Question 1

Why won't my worms stay put?

Accepted Answer

What to do if the worms try to escape from your worm composter!

There could be several reasons why your worms are trying to escape on the first night:

Stress: The worms may be stressed due to the change in environment, this could be the case if the worms were harvested from the wild or from a different composting setup. They may need some time to adjust to their new home.

For more help with your wormery and frequently asked questions pop on over to https://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/pages/wormery-faqs. Or if you’re keen to get started or order a wormery please visit https://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/collections/worm-composting

Question 2

How Do Worms Breathe?

Accepted Answer

Worms breathe through their skin which must remain moist to absorb oxygen from the air.

Question 3

How Many Worms Are There In The Soil?

Accepted Answer

A really good soil has up to 1 million worms per acre!

Question 4

How much food waste can be processed in Subpod?

Accepted Answer

Once your worm population builds up you can feed your Subpod 30L (7.9 gal.) or 15kgs (34 lb) of food waste per week.

Question 5

Can I Leave My Wormery For A Longer Holiday?

Accepted Answer

A holiday is no problem. The worms easily manage even two-week fasting. However, they can survive without food up to four weeks.

Question 6

Are Worms Male And Female?

Accepted Answer

Worms are hermaphrodite which means they have both male and female reproductive cells. However, it still takes two to tango… if you know what I mean!

Question 7

What to do with worms that have gone down into the sump/ bottom section?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes some of your worms migrate to the sump which is mostly more distressing for you than them to be honest. They do explore their surroundings and they are usually fine in there as long as the liquid is draining reasonably regularly. The reason they go down to the sump on occasion isn’t really known – in winter it’s possible they are heading down there to keep warm as in their natural environment they do burrow deeper to below where the ground is frozen. Either way generally this isn’t a concern. If it is a real problem add some crumpled up newspaper and leave the tap open.

Question 8

How does Subpod differ from other worm composting systems?

Accepted Answer

It allows you to compost directly in your garden allowing the worms and microbes to distribute nutrients into the soil.

Because you’re composting in the soil, your system is insulated → which means you can compost in a variety of climates

Subpod sits 90% below ground, which deters pests and predators

The worms are able to move freely between the Subpod module and the surrounding garden which creates a worm friendly environment.

The Subpod has a unique modular design, which allows multiple systems to be installed in one bed and cater to larger volumes of waste.

Question 9

What are the dimensions/specifications and capacity of the Subpod?

Accepted Answer

The external dimensions are: 750mm (29.5 in.) L x 450mm (17.7 in.) W x 430mm (16.9 in.) H, including the lid. The internal dimensions are: 710mm (28 in.) L x 410mm (16.1in.) W x 290mm (11.5 in.) H below the soil level.

A total internal volume of 115L, (30 gallons), which gives a total composting volume of 84L (22 gallons) due to the soil level and air flow area at the top.

Question 10

Does Subpod need any maintenance?

Accepted Answer

When you add your food scraps and carbon material to the Subpod, you'll need to mix them through using an aerator. This takes a few minutes each time you feed the worms.

If the soil surrounding Subpod settles and starts to reveal the Subpod wormholes (beneath the airflow panels), more soil (and mulch) needs to be added to cover the holes.

Otherwise, just keep feeding your worms and keep the blanket moist when you are adding more food.