Here is a question from Reader Randy:

I have Hermit Crabs.  Can I use the old shredded coconut fiber that I used as their bedding for Worm Bedding?

Hi Randy,

It Depends.  Are Hermit Crabs Freshwater or Saltwater?

If Saltwater, I would not recommend it.  Coir holds water very well, which means it also woud retain salt well.  If Hermit Crabs are Freshwater, it would be loaded with the same bacteria as an aquaponic system which worms seem to love.

I continually stress the importance of spending the time to set up your worms in proper bedding.  If the bedding is set up correctly, raising worms is easy.  If not, it’s a never ending challenge.  Michael sent some interesting questions that offered me the opportunity to remind everyone about making a proper worm bedding…..

 Good evening. Hope you are having a good week.

I have a few questions and I hope you don’t mind.

1. Does it matter, when adding bedding, if some of the newspaper strips are stuck together? After I squeeze out the water from the soaked papers they get stuck together and it is hard to separate them. Do you have any tips for preparing the bedding?

2. When the bedding is turning into a lot of worm casting will the castings loose their potency whenever I mist them down?

Thanks for your time. Have a good night.
Michael 

Hi Michael, 

On the first question…regarding fluffing your newspaper.  The better you fluff the bedding, the better your worms will do.  It takes work…sometimes a good 30 minutes to make a great bedding.  Not much way to shortcut it.  If you don’t separate the “Stuck” papers well, you will create an anaerobic, (stinky) environment.  The good thing is, you only have to fluff the bedding every few months(when you put in new bedding). 

The castings will not lose their potency when misting.  In fact, just the opposite.  You are making the bedding condusive to the worms, so they are going to continue to process the bedding.  Even though it looks like all the food is gone, the worms are usually continuing to eat the stuff.

Have fun!

There are MANY different options when it comes to bedding for worms. Some of the most common beddings include; Peat Moss, Coconut Coir, leaves, manure, straw, Paper(Includes newspaper, junk mail, cardboard), etc. Name a product, and I’ve probably tried raising worms in it!

I’m going to share with you my thoughts on the various beddings:

Peat Moss – Depending on the type you buy, Peat Moss is usually VERY acidic. In order to have your worms thrive in peat moss, it needs to be extremely well soaked, wrung out, and soaked again. The best results I’ve seen using Peat Moss is when it is mixed in a cement mixer resulting in a nice, fluffy texture.  Although your worms will process the Peat, they get no nutrition from it, and will eventually die from starvation without additional food.

Coconut Coir – Coir also needs to be well rinsed prior to use. It is a decent bedding, but usually relatively costly considering the size of the blocks normally available. The best results I’ve seen using Coir is when it is mixed in a cement mixer resulting in a nice, fluffy texture.  Although your worms will process the coir, they get no nutrition from it, and will eventually die from starvation without additional food.

Leaves – When using leaves for worm bedding, use only leaves without a strong fragrance. I’ve heard stories of people adding just a FEW bay leaves into the bedding and killing their worms! If worms cannot get away from strong smelling materials, they will die (Usually after trying their best to climb out of your bin first)! Worms can do well in leaf bedding. Two problems with using leaves as bedding in my opinion:

1. Leaves are not absorbent, and do not hold water well.
2. Leaves tend to get messy when they break down. Almost oily.

Manure – For the purposes of this article, let’s talk about manure from herbivores such as horse/cow manure. Manure from meat eating animals (Humans, dogs, cats) gets into other issues of pathogen problems and cross contamination. Manure is normally easily obtainable, and can make GREAT worm bedding. But, the reality is that most of us live in cities, and do not appreciate a box of worms living in poop in our house or garage. Additionally, most of us would not like putting our hands in manure bedding when we need to check on the worms. CAUTION: Manure that comes from horses or cows that have been given deworming medication will sterilize your worm bin, killing all your worms. The medication will dissipate over time, but be careful. Like a canary in a coal mine, I would only use manure if it had some existing redworms living in it.

Straw – I don’t like using straw at all. It is terrible at holding moisture, it clumps very badly, it takes FOREVER to break down….forgetaboutit!

Paper – Includes newspaper, junk mail, cardboard. Why am I lumping all paper material together? When wet, all paper turns into a pulp eventually. The worms ingest this pulp. Paper is readily available, it is usually FREE, it holds water well, and it’s relatively clean to put your hands in.

Let’s Experiment raising Redworms in paper bedding!

Check back soon!