Well, a good answer would be “in my compost bin”, but it’s important to remember that although they’re pretty self-sufficient muscle-bound worms, they do need a little attention from their landlord (meaning you) on occasion since they can’t effectively send you a note saying “too hot in here” or “we’re a little thirsty”.
There are four things you need to monitor to ensure the health and wellness of your red wiggler worms:
- pH levels
- temperature
- moisture content
- fresh air
The proper pH level for a worm bin is pH is around 7.0, however, red wiggler worms can handle levels from 4.2 to 8.0 or higher. Use limestone to balance your worm compost bin’s pH levels, but be sure to use limestone only, not hydrated lime because that can kill your worms.
Compost bin temperature should stay between 55 – 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Temps above 84 degrees can be harmful to your worms and temperatures below 50 degrees can slow your worms activity to a, well, crawl.
While you don’t want a puddle in your worm compost bin, red wiggler worms need their sin to remain moist for survival so keep the bedding materials moist like soil would be.
Keep your worm compost bin aerated so your worms have the fresh air they need to breathe.
Your worms will work their best if the above conditions are met and will live long enough to spawn several generations of new worms, to keep your worm-investment costs down. They’ll work for you if you take the time to work for them.
