Howdy, All!
Thought this might be a good place for us newbies to keep track of how our new setups are getting along and to share some "whodathunkit" ideas, and invite the more experienced (old-timers) in to fix us before we do something drastic and detrimental.

Background: started my WF roundabout the end of Nov, with a sorry batch (supposed to be 1 lb) of EF. Seller made it right and I got a "real" lb the next week. Using coir/finished hot compost/shredded office paper for bedding. Feeding kitchen slurry in trenches.
That said, I started posting this line of questioning in the "lack of castings" topic, but think this'd be more on track:

Thanx, redhen!
Based on your info, I think I'll keep feeding in the first bin, since they've still got a lot of work to do with the bedding. Set a new chow trench 2 days ago; if my li'l fellas had 'em, I'd consider them "two-feet knee-deep" into it
I did, however, prep and set a new tray with just bedding. I wood-blocked the corners of the lower tray to ensure airflow and minimal contact - thought it might keep their micro-climate a little more stable and enable some of the various and sundry other beneficials to move on up. Surprise, surprise when I checked 'em today there were at least a dozen of the li'l fellas hanging out the bottom of the top tray! Thinking it's a good thing that they're comfortable enough to move around in their new home, since moisture / temp / ph in the lower tray appear to be right...

Gary..Sounds like things are going well.
Thanks for starting this post, as I think shared information helps everyone.
Please keep us updated

Gary, I, too think this is a very beneficial thread you've started. For someone with just a few months experience you have a good handle on vermicomposting. It amazes me how many home worm bins are bought and used in this country; a lot of good folks giving a helping hand to Mother Earth! Seeya, Bob

Thanks, Folks! Great to get some "protected species" blessings for this topic .
Goin' with it -
After reading some of the posts re. anaerobic conditions, and me feeding slurry in trenches, I was worried about that too. I wanted to share a technique I've been using.
I've used a nifty little hand-tool called the Garden Claw in our veggie and flower gardens for years to loosen and aerate surface soil. The 3 pointed tines are about 3in long, set in a circle and angled from handle to tip so that a simple turn of the wrist gently opens and lifts whatever it is stuck into.
Every couple of days I just stick the tines in the middle of my slurry trench and slowly turn the claw about 90 degrees. Voila - aeration and wormie check with minimal disturbance. For those of you with big outdoor bins, it also comes in a long-handled (stand-up) model with 4 longer tines (great for weeding too).
No, I don't work for 'em , just really like the tool.
Hope this helps somebody.

Gary

Reckon this falls into the "somebody stop me" category here; I been thinkin'

Issue: 5 WF trays (yeah, I bought the whole shebang ), only one of which is considered the "working tray". Plenty mo' kitchen scraps (HH6's ham-keeper is full in the fridge , and our little compost crock is filling fast). No compost setup outside (got buckets, though). Wormies are crankin' out both babies and castings
!

Discussion: If other WF trays were separated by an inch or two with wood corner blocks and bedded / populated / fed / monitored appropriately, these should become additional working trays. Keep 1 tray in reserve for the ultimate working tray (wormie roundup / casting harvest time), after sequentially witholding chow and shortening / removing blocks from lower trays, lowest being first established working tray. Understand upward migration would take longer, but my raised veggie beds will benefit from any stragglers. Process lower trays, saving about a quarter tray of bedding (with resident worms / cocoons) to establish new working trays.

Pros: More waste processed, more fat happy wormies to populate soon-to-be-built outdoor bin, more castings to enhance veggie and flower gardens, HH6 not beating me about the head and shoulders every time she inadvertently opens her ham-keeper

Cons: Umm.....

What am I not seeing here, folks?

Thanx,
Gary

You just keep on thinking Gary. I think what you are doing sounds like a fun experiment with a manufactured system. Your plan for an outdoor bin could in fact be started earlier, with extra food scraps you have collected, being buried at the site now. Food scraps, piling up, will kill any enthusiasm others might otherwise have had for your project.. quickly. I have many in-ground bins, (one impromptu) that handle overflow. I call the impromptu one my "Field of Dreams", (with the theme of "build it and they will come&quot. All it is, is an out-of-the-way spot out back, that I put food scraps on the ground (never dug anything), and covered with about 3' of leaves. Whenever I have overflow I just pull the leaves back, toss the food in, and re-cover. It is now full of worms..