What Does Composting with Worms Mean?

Composting with worms, or vermicomposting, is an easy, eco-friendly way to recycle kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich compost—all from the comfort of your home. Whether in an apartment, a house, or an office, an indoor worm bin can help reduce waste, enrich plants, and contribute to a healthier planet. Drawing from expert advice from the Environmental Protection Agency, the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, and Metro Vancouver, this guide will walk you through setting up and maintaining your worm composting bin.

Why Compost with Worms?

Worm composting offers a host of benefits. Organic waste, like vegetable peels and coffee grounds, makes up about 30% of household garbage, much of which ends up in landfills. Composting indoors with worms can reduce this waste while producing black gold—a natural fertilizer for your garden or houseplants. It is low-effort, odor-free when done right, and a fun way to involve the whole family in caring for the environment. Plus, worms do the heavy lifting, breaking down scraps into compost faster than traditional methods.

What You Will Need

• Two Plastic Bins: Use a taller bin (about 15 inches deep, 20 inches wide, 15 inches tall, like an 18-gallon tub) with a lid nested inside a shorter, wider bin (around 5 inches high, 25 inches wide, 15 inches deep). The taller bin holds the worms and compost, while the shorter one catches excess liquid, known as worm tea, a fantastic plant fertilizer.

• Drill and Bits: A drill with 1-inch and 1/8-inch bits to create ventilation and drainage holes.

• Screening Material: Non-metal window screen scraps (4×4 inches) to cover holes and keep worms inside.

• Waterproof Glue: To secure the screens in place.

• Bedding: Shredded paper (no glossy or colored types), enough to fill the bin 3 inches deep, plus a handful of chemical-free soil or sand for grit.

• Water: To moisten the bedding until it is like a wrung-out sponge.

• Worms: One pound of red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) are ideal—they are prolific eaters and thrive in bins. Avoid invasive species like Asian Jumping Worms.

• Trowel: For managing compost and burying scraps.

• Food Scraps Container: A small, lidded container to collect kitchen waste weekly.

Tip: You can repurpose items like storage totes or buy a pre-made worm bin, but ensure it is shallow and wide for good airflow.

Step 1: Prepare the Bins
Start by setting up your bins for proper airflow and drainage—worms need oxygen and cannot swim in soggy conditions!

• Drill Holes: In the taller bin, drill two 1-inch holes near the top on opposite sides for ventilation. Then, drill four 1/8-inch holes near the bottom corners for drainage. Leave the shorter bin undrilled—it is just a catch tray.

• Add Screens: Cover each hole with a piece of vinyl screening and secure with waterproof glue. Let it dry completely.

• Assemble: Place the taller bin inside the shorter one. Elevate the setup on bricks or blocks to improve airflow and drainage.

Step 2: Create the Worm Habitat
Worms thrive in a moist, cozy environment.

• Mix shredded paper, a handful of soil or sand, and water until damp but not puddling.

• Fill the taller bin about 3 inches deep with this mixture.

• Add your worms and let them settle in for a day before feeding—they will burrow in and acclimate.

Step 3: Feed the Worms
Red wigglers love a vegetarian diet. Collect scraps like vegetable peels, fruit scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags (staples removed), and crushed eggshells in your container throughout the week. Avoid meat, dairy, oils, grains, or salty foods—these can smell bad or harm the worms.

• Feeding Time: Once a week, use a trowel to dig a small hole in the bedding, add the scraps, and cover them entirely with moist paper or compost. Burying prevents fruit flies.

• Portion Control: Worms eat about half their weight daily (so 1 pound of worms eats ½ pound of scraps). Start small and adjust based on what they consume—remove uneaten scraps if they linger.

Step 4: Maintain the Bin
Keep your bin in a basement, garage, or kitchen corner—somewhere out of extreme heat or cold. Check it weekly:

• Moisture: The bedding should stay damp like a sponge. If it is too wet, clear drainage holes or add dry paper. Too dry? Sprinkle in water. Aim for a temperature of 55-77°F.

• Liquid: Scoop out worm tea from the bottom bin every few months and dilute it (1:10 with water) for plants.

• Odors or Flies: Smells mean too much food or poor airflow—stop feeding briefly and stir gently. Flies? Bury scraps deeper.

Step 5: Harvest the Compost
It is harvest time in 1-6 months when the bin looks earthy and brown.

• Try the no-mess method: push the contents to one side, add fresh bedding and food to the other, and wait a couple of weeks. Worms will migrate to the new food, leaving compost to scoop out. 

• For faster results, dump the bin onto a plastic sheet under light, form mounds, and let worms burrow down—scrape off the top for worm-free compost.

Worm Wisdom

Red wigglers are the composting champs, eating their weight in scraps daily and doubling their population every 40 days under ideal conditions. They are small, bright red, and hardy, unlike nightcrawlers, which prefer deep soil burrows. Keep conditions stable—moist, dark, and room temperature—and they will thrive.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Odor: Reduce food, stir for air, or cut back on acidic items like citrus. Add ground eggshells if needed. 

• Fruit Flies: Always cover food with bedding or a plastic sheet.

• Worms Escaping: Check for excess moisture or discomfort—adjust accordingly.

The Payoff

Your finished compost is a powerhouse soil conditioner for gardens or pots. Mix it into potting soil (1/3 compost, 1/3 soil, 1/3 vermiculite) or sprinkle it on your yard. Worm composting shrinks your trash pile and nurtures your plants naturally, with no chemicals required.

Ready to start? Grab a bin, some worms, and a handful of scraps—you will be amazed at how simple and rewarding vermicomposting can be!