worms up to the top as well. Best of luck with your new bin!🎉

[@MrsLougik]

Thank you so much for a wonderful video. I wished I saw your video earlier so I would avoid my mistakes. I have a big problem with my compost bin. The worm food has become very soggy & smelly and I found only a few alive worms.Could you please give me advice on what I should do. Thanks!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey Luigik, when that happens it's best to remove any extra food that is causing the bin to get smelly! Once you do that add some more carbon like newspaper, cardboard or flyers. Mix this in dry to take care of the extra moisture and give the bin some ti e to get going again in the right track!

[@lizaevans5921]

Constructive, informative and easy to follow, good pace. Thank you! Question! Mt worm bin is full of earwigs. Worms are fast disappearing- suspect eggs and babies beig eaten, how can I get rid of earwigs??

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Liza thanks for watching, I have never really had this issue before. If they are outdoors I am not really sure what to do other then keeping the bins inside.

[@karenwarren1167]

Thank you

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks for watching Karen!

[@torrencekrepps757]

Thanks a ton for the priceless information truly appreciated it 👍 😀

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thank you for watching and I am glad you enjoyed and found the information useful!👍

[@satkunanandanthirunavukara7715]

Satku -- Lots of problems I culd retify by this vedo. I started worm 2months ago. I have never seen worms moving around but it was alive. Now 3rd month , I did not see any worms I dontknow reason.I want check in moisture. Before the bin had light moisrure, now i increase little more moisture and I hope for the best. Thanks

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey, I am sorry to hear that how are they doing now? It takes a little bit to learn about farming the worms correctly but it will come with experience and time!

[@satkunanandanthirunavukara7715]

Thank you . Now the situvation improving after watching your vedio.@@TheWormWhisperer

[@pneugass]

Very helpful, thank you.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

You're welcome!

[@alex94na]

Thanks for making this vedio helps alot

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks for watching and I am glad it could help you out!

[@PASTRYCHEFGEORGE]

Thanks for the amazing info. My worm population has dropped over this winter i think i got my bin to hot trying to keep them alive during the cold. 🤦🏾‍♂️ So how do i get them back up, I’m a beginner so a lot is trial by error. I have mite also I’ve been using newspaper not cardboard is that great also!? So many questions i hope someone can help i don’t have a garden community so KZbin, IG are my help

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi George, thank you for the great question. First newspaper is fine to dry out and fix up your bin and get rid of some of the mites. Some mites are fine in the bin and if you have too many you can see the tips I discuss for this in the video. I also have another video on my channel for dealing with mites. It you have lost some of your worm population over the winter. Keep a close eye on your bin for cocoons in the bin. This will tell you that the worms are healthy and growing the population in your bin this spring. It you shocked the ones that are still alive hey will start to reproduce quickly to bring the population back up to max in your bin. This takes time and practice like anything, and will not happen over night. The more worms that start to come back the fasting the bin will grow. You can also check out my How to Maximize you worm farm population video on my channel this will help you get your bin going again. Thanks!

[@naomi2646]

Music sounds like a funeral room, but dood information

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Sorry to hear this I will let the poor person know that created it. 😕 Thanks for watching!

[@Angel-vo8ol]

I like it 🖤

[@dang1099]

Wow, good video. One thing I wish more people would have brought to my attention is ph. I grow other, vegetables, and ph is very important and always mentioned, but I didn't really see that in other information presented about worms. I used cardboard and then added peat moss for a little grit, but I also added a ton of coffee grounds later on to feed the worms. I know from other hobbies that peat moss is extremely acidic when compared to regular soil. I never added a buffer to it when i added it. I started to see evidence of the dreaded string of pearls plus I also noticed some to be lackadaisical, like mentioned in the video. I added some cardboard plus some garden lime to hopefully bring the ph back in to balance. I don't know what might happen but wish me luck in saving my wormy friends. Thanks for reading.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Dan thank you for visiting and watching the channel. Thank you for letting us know about your experience with peat moss and PH issues. I wish you good luck on righting your worm bin and getting things back to normal for your worm friends! Thank you for your kind words about the channel.

[@moradmoses3779]

Lots of good information, thank you

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thank you!

[@surfcitybusybee]

Thank you for the informative video! Do you or anyone else here happen to know how to get rid of Sap Beetles in my worm bin? Last year, I fed my worms a bunch of Jack Fruit and before I knew it, my bin was infected with tons of these beetles that I had never seen before. I didn't suspect the Jack Fruit at the time, but now I'm pretty certain that that's where they came from. Any ideas on how to get rid of them completely, because I can't use my worm castings now, as I'm afraid that the beetles will take over my garden, as they like fruit, tomatoes, etc.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi, thank you for checking out my channel! Sorry I have never had Sap Beetles in my bins so I am not really sure how to go about it.

