Question 1

Do woodlice cause a problem in my wormery?

Accepted Answer

No. Woodlice are primary composters so eat organic waste and produce compost so they can live along side your worm population. They can be a sign that your wormery is a bit too dry but not necessarily. By the way one interesting fact about woodlice is that they eat their own faeces for the copper content they contain.

Question 2

How Much Waste Can I Add To My Worm Composter?

Accepted Answer

Volumes of Waste

Question 3

Can I Add Cardboard To My Wormery?

Accepted Answer

Cardboard is great for your worm composter (as is a sprinkling of lime mix) A ratio of 25-30% volume of cardboard or equivalent will ensure speedier worm composting. Avoid the really shiny boxes like soap powder and go for newsprint, egg boxes etc.

Question 4

When should I add the next tray to my Wormery?

Accepted Answer

Assuming you are adding your food scraps every couple of days as you lift the moisture mat you will see the worms working just below the surface. (If you have to dig down to find worms you need to ease up on the food addition as you don’t want waste building up without the worms having time to process it.) As the waste gets consumed by the worms the volume reduces and it’s processed into black gold (worm casts) and liquid (which you will use as liquid feed). This means as you fill each tray it sinks at quite a rate so the time to add a new tray on top is when the tray the worms are working on is just about full and when the bottom of the next tray will sit on the compost below. At this point you take off the moisture mat, add the next tray and some waste and replace the moisture mat which always sits on top of the freshest waste.

Don’t worry if the worms don’t appear to move up into the next tray for a few weeks – as long as there are no gaps between the trays and you can see flecks of compost on and around the top tray all will be well. After all worms do not know about trays so as long as they are working on the compost just below the surface all will be well. Just occasionally it’s worth checking that no gaps have occurred between the trays where the compost has sunk as this will mean the worms have more of a challenge to get up and down between trays. If there is a gap – add a bit of waste into it to fill it in.

Question 5

What is the problem with woodlice in your wormery

Accepted Answer

Woodlice, also known as sowbugs or pillbugs, are crustaceans that are commonly found in damp environments, such as gardens and compost piles. While they are not harmful to the worms or the composting process in a wormery, they can be a nuisance. They can consume some of the food scraps intended for the worms, and their presence may indicate that the wormery is too moist and not draining properly.

Additionally, an excessive population of woodlice in your wormery may indicate that the wormery is overcrowded and not receiving enough oxygen, which can lead to anaerobic conditions and unpleasant odours.

If you find that you have a problem with woodlice in your wormery, there’s a few things you can do:

Reduce the moisture in the wormery by adding more bedding material or by adjusting the ventilation.

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 6

Does my food waste need to be broken up into small pieces before adding to the Subpod?

Accepted Answer

You don’t need to chop everything up small for the worms, but it does speed up the process so your food will break down even faster.

Composting will still take place in the warm, moist environment if you put in larger chunks. The worms will just wait until the microbes have softened up the more resistant pieces.

Remember to use the aerator when you add food so larger chunks are sent below the surface to break down, rather than drying out.

Question 7

What should and shouldn't I put into my wormery?

Accepted Answer

Your wormery composter is particularly suitable for peelings and leftovers of fruit and vegetables, such as potato peels, apple cores, green tops of vegetables, etc. Don't forget tea-bags, as worms often reproduce in them. Just be careful not to put in the plastic types (usually in pyramid shape sold with more expensive teas). Coffee grounds and paper coffee filters are also suitable. So are left overs of cooked vegetables, crushed egg shells, paper napkins, dampened cardboard, dry baked goods and remainders of indoor and outdoor plants. Do not put intensely spicy foods into your wormery, such as ginger or an excessive amount of citruses, as well as milk products, meat products, bones, oils, lard and other fats.

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Question 8

How do worms breed?

Accepted Answer

Red worms are hermaphrodites which means they are both male and female (although it does take two to tango). They produce eggs or capsules from the saddleback which you will see on the 13th segment on their bodies. The egg looks like a tomato pip and starts off a yellowy-green colour and as they age they go a brownish-red. Each one will have between 5 and 15 tiny worms inside, and these take about 10 days or so to hatch out.

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