Worms are essential components of any composting system. They break down plant and animal scraps into castings, providing the soil with essential nutrients.
Worms require a moist, organic substrate to live on and should be fed small amounts of optimized food materials daily. It’s best to avoid overfeeding worms as this may attract unwanted pests like fruit flies and ants.
Fruits And Vegetables
Worms’ favorite food is fruits and vegetables. This includes squash, pumpkins, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon and more – they even enjoy the skins!
Worms appreciate these fresh, juicy fruits because they break down quickly and contain high levels of sugar. Furthermore, it provides them with an abundant source of protein.
When setting up your worm compost bin, be sure to chop up all kitchen scraps into smaller pieces so the worms can easily consume the food. Doing so will expedite the process and increase their production.
As a general guideline, red wigglers will consume about half their body weight daily from food scraps. Your bin conditions may vary, but this should give you an estimate of how much food to feed your worms each day.
Worms love fruit and vegetables, so be sure to compost any scraps when you have them on hand. Cut up peels, cores, or any leftover fruits or vegetables before placing them in your worm bin for composting.
Before feeding your kitchen scraps to the worms, be sure to rinse them off. Doing this prevents rotting and unpleasant odors in your worm bin.
Meats And Dairy
Worms feed on decomposing organic material, such as dead leaves, pellets of plant matter, decaying animal manure, and rotting fruit. After indulging in these substances they excrete what has been ingested in their castings – consisting largely of sand-sized particles and humus.
Worms must only consume foods that are easy to digest, such as meat proteins or lactose in dairy products like milk. Furthermore, they avoid salt or citrus which may irritate their skin.
Kitchen scraps are the ideal food for your worms. They’ll eat anything from small pieces of fruit and vegetables to stale bread. Additionally, you can add some small pieces of fish such as krill or brine shrimp for additional protein.
However, be mindful not to overfeed your worms. Too much scrap food will quickly decay and decay in the bin, inviting vermin and producing unpleasant odors.
Compost worms require a balanced diet, so steer clear of large portions of meat, citrus, onions, and dairy foods. Additionally, many processed foods contain preservatives that may deter worms from eating them.
If you want to feed your compost worms meat, make sure it’s cooked thoroughly. Raw or undercooked pork can be a source of trichinellosis – an infection caused by Trichinella spiralis, an intracellular worm that travels from contaminated meat into humans and then develops into an adult worm before causing symptoms.
Oils
Worms have been around for millennia, working hard to break down organic waste and return nutrients back to the soil. Utilizing a worm bin in the classroom is an excellent way to teach students about composting and the role of worms in nature.
Worms require a moist, organic environment in order to thrive and remain comfortable. Furthermore, they require access to oxygen for respiration and survival; though worms can survive in various temperatures between 55-77degF (13.5-25degC).
Manure and garden waste is beneficial to worms. Be sure to add only a small amount at a time, and avoid using fresh lawn clippings which may heat the bin too quickly.
Worms enjoy a variety of household waste, such as fruit and vegetable scraps, grains, coffee grounds, and ground yard waste. However, it is best to steer clear of meat and dairy products since these tend to contain high levels of oil or butter which could make them difficult for worms to break down.
Oily foods should never be fed to worms as they can attract pests and cause odor problems. Furthermore, cooking oils have the potential to suffocate worms, so it’s best to avoid adding them to your compost bin.
Recently, researchers at Kazan Federal University discovered that roundworms (nematodes) can consume oil and convert it to fatty acids. This finding may have beneficial implications for human health by decreasing the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Spices And Salty Foods
Worms tend to be selective eaters and can detect spicy substances like capsaicin in hot peppers. This causes them pain, so they often steer clear of spicy foods and throw them out.
Worm composting is an excellent way to recycle food scraps and create nutritious vermicompost. You can use this organic material in your garden or lawn for improving soil structure as well as helping it retain water.
Worms enjoy a variety of kitchen scraps, as well as coffee grinds, tea leaves or bags, eggshells, and dried grass clippings. Add these to your bin to expedite composting and provide your plants with essential nutrients.
When feeding your worms, be sure to chop their food into smaller pieces. Chopping helps the worms work faster and provides them with more surface area for digestion. Plus, this makes it easier for you to feed them regularly.
Don’t overfeed your worms or they won’t get enough food. Feed them every other day or every three days to ensure that they remain healthy and functioning optimally.
According to a general rule of thumb, one pound of worms will consume between one and two pounds of food in one week. Unfortunately, exact ratios cannot be determined or the exact amount of castings produced by them.
Citrus And Pineapple
If you’re a vermicomposter or just curious about what worms eat, it’s essential to understand the different types of food they enjoy. While you may think worms only enjoy shredded paper and vegetables, they actually enjoy an array of foods from apple cores to lettuce trimmings.
To ensure your worm bin composts effectively, it’s essential to feed it correctly. Add suitable bedding (shredded newspaper, cardboard, dry leaves, etc.) and maintain an even balance between carbon and nitrogen levels.
Make sure your bedding is moistened enough so the worms can move through it easily. You may also add some soil for additional microorganisms and grit, which will aid digestion for these beneficial creatures.
Once you’re ready to feed your worms, start by adding small amounts of food scraps to the bedding until it is full. Worms love stale bread, apple cores, lettuce trimmings, and coffee grounds – so be creative when providing food!
Be sure to chop up your food scraps into smaller pieces so they’re easier for worms to break down. Additionally, cover the food with 2′ of shredded dry cardboard or paper; this keeps fruit flies out of your compost pile.
If you do decide to feed your worms pineapple, be sure to first dilute it with water in order to reduce its acidity. Furthermore, avoid adding too much pineapple at once as this could upset their PH level and harm them.