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NIEHS Kids' Pages Index!

Vermicomposting (Making Good Use of Garbage!) The Worms Crawl In, The Worms Crawl 'About'! (click for music) Vermicomposting can be fun, but it is also good for our planet!

WHY?

• Worms can turn our old food into plant food.
  
  
• Worms are good for the Earth.
  
  
• Worms are good for fishing

Fun Worm Facts!

• Red worms may live up to 4.5 years in the Worm Wigwam (compared to 1 year in the wild), and will grow to a length of up to 3 inches.
  
  
• Red worms can live in a wide range of temperatures. They're happiest from 55-70 degrees, but can handle 45-80 degrees.
  
  
• Red worms are hermaphrodites -- they have both male and female sexual organs -- and reproduce quickly in confinement. Their population may double or triple in 1 year.

HOW DO YOU VERMICOMPOST?

1. Make a dark house for the worms to live in. A wooden or plastic bin or other non-metal container. A bin 1.5 ft. H x 2 ft. D x 3 ft W is a good size for a household. Make drain holes near the bottom.
   
   
2. Fill the bin with moist bedding. Bedding can be paper or newspaper shredded, leaves, straw, peat moss or sawdust. Make sure the bedding is kept very moist like a sponge. Change the bedding once or twice a year.
   
   
3. Feed the worms.
   
   Yes!    Fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds, bread, leaves
   
   No!    Milk, oil, eggs, meat, fat, dog or cat feces.
   
   Dig a hole in the bedding, dump the food in and cover it up with bedding. Pick a new spot each time you add food.
   
   
4. Keep them damp and warm. Add water if the bedding feels dry, but make sure the excess water can drain away. Cover the bin with plastic or a tarp during freezing weather.

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