Urban Worm Girl - Worms eat your garbage! Begin your adventures in worm composting.

Image Vegetables Urban Worm Girl’s calling is to educate the community on composting with worms, also known as vermiculture. Basically, it’s recycling kitchen waste using the wisdom and efficiency of Red Worms — simple, clean and odorless. Whether it’s in your house or apartment, worm composting is a reminder of our interconnectedness to the earth and all of its living beings.

Return your goodness to the earth. Minimize your waste. Feed your garden, houseplants and the earth.

Worms eat your garbage! So, throw a worm party with your friends, donate a worm bin to your children's school, order in home set up and instruction, or order your equipment here. Urban Worm Girl will provide you with all the education, hands on instruction, set up and supplies needed to begin your adventures in worm composting.

Get started!

Worms are hermaphroditic therefore they all reproduce! Keeping your worm bin full of hungry mouths.

Worm composting is simple and can be done right in your home! The multi-tiered Worm Tower recommended by Urban Worm Girl, naturally separates working worm layers from your finished compost. You simply fill the bottom tray with red wiggler composting worms, bedding and food scraps. The worms go to work. When the time is right, you add another tray on top and the worms will naturally move upwards towards new food scraps leaving their rich compost behind.

Urban Worm Girl has all of the supplies and know how needed to start your worm composting today. From Premium to Standard to Basic packages, contact Urban Worm Girl to choose the one that best fits your needs.

Host a Worm Party: Price TBD

The perfect way to inform your friends while learning from Urban Worm Girl how to set up your new worm bin.

On-Site demonstration and worm visit - $75
Free with purchase of standard package ($200) which includes in home setup

Premium Package: $300.00

Included in this package is all the equipment and answers you need (plus some additional bonus items you may choose to have). Equipment included consists of the 3 tray worm tower, coconut coir bedding, additional newspaper bedding, compost collector, small composting shovel and 1 pound of red wiggler composting worms. In addition, you will have personal support finding the right spot and setting up the bin in your own home. If questions arise over the first month of your use that are not answered in the manual provided, a one time return visit is included to help you solve the problem. Home set-up and delivery included for most of the Chicago area.

Standard Package: $200.00

Included in this package is all the equipment and answers you need. Equipment included consists of the 3 tray worm tower, coconut coir bedding, additional newspaper bedding and 1 pound of red wiggler composting worms. In addition, you will have personal support finding the right spot and setting up the bin in your own home. If questions arise over the first month of your use that are not answered in the manual provided, Stephanie will be available by phone to continue to give you support and recommendations. Home set-up and delivery included for most of the Chicago area.

Basic Package: $140.00

Included in this package is the 3 tray worm bin, 1 pound of red wiggler composting worms, coconut coir bedding and an instruction manual for setting up your bin. Pick up of equipment required or shipping additional shipping cost will be added.

Teach the Children: Worm Workshops

Image of Children's Worm Workshop Children are our future. Their health and the health of the earth are our responsibility. Does your children's classroom have a composting worm bin? Arrange for an Urban Worm Girl visit to your children's classroom to introduce the children to the wisdom of the worms. Urban Worm Girl will educate them about interconnectedness of a healthy planet, healthy food and healthy people. Help them to participate.

Donate a Worm Bin to your Children's Classroom*

Contact your children's teacher and see if they are composting in the classroom. If not a worm bin may be a welcome addition to their classroom. Urban Worm Girl can provide an on site set up and instruction including plenty of wriggly worm friends. In addition, Urban Worm Girl will provide a 10% discount for all classroom donations.

*available in the Chicagoland area only

Equipment

Worm bins, coconut coir bedding, additional trays and replacement or add on roof components may be purchased individually as well as all supplies can be replenished when needed. Visit our store for specific products.

Worms

The 3 tower worm bin included in the basic package can house up to 10,000 worms processing several pounds of kitchen waste weekly.

Worms are available in several different increments depending on the size of your household as well as the amount of kitchen waste you may have. Choose what suits your household needs. Just remember these simple facts:

1 pound = approximately 1,000 worms
1,000 worms consumes an average individuals kitchen scraps

Though worms proliferate quickly, it is a good idea to start with enough worms to sufficiently manage the load from the very beginning.

