Featured Customer Question – Jeff K
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010I am wanting to place an order but first need your expertise. I am wanting to purchase the worms and nightcrawlers as feeders for my 40+ frogs. I would like to set up a system where they possibly breed and I have an endless flow of worms. I have two seperate Sterlite bins, one for the wigglers and one for the nightcrawlers and I have layered them as follows…
damp cardboard
coffee grinds
damp newspaper
romainne lettuce
damp cardboard
coffee grinds
damp newspaper
banana peels
little bit of top soil
I have been allowing the bins to cure (rot) for around a week now. Does this sound like it will be successful? Thanks for your time!
Hi Jeff,
I’m going to give you a little more answer than you asked for. Actually, a lot more.
Before I started raising worms I was a high end tortoise guy. I’ve also owned a reptile business. When it comes to understanding feeders, I’m your man! I’ve raised worms, roaches, mealworms, crickets, BSFL, and even Silkworms.
First off, I would NOT recommend a diet consisting solely of worms. In nature, animals do not eat a diet consisting of one thing. I would raise at least two species from above, maybe even three.
Raising feeders is all about keeping things simple, simple, simple. Sometimes that means spending a little more up front, but you will be happy you did.
Worms:
Forget the soil, it adds weight and no value. You’ll have all the bacteria you’ll ever need in the bedding that comes with the worms.
Forget the coffee grounds. You don’t want to be putting your hands in mucky grounds when pulling your feeders.
Make sure your plastic bin has plenty of drainage as plastic does not breathe. I’d drill one good sized hole in the bottom and above it have a piece of weedstop cut a little larger than the bottom of your bin. Put the bin up on bricks and keep a pie tin underneath to catch excess drips.
Just add plenty of damp and well FLUFFED paper and cardboard strips. You can’t have too much bedding. Bury your romaine lettuce and banana peels in the bottom corner and you’ll find your worms hanging out there when you need to grab some. If you put food throughout your bin all you’ll do is create a sewer and eventually kill your worms.
In addition to worms, I’d get setup to raise BSFL. You’ll have great feeders for life! You can read about BSFL on my blog. Do yourself a favor and buy a Biopod Plus. Makes raising BSFL absolutely SIMPLE!
Roaches are pretty prolific and easy feeders also. I’d get a non climbing variety so you don’t have to worry about that issue. They can be raised in plastic tubs also.
It’s a great feeling to never have to run out to the the pet shop again!
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