[@vonries]

Good info thanks.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey thanks for visiting the channel and support!

[@abdulrahiman405]

Super bro thank you for clearing my doubts

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Your welcome thanks for watching!

[@maryannepreston4685]

Very good info!!!!!!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Mary and thank you so much for the kind words for the channel!👍

[@tomneeb5474]

Thank you!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Your Welcome Tom thanks for watching!

[@johndouglas8071]

Yours is THE GREATEST

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks man that's the first time anyone has ever told me that, even my own mother. She said my videos put her to sleep.

[@GreekVegetarianRecip]

Excellent!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks!

[@paulcarrier2424]

Thanks for all that info. What would be the ideal temperature range? thinking my basement root cellar might be too cold. Cheers!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Paul Thank for watching my channel! They need about the same temperatures as a human does so if it feels cold in the root cellar it might be too cold.

[@tiptolteam6033]

Thank you for this! Really helped me out! Your videos are great!!!! I have a question though, my worm farm is eating and producing lots of casting but no wee... I am in Australia so it gets pretty hot! I try to give it some water every now and then but it has never produced wee... Would really appreciate the help I can't find anything online hahah

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey Tip, thanks for watching! That's fine and actually good, as long as the worms are doing fine then a good worm bin shouldn't have any wee coming out the bottom. As long as the bedding is moist enough everything should be get. If they can a little to hot some ice on top of the bin can cool it down!😉

[@hobotoast2001]

Thank you for the great content and info. Just started a new hobby. Hopefully the is might turn into a successful biussness, but that a hole nother stage thank you and have a blessed day.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Good luck with your business! Happy to help and thanks for watching!

[@grofam9888]

Thank you for the video 👍

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks for watching!

[@dannyjanolo4601]

Very nice ty sir

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks for watching!

[@learningtosmile68]

Hi! I have been worm composting for 4 months now and I've learned so much from your channel so thank you! I'm having a couple of issues and I don't know if I should be concerned and I can't find answers anywhere. First, everytime I take the lid off to feed my worms there is black stuff all around the rim of the container. I can't figure out what it is or how it gets there. It looks like little tiny black beads of dirt. I do have to put some worms back down from the top sometimes so I don't know if they are doing that or where it's coming from? Also, I have found a few little black slugs down in the bin the last two times I've fed them I don't know how they would get in there. I keep my bin inside. It also seems like it keeps retaining moisture. I added some shredded cardboard hoping to dry it out a little but it just keeps getting so moist inside. Any theories you could give me would be so appreciated!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey Reason, the black beads of dirt could be worm castings they tend to look like that sometimes depending on where they are in the bin. If they are soft this could be it. If you have a drain on your bin this can really help with mositure overall, if it is getting out of control try mixing in more cardboard thoughout your bin. Use as much as you need, to keep the bin with less mositure, the carbon will not hurt the worms and they will eat it.

[@learningtosmile68]

@@TheWormWhisperer thank you very much! I don't have a drain in the bin but now that there are so many worms in it I plan on starting a new one and adding a drain. This makes sense now, so thank you!

[@wormweirdo340]

Great info!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey thanks Worm Weirdo appreciate you checking out my videos!👍😁

[@samzilman9475]

APPRECIATED!!!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Your welcome thanks for watching! :)

[@nelsonolivera8059]

Great trouble shooting! Would you know of a grinder for a gallon of kitchen scraps? Thanks!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks, I use a regular smoothie bender for mine, but most of the time I just freeze them and feed. IMHO I think it kind of a waste of energy to electric blend everytime when feeding.

[@tory464]

Great info 👍

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks for watching!

[@winstonsmiths2449]

Best results for me has been using potting mix and compost 50/50 as the main material. I add shredded paper, no more than 20% of the total. I mix the three together and use a spray bottle with filtered water, no chlorine and wet as I mix. I add veggie scraps as needed. Add shredded cardboard or paper if needed same. I do not use so much water that I would need a container with a tap to capture it as it drains to the bottom. You are using too much water if it drips to a catchment bin or pools at the bottom of the container. My worms love it and getting them to migrate up to a fresh big is simple and thorough. I spray occasionally as need to keep the bedding moist. Cover with a piece of cardboard and done. I keep the bedding moist but not wet. Worms will try the great escape if the bedding is too wet.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Winston thank you for visiting the channel and you excellent advice. I always enjoy reading how other farmers look after their bins and what works best for them! I appreciate you helping everyone out with your thoughts and suggestions!😉👍

[@winstonsmiths2449]

@@TheWormWhisperer The way I used the term "you may be using too much water..." did not come across as I intended. I meant a "person" in general may be using too much water. It sounds Like I was criticizing you! Not my intent if it came across to you like that.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

@@winstonsmiths2449 No worries man, I didn't take it that way at all. I appreciate the help comments.