Maintenance

Arrangements can be made for Urban Worm Girl to help maintain your bin on a monthy basis and assist with harvesting. Call for pricing options.

Q: What do the worms eat?

A: Worms can eat all of your vegetable kitchen scraps such as melon rinds, lettuce, banana peels, vegetable peelings, ect. They also eat coffee grounds and tea bags, crushed egg shells, cardboard egg cartons, newspaper and plain uncolored paper. Though worms can eat meat, we don’t recommend this or dairy products in your worm bin due to the risk of attracting pests and developing smells.

Q: Are these regular earthworms?

A: The type of worms used in a worm bin are Red Wigglers or Red Worms. The scientific name is Eisenia Fetida or Lumbricus rubellus. These are a type of Earthworm but are not the large earthworms that you often find deep in the ground of your garden. There are various species of Earthworms. Not all Earthworms are good composters. Not all composting worms will be able to survive deep in the dirt of your garden.

Q: What do the worms actually do with the garbage you feed them?

A: Worms Eat Your Garbage! Though worms don’t have teeth they are able to ingest approximately half their body weight in food per day. The waste left behind is called castings and these a casting help to replenish the earth with vital nutrients.

Q: Do you have to worry about keeping a certain balance like you do in a yard composter?

A: A certain balance is necessary but it is not quite as delicate of a balance as needed in a traditional composter. It is important to avoid excessive amounts of citrus, such as orange and lemon peels and to avoid large amounts of garlic and onion. I encourage a balanced diet similar to our own needs. A main part of the worms diet as well as a main contributor to the balance of the bin is the bedding itself. Newspaper for example not only provides a good environment for worm movement but also a source of cellulose for energy.

Q: Where do you have to keep the worm bin? Outside or inside?

A: The placement of your worm bin is dependent on the temperature primarily. The worms need to be kept between 50 and 80 degrees F to continue to feed on your garbage. The worms may survive in the 40’s but will not survive below freezing temperature. The worms are also at risk of dying at temperatures above 86 degrees F. Obviously this means that your worm bin may need to be moved during different seasons depending on where you live. A perfect place for the bin is in the basement, laundry room or in the kitchen during extreme temperatures. Many people move the bin to an outside area during the mild months. The bin is designed to be safe and odor free so that keeping the bin indoors is very convenient.

Q: How big is the worm bin?

A: The worm bin recommended by Urban Worm Girl for home use stands 23 inches tall and is a square container measuring 15 X 15 inches. There is an option to add additional trays on the top to accommodate more waste recycling. Each tray is 5 inches high.

Q: Does a worm bin attract mice, rats and other pest?

A: When a worm bin is properly maintained, it is essentially odor free and does not attract pests. The worm bin recommended by Urban Worm Girl has been specially designed for proper aeration to minimize odor. It has also been designed with wind resistant roof to keep the worms safe and happy. Because the worms are actually eating the foods scraps placed in the bin, the food is not “rotting”, creating an unpleasant odor which may attract pests.

Q: What do you need to start a worm composting system at home?

A: All you need to start is a bin, bedding, worms and kitchen scraps.

Q: Why do I need to purchase this type of multi layered worm bin? Can’t I just use a big Tupperware bin?

A: Composting with worms can definitely be done in all types of bins. Many people have even built wooden worm bins custom designed to fit their individual needs. The multi layered worm bin seems to be the most space efficient and most convenient type of bin designed with an urban life in mind. This bin allows you to let the worms do most of the work. The worms move through the layers of bedding and food leaving behind trays of castings to harvest. This design also allows you to drain off the nutrient rich, “Worm Tea”, through the spigot at the base. Not only is this liquid great for your houseplants but the accumulation of fluid in other bins can harm your worms and create an odor in your bin.

Q: How often do you need to add more bedding?

A: Bedding needs to be added when you are starting a new working tray. Usually the worms will be ready for a new tray with 6-8 weeks. Additional bedding may also need to be added during the working phase of a tray to help maintain the balance and reduce moisture. Newspaper or coconut coir are excellent ways to soak up any excess moisture you notice as well.

