I got a small bucket of red wigglers in early August. The lady I bought them from told me i should not use shredded newspaper if the local newspaper uses regular ink. So, I used peat moss and half decomposed leaves instead. I leave my the worm bin outside, covered, with spacers at the top for air circulation.

I am quite unhappy with the bedding situation. There are tons of bugs. And there is mold or some kind of mycelium growing throughout the bedding.

So I'm thinking of taking them out and starting with new bedding. What are folks ideas on using newspaper? Will regular ink kill the worms? How about shredded office paper?

Thanks in advance. Any ideas you have are most appreciated!

Shredded newspaper and office paper make up at least 90% of my bedding material. Most newspapers today are printed with soy based inks. You can always call your newspaper and ask what type of ink they are using. My guess is that it's soy based.

I raise worms for bait and composting. We use shredded paper from everywhere and have not had a problem. Our farm is actually listed with a local recyling coalition as a drop off site for shredded paper.

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll go with whatever paper I can get. Last time I called the newspaper the person I spoke to said they did NOT use soy-based inks, but I don't think he really knew.

I also have access to dried eel grass which washes up on shore and is a great addition to the garden. I think i'll rinse it off and mix it in with the paper.

I use shredded newspaper and cardboard and have never had a problem with it.

I know everyone says that shredded paper is great bedding but how do you guys feel about the cross cut shredded paper (very small peices. Do you think that this will cause a problem or will this be ok?