[@tonysu8860]

I endorse your use of adding soil but I wouldn't recommend potting mix, it's relatively expensive and possibly has some amendments that wouldn't be that useful as worm bedding. Instead I recommend saving some money and using the cheapest top soil you can buy if you can't obtain for free in your area. It's a good change of pace for worms who take to soil naturally instead of usual recommended bedding materials.

[@winstonsmiths2449]

@@tonysu8860 Will do! But the worms went crazy on what I did, I am open to advice for sure.

[@northeastworms]

Very nice

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thank you! Appreciate it!

[@delacruzgr1]

Sawdust I think is a good source of carbon in my wormbin...for my brown materials?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thanks for watching Georgio!👍 Sawdust works great for bedding, just keep an eye on the bin that it doesn't heat up.

[@ryanjchalifoux]

I am looking to start a wrm farm I want to start small and do it mostly outdorrs but I do get concerned that my outdorr sheds do not have heat in the winter as I am in ontario canada

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey Ryan, you are correct up here in Canada it is too cold in the winter months without some heat in the bin. Your worms will die if the shed is not heated. However, the cocoons will live through the winter and hatch out in the spring time once the ground warms up in the worm bin. I keep my worm bins in the basement it works really well if you wanted to get started small. Good Luck!

[@stevencats7137]

Thank you! Where do you recommend getting carbon material? I just teared up a cardboard box but that took ages. How can I find shredded or extra newspaper? Does office paper work?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Steven welcome to the channel! Were I live they banned plastic bags, so now all our bags are brown paper bags these are great for shredding and using in the worm bin. Also amazon boxes are great, and can be shredded as well. You only need a decent shredder that can do like 8 to 10 sheets at a time to do the amazon boxes. Paper Bags are a piece of cake using one. Newspapers, flyers (non-glossy) , wood chips (take longer to break down) as can be shredded up and used as well. I really depends on the office paper, if it is white office paper that has been bleached to remove the brown wood color , that you see in boxes and paper bags. If it is white and bleached you want to stay clear of this in the worm bin or only use in small amount with other stuff. Hope this helps you out!

[@TheTrueabundance]

Great video!(but why the subtitles? I understand you perfectly! What accent do you have anyway? ) Seems to me that adding extra bedding is the answer to most worm bin challenges except having a dry bin!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi True Abundance thanks for watching the channel and the kind words for the video! Mostly I use them so I can go though quickly once the video is completed to tell me each section of the video, then I can quickly create a table of contents for each section that have. I don't think my other videos have any that was the first one I did with subtitles and I was just learning how to use them. Your right it can fix many things in the worm bin and is very important!

[@hawkheights6953]

Subtitles are good for those with a hearing loss

[@lydiaahubbell8545]

To cool off the worms without adding water, yes put the ice cubes in a Ziploc bag. It can be refrozen.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi thank you for watching. That is great advise thank you so much for sharing with everyone!

[@carlosmartinez230]

When checking on worm bin and found a few 10-15 roaming on top of the soil and some on underneath the plastic sheet that I kept on top. They weren’t any in clumps but seems as though they were just chillin, even a few big thick worms just stretched out. Once I removed black plastic blanket they all scattered and went under the soil .. I typically keep a piece of black plastic trash bag as blanket then a couple of cardboard pieces on top Of that … Should I be concerned abt the few worms I found on top of soil….? I wasn’t able to get a picture of them.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

No, they will make their way down into the bin with time. If they don't then there is most likely another issue with the worm bin, and the health of the worms.

