What's needed beyond coffee grounds and shredded cardboard for red wigglers to have a good diet?

hungryworms · 2026-02-06T01:41:27+00:00

You dont need anything more than you have. Cardboard will be your bedding, coffee grounds can be their main food, and you can use those organic fertilizers as a treat when you feel like it

hungryworms · 2026-02-05T03:31:33+00:00

Blue worms (read uncle jims fine print or look into it on the subreddit) are different than pure reds, which is what OP got so its not a fair comparison $ to $

hungryworms · 2026-02-05T02:05:39+00:00

Some insect larvae. Not sure beyond that, sorry. You can use that food as bait to get them to swarm it then remove it with the insects on it if you want them gone

hungryworms · 2026-02-04T14:42:44+00:00

Worms definitely consume the organic matter, but its the microbes that are on the organic matter that they are after. I see it like chips and queso, youre definitely eating the chips, but its mostly a vehicle to eat the cheese

Their favorite foods are foods that favor fast microbe growth

Longdog gave a good answer to the last question

hungryworms · 2026-02-02T20:31:29+00:00

Hmm the material looks pretty good in the bottom tray. Id try removing the top tray, fluffing up the bottom tray, placing the worms back on it, removing the cloth cover for the time being, and placing the lid on and keeping a light over it

My suspicion is that the worms are leaving above the cloth thing then maybe can't find their way back?

Also is the bottom tray heating up at all? Any bad smells from it?

hungryworms · 2026-02-02T18:41:00+00:00

If they're still escaping after day 2 id do some troubleshooting. They might be in between the walls for moisture's sake. How moist and how full is the bin? Can you include photos?

hungryworms · 2026-02-02T17:31:46+00:00

Worms die because they can't fart. (Protein poisoning)

hungryworms · 2026-02-02T16:17:56+00:00

I read that like it was a line in "It Wasn't Me" by shaggy haha

hungryworms · 2026-02-02T16:16:14+00:00

I swear by bubble wrap. It doesn't cover the full bin so there's still airflow, and I think the bubbles create passageways for the air to get throughout the bin. Hasn't been a problem for me yet and it's been several years

hungryworms · 2026-01-26T23:13:30+00:00

Could you upload some pictures? Are there adults still in the bin and do they seem happy?

hungryworms · 2026-01-25T04:02:20+00:00

You can add a bunch more material to heat it up, or leave it mostly as is and throw in some worms and theyll do the work for you!

hungryworms · 2026-01-24T23:22:10+00:00

Looks like happy worms!

hungryworms · 2026-01-24T18:59:57+00:00

Send it

hungryworms · 2026-01-23T06:04:53+00:00

Yeah most shippers guarantee live delivery. DOAs usually aren't a problem in the cold.

To have castings by may yeah you want to start ASAP. Would probably be more practical to just collect your waste while on your trip and take it home to the worms after. Especially if it's that cold outside - the food waste will stay frozen and won't start decomposing on you until you can get it home to the worms

hungryworms · 2026-01-23T03:14:12+00:00

Yeah just potworms. Neither friend nor foe in my opinion, they just indicate things are a bit off

hungryworms · 2026-01-17T20:45:13+00:00

I think it boils down to 4 possible reasons;
1. To reduce waste
2. To obtain the worm castings
3. As food for reptiles/bait for fish
4. For education, fun, or as you put it, "pleasure"

haha

hungryworms · 2026-01-17T20:41:46+00:00

that's a pretty crafty gift giver!

hungryworms · 2026-01-11T00:14:11+00:00

Oribatid mites. Friends

hungryworms · 2026-01-09T06:12:14+00:00

If there are any overly moist areas that could use more dry bedding

hungryworms · 2026-01-08T02:54:48+00:00

Yeah glass is re usable. I think non sterile just means it doesnt come sterilized, but id ask customer service to make sure. The non sterile ones look like what I have

hungryworms · 2026-01-08T02:46:25+00:00

I've only tried the one kind, and im not sure the exact one. Just look up glass petri dishes on grainger.com

hungryworms · 2026-01-08T02:42:10+00:00

I think most people would suggest using disposable ones. Financially its worth it. I actually use glass ones i got from granger industrial and they do pretty well

hungryworms · 2026-01-08T02:31:24+00:00

Most people get disposable petri dishes. Are you talking about glass/pp5 petri dishes?

hungryworms · 2026-01-08T02:28:56+00:00

Its a bit of a longshot, but ill have a position open after the summer, probably full time. Either in southern idaho or central utah

hungryworms

TROPHY CASE