Instructions on Building a Worm Farm

Worm farms serve a variety of purposes---they decompose food and waste for your compost file, provide fertilizer for gardens, and supply bait for fishing. Worm farms are easy to set up on both small and large scales, and with a bit of work and the right materials, you can build a worm farm that functions as a compost pile and a great source of fertilizer and bait.

  1. Building the Farm

    • Regardless of whether you construct your worm farm indoors or outdoors, the basic construction principles remain the same. For an indoor farm, you will need three plastic bins that stack, soil, newspaper and food scraps, such as fresh fruit and vegetables. You can construct an outdoor worm farm from the same materials or build a wooden structure if you prefer. The bottom bin, or layer, should be empty, and the top of it should be perforated with small holes to allow for drainage of water and waste. The top bins should be filled with soil, layers of newspaper and assorted scraps, and the lid and bottom of each bin should be perforated to allow the worms to traverse between layers. To keep the worms from escaping, do not perforate the bottom on the bottommost bin, but do perforate the top of the uppermost bin to allow for airflow. To start your worm farm, you can purchase worms from a bait and tackle shop or feed supply store, order them online, or dig them up yourself. If you want to dig them yourself, look under rotting wood, leaf piles or other objects.

    Keeping the Farm Alive

    • A worm farm is relatively low maintenance and only requires occasional misting (to keep the soil hydrated) and a constant supply of newspaper layers and food scraps. As the worms eat away the layers of newspaper and scraps in the upper bins, you can rotate the bins and put in new layers to encourage the worms to continue to eat and move through these layers. When misting, be cautious to not overhydrate, as you can drown the worms. If your worm farm is outdoors, consider placing it under a tree or structure or covering it with a tarp to protect it from direct downpours. To harvest your worms, simply dig through the layers until you reach them. Change the soil only when necessary, and keep an eye on the farm to make sure mold and bacteria are not allowed to develop. While you may add animal waste to the farm, never add human waste or any type of meat to the farm, as this encourages maggots and bacteria to grow.