Things to Know when Raising your Worms

It can be fun to maintain a worm farm and it is far better if you know the basic and important things to know about your wormery.

Here are some common questions that can help you make the most out of your worm farm.

With all the leftover food and kitchen scraps I feed my worms, how can I prevent ants from getting into the farm trays?

If a farm tray is too dry or acidic, ants will surely make their way into the farm and invade worm space, which could kill the worms.

If the tray is too dry, just make sure to add water to raise moisture levels and add some garden lime to neutralize acidity, especially where ants are gathering.

To prevent ants from getting into the system, try placing the legs of the system in a container of water or rub Vaseline around it.

Will flies be attracted to the worm farm and will they be of any harm to the worms? Occasionally, small vinegar flies get into the worm trays, however, they will not do any harm. Should there be the presence of larger flies, just make sure to slow down the pace of feeding, that way food does not stay long in the worm tray and decompose long enough to attract larger flies.

If I should see maggots in my worm farm, how can I get rid of them? Maggots proliferate in the presence of decomposing meat in the worm farm, thus, it is important to avoid meat in your worm farm.

To remove the maggots, place several pieces of bread soaked in milk on the surface, since it will attract maggots toward it and you may be able to remove them after a couple of days after you see the maggots transferring to the milk-soaked bread.

How do I get rid of foul smell omitting from the worm farm? Worm farms smell only if there is a lot of uneaten food built up in the worm farm.

If smelling should happen, stop feeding the worms temporarily and add some garden lime and stir the top tray lightly to allow aeration.

This will also allow the worms to move through it more easily and you can resume feeding when the smell dissipates.

Here are some other helpful hints you may need to know.

Always keep your worm farm damp but not wet, so water every so often or as required to maintain suitable conditions for the worms to propagate.
 
If the worm farm smells, the worms may be fed too much, or giving them too much water.

You may try to feed the worms small amounts at first and when they almost run out of food, gradually build it up to larger portions, but make sure to cut or shred food to smaller portions for easy digestion. 

If ants and cockroaches invade your worm farm, keep a lid on the farm or cover it with something secure yet breathable.

If your farm sits on legs, you can place the legs inside a bowl or container of water to keep ants out. 

If your worms do not breed you may need to keep the farm in a shadier or cooler area, preferably around 18-25 degrees centigrade or keep it moist but not too wet.
 
Lastly, acidic conditions can be caused by too much sugary food such as grains and fruites. You may try to neutralize the acidity by sprinkling wood ash, dolomite, or lime on the farm.

So make the most out of your wormery and be acquainted with the things you need to know about your worm farm.