[@Angel-vo8ol]

I have a question! Do you feed in different locations in the bin? And do you add the powder/ cardboard/ browns on top of the food? Or just on top ? I’m a couple months in to worm composting.. thanks!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey Angel, thank you for watching and commenting. Either of these will work just fine. I make up a new worm bin and add all new bedding, then add food to the top. The worms will break down a full new bin of bedding into about half once it has been eaten and turned into worm castings. I will then proceed to add new worm bedding to the top, to top up the worm bin with new bedding and have a few bin of castings at harvest. I continue to keep feeding the worms on top with banana peels other food as needed till the bin is ready to harvest. Hope this can help you out :)

[@evelynwoolston7]

4 or five of my hubby's worms escaped every night. We left one of our kitchen LED counter lights on and put the worm bin on the floor near it, not even on the counter and haven't had another escape so it doesn't seem to be necessary for a bright light directly over the bin.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

I think you are toldly correct they only need a bit of light to keep them in the bin! Thank you for your input Evelyn I appreciate it!👍

[@lindakildow7507]

Are ground up lobster shells good for ph like oyster shells?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Linda welcome to the channel and thank you for you question! Yes ground lobster shells will work great! Pretty much any ground shells will work awesome for calcium and grit. Bonus they are free too!😁

[@Westhamskin]

And ground up egg shells.

[@gavan1988]

Good morning I am very newI am just starting my worm bin my question can I use mushrooms as food. I bought some to use but for got them in the fridge.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi thank you for coming and visiting the channel! Yes worms love mushrooms and can be added to the bin :).

[@markwalker2307]

What about ash from the barbque or fireplace ? Does that solve ph problems ?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Depends on what you are burning in your barbeque or fireplace. If it is ONLY wood ash they it should be fine if a little is used, to control the PH.

[@LB-gt4bh]

Really good information. Thank you from Western Australia🇦🇺

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hey thanks for checking out the channel and the support!👍

[@Rhonda858]

Can you tell me what I can do to fix red mites in my worm bins? I've already tried Garden lime powder, I've tried baiting them out by using bread w/milk ( which worked but not fast enough) I've also tried using melon rinds, watermelon rinds and bell pepper tops to bait them out, I've also tried to dry out the bins but it got so dry that I felt that it was not comfortable environment for my worms, so I had to finally add some more moisture. I've also dusted the top layer with Diamotacious earth, and I've tried to add more carbon by using Cardboard or shredded newspapers and NOTHING I'VE TRIED HAS EVER GOTTEN RID OF THE MITES COMPLETELY. I originally started my first worm bin for my own benefit in the garden and that was 5 years ago and it has now grown to about 6-7 large 10-15 gallon totes full of red wiggler worms and I wanted to start selling my worms online here locally in Houston TX but I'm afraid to sell them since I have mites in my bins and I don't want people to complain that they received mites mixed with their worms so I've tried everything I've heard of to treat the mites but I'm not able to get rid of them. I've even stopped feeding them food scraps and started only giving them worm chow and I've even tried given them grounded chicken crumbles cuz I've heard that they are good for the worms but like I said this has been a on going battle for the last 3-4 years and I hate to have to throw them out and try to start over from scratch cuz I have thousands of red wigglers now and it would be such a waste to have to throw them out and try to start all over because tbh I don't know what I did wrong to attract the mites and who's to say they won't infect the new bins? I know you said that acidic bins but I never give my bins any acidic foods or too much nitrogen rich foods...I have tried Garden lime like i heard online. Do you think that maybe wood ash would help control it? I'm also going to try to add more drainage holes to my bins to see if that will help....and I will continue to bait them according to what you say and I will stop feeding them for a while. Hopefully it helps....

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Ronda thanks for watching. It seems that no matter what we do we always have a few red mites in the bin. I find having cooler temps seems to help limit them as well however like you said nothing ever seems to get rid of them completely. The good thing is that they don't hurt anything and actually help to break things down for the worms. I don't think most normal people would have an issue as long as you stated that they may contain some mites with the worms , it's pretty much part of nature and they don't hurt the worms or your plants.

[@daleparks6781]

What if you see a fuzzy mold developed is that anything to be concerned about?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Dale thanks for visiting my channel! Nope any kind of mold is fine, if you don't want to see it you can just mix it back into the bin and the worms will dine on it all the same as anything else. Thank you for the great question!

[@nedson9024]

First timer here. I over fed and over moistened the bin and now it is overrun by small white pot worms. How do I get rid of them? Is it ok to put those worms in my compost pile? Are they ok for plants?

