FAQs
Q. What is a worm?
A. This isn't a silly question! Let's summarise this wonderful animal. It is apparently deaf and blind, without legs or feelers, and difficult to distinguish its front from its rear. At its simplest, an earthworm is a muscular cylinder filled with fluid. From the worm's mouth right through to its rear, it is a long thin tube, containing a food processing system consisting of crop, gizzard, gut and intestine. Between the inside and outside walls is a cavity called the coelom; this is segmented and filled with body fluids collectively known as coelomic fluid. At one end of the worm is an opening that serves as a mouth, and at the other end is the anus. A little known fact about the worm is that it has five hearts.
Q. How do worms breathe?
A. Worms don't have lungs, they breathe through their skin. Their environment needs to contain plenty of moisture, which is the source of their water. In an ideal environment where moisture levels in the wormery are high, a worm's weight might be as high as 85% water. They can survive in water for a time, if it contains oxygen
Q. What can we feed our worms with?
A. Cakes, cardboard, coffee grounds, eggshells, fruit and fruit peelings (avoid citrus fruits), kitchen and toilet rolls, leaves, paper and newspaper, tea bags and leaves, vegetables and their peelings.
Q. How many worms do we start the wormery off with?
A. We will supply you with 1 kg of worms, delivered in 60 litres of special bedding that includes some food.
Q. Why is the surface area important in worm composting?
A. Worms need a good surface area on which to feed. Depth is not important after about 25cm, as the composting worms are feeding either on or just below the surface. A large surface area provides the compost and worms with good aeration, thereby keeping any unwanted odours to a minimum.
Q. Will I need to replace the worms in my wormery?
A. No! As long as you look after the worms, they will breed and thereby keep your stock replenished.
Q. If the worms' breed, will I end up with too many?
A. No! The rate at which the worms' breed will be dependent both on the space and the amount of food they have available. They will regulate their population naturally.
Q. How often should I treat my compost bin with preservative?
A. We recommend that you treat the exterior once every two years.
Q. What should preservative should I treat my compost bin with?
A. We recommend any non-toxic fungicide preservative
Q. I have flies around my wormery. Is this a problem?
A. No, they are not likely to be a problem, as mostly, they will be fruit flies. Cover the food with shredded (news)paper.
Q. What happens when we are on half term holiday, or summer holiday?
A. For one and two week holidays, simply ensure there is plenty of fresh fruit and vegetable waster for the worms to continue to eat, and the general contents are moist. For the long summer holidays, add a good supply of soaked corrugated cardboard on top of a healthy supply of food scraps to ensure the worms are happy.
Q. What is the best temperature to keep worms in the wormery?
A. Any temperature between 15 and 25° C inside the wormery is ideal. Try to site your wormery out of direct and especially the afternoon sun.
Q. When I open the wormery lid, there are worms all over the roof and sides. Why?
A. It's highly likely the worms are looking for food, which means they are travelling out of the compost in search elsewhere. Top up with more fruit and vegetable waste. It might also indicate a lack of moisture, so add a little water.
Q. How long will the worms live in the wormery?
A. In the safety of the wormery, and with regular food and water, they should last years.
Q. How long do I need to wait before harvesting the vermicompost?
A. You should expect to be able to harvest after twelve months or so.
Q. How much food waste can I put in the wormery?
A. When the wormery is up and running, you can place as much as 2- 2½ kg of waste in it every day.
Q. Will the worms continue to eat food waste during the winter?
A. Yes, but the composting process will slow down.
