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Hello - 2009/03/25 18:38I'm recycling a small set of drawers like you'd buy at Target or Walmart to make them into a worm bin (much to my husband's dismay). As you can see from the picture, I drilled the drawers full of holes.
I'm eagerly waiting for my worms in the mail! Waddaya think?
Post edited by: Laurdet, at: 2009/03/25 18:42
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BigTexWorms
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 50
Re:Hello - 2009/03/25 20:41Looks good but in my opinion it wont work well for two reasons: #1 the bins are clear and worms prefer a dark environment. I always use dark plastic. They will not work the sides of the bin with it being clear. #2 the way those drawers slide in, it will leave a 1/2-1 inch gap in between each drawer, so using it as a migrating system will be impossible. Unless your worms develop some high jump skills. So at best, it will be a 3 separate bin system. Also, as the bins fill, they get super heavy so I would think the weight might cause them to come out of the drawer slides. Give it a shot, let us know how it works.Liz aka BigTexWorms http://bigtexworms.webs.com
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Laurdet
User A Fertile Cocoon
Posts: 5
Re:Hello - 2009/03/25 22:39Oh oh... looks like I need some worm...um...viagra to make it a migrating system. Perhaps it's time to go back to the drawing board, lol. I'd like to try to recycle something that I already have and make it into a worm bin, rather than buying a special bin. Thanks for your comment... any ideas?
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thewormguys
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 61
Re:Hello - 2009/03/26 08:24ok this might work IF you store it in a dark area like a closet. I agree weight may cause a problem. In this case I would use the frame as a pattern and build a new frame using wood. Since you want to go with the recycling theme. I use wooden pallets that I receive for free. I just take them apart and reuse the wood.
Rob
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wellsworms
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 624
Re:Hello - 2009/03/26 08:26Laurdet wrote: I'm recycling a small set of drawers like you'd buy at Target or Walmart to make them into a worm bin (much to my husband's dismay). As you can see from the picture, I drilled the drawers full of holes.
I'm eagerly waiting for my worms in the mail! Waddaya think?<br><br>Post edited by: Laurdet, at: 2009/03/25 18:42
I’ll give you an 'a' for effort get your bedding ready before the worms arrive shredded paper old corrugated boxes and some food cornmeal or pumpkin puree has worked for me . add some food before the worms arrive. you might want to spray the outside of the bins with some dark colored paint . to exclude light[ scuff the surface first with a scruffy or some fine sand paper]. don't fill the bins more than half full till you see how theyt will handle the weight . good luck with your endeavorsFEED IT TO THE WORMS WELLS,vermont jerry walker 2008
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wellsworms
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 624
Re:Hello - 2009/03/26 08:31if this is your first system treat the draws as 3 seperate bins they will migrate down but not up with your system .Hey we all started somewhere.
Post edited by: wellsworms, at: 2009/03/26 11:38FEED IT TO THE WORMS WELLS,vermont jerry walker 2008
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mikestuff
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 27
Re:Hello - 2009/03/26 13:22I'd go ahead and give your plan a shot. Opaque bins might be better, but it's going to be pitch dark a fraction of an inch from the sides anyway, so I'll bet it would work. As far as the worms being able to migrate upward, I've had the plastic "upward mobile" bins and it's my experience that you would find worms in all parts of every bin, even the yucky stuff at the bottom. I'd start with one of the bins (I can't really tell what size they are, but you could start a bin in the bottom one first and as time goes on, you could separate the bin into three. The bins WILL get heavy, so I'm not sure whether the wheel mechanism is built for that, but if you aren't wheeling it a lot, it shouldn't matter.
Give it a try!Branson MO[size=2][/size]
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BigTexWorms
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 50
Re:Hello - 2009/03/26 18:51I agree with giving it a go with this system. No since in wasting all that time you spent on drilling those holes. ha. I am impressed with your enthusiasm.Liz aka BigTexWorms http://bigtexworms.webs.com
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Laurdet
User A Fertile Cocoon
Posts: 5
Re:Hello - 2009/03/26 22:08Wow! Thanks for all of the responses!
I'm a little leery of the weight issue with the bins myself. I figure that at least this is a good temporary solution. I'm starting small, with only 500 worms, so I think I have a few days after they arrive to come up with a more permanent solution. I was also thinking of covering the bin with a dark table cloth that would still let air in, but keep things darker for the little darlings. Migration down it will be! (the worms may have different ideas, but I'll have to wait and see )
I've already started cutting up the kitchen green waste into small pieces with a scissors, and I've been saving eggshells and waiting for them to dry so I can pulverize them. The newspaper is stacked and ready to go, and I have a ton shredded already.
I have only one major problem left to tackle.... How in the world am I going to come up with 500 names?
Y'all know I'm kidding 'bout the names, right?
Post edited by: Laurdet, at: 2009/03/26 22:20
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lkittle
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 51
Re:Hello - 2009/03/26 22:22Hi All;
I have only one major problem left to tackle.... How in the world am I going to come up with 500 names?
Y'all know I'm kidding, right?
Really! larry Holley,New York
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wellsworms
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 624
Re:Hello - 2009/03/27 08:17and 15,000 more in a month or so ..get a grasp on thatFEED IT TO THE WORMS WELLS,vermont jerry walker 2008
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jlance
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 125
Re:Hello - 2009/03/27 09:26I have two clear bins and they work just find.heal the earth with worm farming. John Lance Indain Valley,virginia
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vermiman
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 102
Re:Hello - 2009/03/27 18:19BigTexWorms wrote: #1 the bins are clear and worms prefer a dark environment. I always use dark plastic. They will not work the sides of the bin with it being clear.
Two of my bins are also clear. The worms in those bins seem to thrive as good or more so than the opaque bins. The parts of the bin that doesn't get worked over in the day gets well worked at night.
Post edited by: vermiman, at: 2009/03/27 18:20It\'s Black Gold!! It\'sSquirmy Tea!!
John 3:16 Acts 2:21
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jasdip
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 43
Re:Hello - 2009/03/28 17:49I've been making "mini-bins" a few times out of clear plastic salad containers. I have one on the go now that the organic spring mix comes in. Each time the worms multiplied rapidly and had no issue with being in a clear container. They stay away from the sides of the container during the day, and there's lots of newspaper, and now vermicompost for them to hide in.
I've looked at these types of bins myself as a worm bin tower. Give it a shot for sure and keep us posted.
As far as migrating, just harvest each bin manually ike you would with a single rubbermaid/sterilite bin.Southwestern Ont. Canada
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Waddaya think?
Perhaps it's time to go back to the drawing board, lol. I'd like to try to recycle something that I already have and make it into a worm bin, rather than buying a special bin. Thanks for your comment... any ideas?
