Starting a Worm Bin
So, you’ve decided to start a worm bin. Congratulations—you’re now officially a worm wrangler. A soil sommelier. A connoisseur of castings. And whether you’re here for sustainability, gardening gold, or just to say “I raise thousands of worms in a box,” you’re in good company.
Let’s get you started—without scaring the worms or your housemates.
Step 1: Get Your Bin Together (The Worm B&B)
Your worms need a cozy home. You can use a simple plastic tote, a stacking bin, or one of those fancier flow-through systems if you’re feeling extra.
What they want:
Bedding: Shredded newspaper, coconut coir, or aged leaves
Moisture: Think “wrung-out sponge,” not “swamp of despair”
Airflow: Worms breathe through their skin, so holes = good
Darkness: Worms hate the light.
Now add your starter worms—usually red wigglers (Eisenia fetida). If you’re the patient type, cocoons work great too.
Step 2: The Feeding Frenzy (Or... Not Yet)
Here’s the part where people mess up: don’t feed your worms like you feed your dog. Worms are... slower.
If your bin is brand new:
Your worms need to settle in. Wait 3–5 days after adding them before the first feeding.
Start light—maybe a cup of chopped veggies.
Bury the food in a different spot each time.
The 7-Day Rule: If the last feeding is mostly gone, you’re good to feed again. If it’s still hanging around, wait a bit. They’re still digesting.
Step 3: Worm Math
Worms don’t lay eggs. They lay cocoons, and each one hatches 2–3 baby worms. In ideal conditions, a healthy worm population can double every 60–90 days.
Let’s break that down:
Start with 500 worms
In 3 months, you might have 1,000+
In 6 months? 2,000+
Worms self-regulate to their space and food supply, so don’t panic—they’re not going to overrun your kitchen.
Step 4: What (Not) to Feed
Worms love:
Veggie scraps
Coffee grounds
Crushed eggshells
Cardboard and paper (nothing glossy)
Worms do not love:
Meat, dairy, oily stuff
Citrus and spicy food
Onions and garlic (they’ll crawl away in protest)
Step 5: When It’s Working
You’ll know your bin is thriving when:
It smells earthy, not nasty
You can’t find food scraps—just rich, crumbly castings
Your worms are fat, active, and clearly throwing underground parties
At around 3–4 months, you can start harvesting castings and splitting your worm herd if they’re growing fast. Or let them keep building compost gold while you sit back and sip your coffee like the microbe boss you are.
Closing Thoughts from the Worm Rancher
Starting a worm bin isn’t hard—but it is a bit like getting a slow, squirmy pet that eats garbage and makes you compost. You don’t need to be a scientist, just a little observant and a lot patient.
Your garden will thank you. Your trash will shrink. And your worms? They’ll just keep multiplying in the dark, silently.
Want help picking your starter worms, bedding, or bin setup? We’ve got everything you need—and yes, our worms come ready to eat.
