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how do I feed when leaving for several days? - 2008/05/23 06:41How much food should go into the bin before we leave for several days? Will the worms be OK if they run out of food before we return?
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gnosnhoj
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 544
Re:how do I feed when leaving for several days? - 2008/05/23 09:44Plenty of bedding in a stable established bin and a regular feeding before you leave will do 'em fine. I imagine you'll be pleased. Enjoy your trip; they won't miss you much .Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing. Gary Hopkinsville, KY
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avidwormer
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 38
Re:how do I feed when leaving for several days? - 2008/05/23 11:46Good question. I've been looking into this one myself. We're going away for 2.5 weeks in July.
After considering several options, my plan is to divide up and re bed the worms the week before we leave. The bedding material will consist of 1 part coconut coir, 1 part shredded newspaper, 1 part leached rabbit manure, and 1 part soaked wood pellets (the ones that come with the rabbit manure, as they're meant to absorb urine). When preparing the rabbit manure, I will first screen off the wood pellets that have already absorbed urine since I don't want that near the bins. The remaining wood pellets will be dry and unused. These will be soaked and added to maintain aeration in the beds. One bonus is that the left over alfalfa pellets will also be in there.
Next, I will sprinkle a fine dusting of corn meal mixed with coffee grounds over the top layer. And finally I'll blend a slurry of pre-consumer produce (complements of our area grocery store) and add one scoop to each bin, per my usual feeding routine and taking care not to overfeed.
This will be my first time away from the little fellas so I'm hoping all will be fine. Avidwormer
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avidwormer
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 38
Re:how do I feed when leaving for several days? - 2008/05/23 11:49Good question. I've been looking into this one myself. We're going away for 2.5 weeks in July.
After considering several options, my plan is to divide up and re bed the worms the week before we leave. The bedding material will consist of 1 part coconut coir, 1 part shredded newspaper, 1 part leached rabbit manure, and 1 part soaked wood pellets (the ones that come with the rabbit manure, as they're meant to absorb urine). When preparing the rabbit manure, I will first screen off the wood pellets that have already absorbed urine since I don't want that near the bins. The remaining wood pellets will be dry and unused. These will be soaked and added to maintain aeration in the beds. One bonus is that the left over alfalfa pellets will also be in there.
Next, I will sprinkle a fine dusting of corn meal mixed with coffee grounds over the top layer. And finally I'll blend a slurry of pre-consumer produce (complements of our area grocery store) and add one scoop to each bin, per my usual feeding routine and taking care not to overfeed.
This will be my first time away from the little fellas so I'm hoping all will be fine. Avidwormer
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AK Red Neck
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 74
Re:how do I feed when leaving for several days? - 2008/05/24 01:30I just dipped into my VC bucket today to get some for the house plants. Found some worms in it. Now mind you this is a bin of finished VC, I haven't added any food since it was harvested about 2 months ago. Like Gary said, if your bin is set up and established no worries there should be plenty for them to eat, you just can't see it. I only feed once a week, so my herd hardly notices when I go away.Jeremy Sterling, Alaska
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redhen
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 684
Re:how do I feed when leaving for several days? - 2008/05/24 12:55When I have left my bins for 3 weeks all I do is... Feed their normal feeding 2 days before I go. By doing that I can make sure nothing funky, (like heating), occurs. I then put a good 5" layer of dry shredded newspaper on top. When I return, the food scraps are gone and so is most of the paper. I think I have heard the worms say "Oh no..she's back!", as they seem to have done just fine, (sometimes better), without me.Susan Quinby-Honer redhen@nc.rr.com Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth.
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Chana
User A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 18
Re:how do I feed when leaving for several days? - 2008/05/29 17:45thanks for the info.I'm going out of townfor 10 days so this helps.I didnt know who I could get on to feed.I spoke with someone that raises angora rabbits and worms She told me it was fine make bedding from my rabbit litter boxes.I use paper and wood pellets.I did let it sit for 2 months before I set up the worm bin.They seem to love it-hope the urine isnt a problem Chana
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Paratrooper
User A Mature Breeder Earthworm
Posts: 77
Re:how do I feed when leaving for several days? - 2008/05/29 22:57Susan , you mentioned putting 5"of dry paper on top before you go away and most of it disappears . I thought that the paper should we moist before going in . I have been fighting low humidity here in AZ and having a hard time keeping the paper on top moist . The bottom layer is always moist but the top isn't . So it would seem that if the paper on top dries up it is still worm food anyway . Does that make sense ???Tom Kingman Arizona
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redhen
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 684
Re:how do I feed when leaving for several days? - 2008/05/29 23:08In plastic bins, drying out is not the usual problem. Erring on the side of dryness, I believe is better. When I put dry shreds in my bins, it usually takes about a day or so for that paper to start to feel slightly damp. There are few mites and the VC is much less mucky.Susan Quinby-Honer redhen@nc.rr.com Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth.
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avidwormer
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 38
Re:how do I feed when leaving for several days? - 2008/05/30 06:19Paratrooper, I'm also using plastic bins and used to have an issue with things drying out. I've discovered that, if you lay a moistened and rung out burlap bag over the top newspaper layer, it will hold the moisture in. If the bedding or newspaper is dry then the burlap bag will slowly release it's moisture so that the bag will dry out in a day or two. If it is moist enough, the burlap bag will stay moist for much longer. But, even after the bag dries out, it holds the moisture in the bed without compromising air circulation. I do tend to keep things on the drier side, since I'm using plastic bins. I never water the bins. This is my only method of adding moisture after my initial bin set up.Avidwormer
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Kori
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 64
Re:how do I feed when leaving for several days? - 2008/05/30 14:50Paratrooper, I too had a problem with the tops of my bins drying out and I kept watering them only to find the bottom was getting too wet and I had a problem with white worms. I now lay a layer of newspaper over my shred and then put a garbage bag on top of that. The bins are staying damp and the worms love to be on top now. They eat better too. And the casting are nice instead of becoming mud. The top layer of newspaper gets damp and the worms eat it. About once a week I lay another layer of newspaper. Seems to be working for me.
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