What to Feed Your Worms
Shredded paper and cardboard, egg cartons, ripped up newspaper, receipts, and envelopes should be a regular part of the worm’s diet. Non-glossy paper should go in your worm farm. Ideal conditions double worms in 2-3 months. An average 10.7 square foot bin holds 800 to 1000 worms.
- Change bedding every 6 to 9 months.
- Potting soil works for worms.
- A business used cardboard and paper sludge as feedstock before switching to vegetable waste.
- Companies recycling confidential documents require shredding meeting industry standards.
Interaction Between Worms and Paper
Worms love brown paper bags, uncoated newspaper, and cardboard, if shredded and moist. They eat the bacteria breaking down the paper, ingesting bits. If fed solely on newspaper, castings would be grayish and pulpy.
- In a vermiculture composting set-up shredded paper mimics fallen leaves.
- Cardboard collects fungi species since it’s high-carbon and nitrogen.
- Use black ink shredded newspaper; avoid colored ink.
The Role of Carbon in a Worm’s Diet
Shredded paper provides carbon, balancing nitrogen-rich food. Grass clippings and leaves also provide carbon, balancing food scraps and dry waste. Shredded paper is too small to recycle, but it decomposes, enriching the soil.
- Recycling centers accept household shredded paper.
- Worms need a carbon and nitrogen balance.
Other Considerations
Worms will eat used facial tissues. Let’s not judge—the fine, thin carbon is a delicacy. Suitable foods for worms also include vegetable and fruit waste, eggshells, coffee grounds, and decaying plants. Worms particularly enjoy pumpkin, squash, and melon due to their sugar content and ease of breakdown.