[@dacadyla8183]

Can I use another worm other than red wigglers?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

It depends on what you want to use them for? Red Wigglers are best for worm bin, they live at the top of the soil in nature so they do very well in worm bins, were they are fed at the top of the bin most of the time. They also reproduce quickly and eat more in a day then any other worm species making them such good composters. If you need something like fishing worms Night Crawlers work really well because of their size but they don't make good composters. I mean you can use other types of worms but they will not work as well depending on what your goals for your farm are. Thanks for you great question and watching my channel I really appreciate it!👍

[@kalietopcagic2272]

Hello, I'm having issues with too moisture. Worms are lethargic and some have "string of pearl". I had mould, tons of white mites and pot worms. I took out all the food. Aired out the bin by removing lid temporarily, added more bedding. Used bread and physically removed a ton of mites. I reduced their food drastically. My ph is around 7. My moisture looks better. Now that its been a few weeks my worms are still lethargic and and some dying.. any other suggestions?!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Make sure the drain in your worm bin is working well to keep that moisture down. Add drier bedding on top to give the worms somewhere to go. If that doesn't work remove the worms and start a new bin from scratch. Looks like you have the mites in control. Thanks for watching and I hope it goes better soon!

[@velvetclairey]

You can add in bad rice to heat up inside the bin too

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi Clairey, thank you for watching and the excellent tip for keeping your bin watch.

[@deborahsanders9370]

Hot do you get rid of the stringy white worm invasion in your worm bin.. also little maggot looking works.. not sure which one of those two worms are the ‘pot worms’.. also the striped ‘soldier worms’. What causes these worms and how do I get rid of them??? I’m new at this.. I love my worms and I want them happy. HELP PLEASE!

[@TheWormWhisperer]

These are usually in new fresh started worm bins. These things are helping to break down and eating the same things the worms are eating in the worm bin. I have had them in my worm farm however I find that once the worm castings are broken down and there is nothing left for them they will leave on their own, leaving your bin with only worms and castings. Hope this helps out. Thank you for watching the channel and welcome!

[@rogerscantu3208]

Can I use peanut shells (salted) inside my worm bin ?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Sure however wash the salt off them first, the worms will not like all the salt and it can even hurt them. If you would like them to break down faster you can also grind them up as well.

[@ruthannnicholas8993]

Help Please: found some red worms in garden started a farm another worm thats is shorter and grey, is it okay for both to be in one bin?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

This is great you can definitely put them together, I actually bring in a few red worms from out side every so often and add them to my bin. It is good for additional worm genetics to the bin so there is less inbreeding within the bin population.

[@sofakingawesome4515]

My worm castings are too wet but I have no leache.. should I add more cardboard?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi thanks for watching! You may need a bigger or more drains in the bin itself to let the leache out of the bin. Yes, cardboard will work great for that reason just add it to part of the bin dry so it will take in water and hold it. I do this all the time in my totes that have no drains.

[@kanaaleilanden]

Sometimes i give the frast of my mealworms to my worms. Can i mix the worm castings and mealworm frass to feed some fruitplants???

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Ya, that works awesome very healthy for your plants!👍

[@puremayhelm]

How does your bins get pot worms and what can you do to rid the bin of them. And do they hurt your worm bin?

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Thank you great question! Try sprinkling some wood ash, some powdered lime or crushed egg shells in the bin this should cut down on the population quickly!👊

[@miekegrayson4844]

Love the video but didn’t get an. Answer regarding mildew on top of my top tray

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Hi thanks for watching. Mildew is fine in the worm bin it's just water condensation and will not harm your worms.

[@miekegrayson4844]

@@TheWormWhisperer , thank you. I put some little pieces of cardboard in the bin and it solves the problem every time:)

[@redamohamed407]

I just moved my worms to a new big bin but I noticed the Bering are very hot and they trying to scape and I didn’t feed them for like 2 weeks now. What do you think I can cool down that heat ? Thank you

[@TheWormWhisperer]

If you can move the bin into the shade that would help cool them down. If that's not possible put a wet towel in the freezer and freeze it. Then during the hottest part of the day put the frozen towel over the bin or more towels if needed. You can also add ice to the top of the bin and let the cool ice water drip though and cool your worms down. Good luck man! Thanks for visiting the channel and your question!😉

[@kathypainter2211]

@@TheWormWhisperer how long does it take to get castings?

[@sedoniadragotta8323]

What if you have to be away for 12 days will they strave ? How doi make sure theyokay if i go away ??

[@TheWormWhisperer]

No they will be fine, I only feed mine about every 15 days or so depending on food and bedding in the worm bin. Just give them some more bedding and a bit more food and they should be fine :) Hope this helps and thanks for watching!

[@michaelosman01]

Is it safe to feed chicken manure to composting worms? Not exclusively but with regular household scraps.

[@TheWormWhisperer]

Great question, yes you can mixed in very small amounts at a time with your food scraps. It is very high in Nitrogen and will heat up the bin fast with too much. Use it very sparingly depending on how fresh it is. I personally age mine a few months before adding it. This is the way to go if you want to add more at a time.