Question 1

When is the best time to feed live mealworms to garden birds?

Accepted Answer

Your birds will benefit from feeding all year round and live food is important. There are times of year when it is more important than other times though – in particular feeding adults and young in the breeding season is key as live food is critical to the survival rates of the whole family.

Outside of the breeding season because there is a decrease in natural food and invertebrates and there is no better food than live mealworms so if you want to all year round is a good idea. If not live mealworms are particularly beneficial when there is dry weather or drought and in the moulting season so summer and late summer.

Question 2

What do I do about Maggots in my wormery?

Accepted Answer

Maggots are the larvae of a number of species of flies, including the common housefly. The flies are attracted to food, in particular meat, and lay their eggs directly on the food waste. The maggots form pupae and hatch into flies. The whole of this life-cycle, on average, takes up to 10 days in warm weather and up to a month in cold weather. With regard to flies, you need to keep your food waste covered up. All flies lay their eggs on the surface of the food waste, but will not burrow. Make sure that you keep your moisture mat in place at all times (or you can use clean newspaper) to restrict access. In addition, you will need to keep any kitchen collecting bin (if you have one) covered, otherwise it is likely that you will transfer fly eggs into your wormery.

To break the cycle you can cover the top of the food waste in your wormery with a thin layer of garden soil or clean newspaper and refrain from adding waste for 2-3 weeks.

Flies prefer acidic conditions, so it is important to sprinkle a handful of the anti-acid lime mix over the surface of the food waste on a regular basis, for example, once a week. You are trying to achieve as neutral a pH level as possible so it is important to use equal quantities on a regular basis.

The other fantastic product for sorting out flies is DE Powder which is available on our website. It's non-toxic organic powder that helps control all crawling insects including flies bed bugs, fleas and ants.

Question 3

Should I Rake My Wormery Compost Regularly?

Accepted Answer

Not at all. The nosy among you beware and also make your children understand this - it's not useful to disturb the compost, particularly during the initial breeding. Add the food to the top. This prevents you from disturbing the worms and disrupting their homes, they only lay eggs in specific places. You can carefully rake the compost if it appears too wet or lacking air.

Question 4

What material do you recommend for the worm bedding in the Subpod?

Accepted Answer

The ideal material for worm bedding is coconut coir. It holds water very well, which keeps the worms moist, can be a food supply for your worms and is also a good carbon source. Dried bricks are easily purchased in the gardening section of garden stores such as Bunnings and Home Depot.

If fine and coarse forms are available, choose the fine.

Follow the directions on the pack to pre-soak the coir with water until it has fully swelled and is uniformly damp, but not dripping wet. The worms can be directly added on top of this pre-moistened bedding.

To save money, shredded (non-glossy) paper or newspaper is another option, but not as ideal for initially setting up bedding as it clumps together when wet. Any carbon material can be used as long as it is damp.

Question 5

What foods do worms prefer in a compost bin?

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.

Question 6

Which worms are best for composting?

Accepted Answer

Our composting worms are mixture of species (mainly reds and dendras) selected for their composting ability. Available with or without bedding. These types of worms are productive at consuming organic leftovers. Common garden earthworms don't perform as well in the same conditions.

Question 7

Which Worms Are Used For Composting?

Accepted Answer

Our composting worms are a mixture of species (mainly reds and dendras) selected for their composting ability. Available with or without bedding. These types of worms are productive at consuming organic leftovers. Common garden earthworms don't perform as well in the same conditions.

Question 8

Charity Donations

Accepted Answer

For full details about our charitable donations, and how your donations help small charities visit the page belowhttps://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/pages/wiggly-corona-and-wildlife

Question 9

How Long Does It Take A Wormery To Compost One Full Container?

Accepted Answer

Creating quality composts takes approximately 2-3 months. It mainly depends on the number of earthworms and the quality of 'food'.

Question 10

What should I do once I have filled one tray in my worm composting kit?

Accepted Answer

Once you have filled one tray in your worm composting kit, there are a few things you can do to continue the composting process:

Add another tray: If your worm composting kit has multiple trays, you can add another tray on top of the filled one. The worms will eventually migrate up to the new tray and begin processing the new food. NB: Check for gaps between the trays as sometimes as the worms work on the waste it reduces in volume and sinks so that it’s more difficult for the worms to move up. If this happens just add more waste into the gap.

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