Q: Do the worms ever ecape?

A: Unfortunately there are occasions when the worms try to leave the comforts of their new home. But don’t worry, this is rare and can be avoided from the very beginning by remembering a couple things. Occasionally when worms are first added to their new bin they have trouble settling in. For the first week, leave a light shining on the bin, even at night. The worms do not like light and will avoid it. Within the week the worms should settle into their new surroundings. Then caring for the worms on a regular basis should help them to stay healthy and hungry and settled in. It has been brought to my attention recently that during storms, worms often rise to the surface of the bin. Keeping your roof securely in place with a binder clip or Velcro may reassure you that the worms are staying put.

Q: Will my dog or cat bother the worms?

A: Pets do not bother a bin that has been well maintained and is odorless. Adding a binder clip or Velcro to your bins roof may once again reassure you that the worms are safe and the pets are not interested. This may also assure you that a tail will not disturb the worms.

Troubleshooting when problems arise

Each household provides a different atmosphere for the worms to work. Keeping a balance in your bin is important and there may be a bit of a learning curve when starting to compost with worms for the very first time. The balance may be affected by your unique climate, your household diet and your bin maintenance and feeding schedule. If problems or concerns arise, don't worry; there are ways to resolve them. Just ask Urban Worm Girl!

Here are some concerns that others have experienced and the answers to help you resolve similar problems. Keeping your worms healthy makes them very productive composters!

Why are there flies and nats swarming around my bin?

Though other small creatures find homes in the bin and contribute to the composting process, there should not be swarms of flying bugs around it. You may not be burying the food well enough in the bin. Flies lay eggs on exposed food as part of their reproductive process, helping their young to have an immediate source of food when hatching. If flies become a nuisance:

Stop feeding the worms for 2-3 weeks.
When you resume feeing, take the time to bury the new food 1-2 inches below the bedding.
Vacuuming remaining flying insects off the top of the bin is always helpful needed.

Mold is growing on the food in my bin, is this a problem?

Mold is a natural part of the decomposition process. Having said that, you will keep mold to a minimum by properly burying the food scraps 1-2 inches deep in the bedding. This will allow the worms to manage the food quicker and prevent pests as well.

The worms aren't eating, are they sick?

The worms will let you know when something is wrong. Noticing their behavior is a key to a happy and healthy worm bin.

If your worm bin is new and you notice that the worms are not eating, don't worry! The worms often take their time settling into their new surroundings and getting used to your diet and feeding schedule. Give it time and keep watching.

If you have an established bin and you notice that the worms have stopped eating, let them catch up. Stop feeding them for 2-3 weeks, check to make sure that they are making their way through the food that has accumulated. Resume feeding them when you see that this food has been composted. You may be over feeding the worms. Though they work at breakneck speed for their size, they have no teeth and very small mouths. You may need to cut the scraps smaller to help speed up the process.

If you notice an odor in your bin and the worms are sluggish, the overall balance may be off. Worms like neutral bins. Asses moisture levels, temperature, acidity and airflow. Adding newspaper bedding often helps to absorb excess moisture and increase aeration. The addition of crushed eggshells monthly will help to decrease the acidity level in your bin. Though Red worms can tolerate a range of acidity, if the level is too high the worms will die. Also, minimize the amount of citrus food and avoid vinegar coated vegetables and salad dressings.

My worm bin has a strange odor coming from it.

Odor can be caused by several different factors. But, a healthy worm bin should smell like soil, a pleasant smell to many. So check the balance of your bin as discussed briefly above.

If you are not sure if your bin is getting enough airflow, stir it up and mix in some additional newspaper bedding. Check to see that your air holes are not clogged. Anaerobic bacteria will not survive when oxygen is present.

If your moisture levels are too high the bin may not have sufficient oxygen levels either. The worms will be at risk of drowning as well as the presence of odor. Soak up or drain off some of the excess moisture (compost tea). Dilute this run off with water and add to houseplants. Add fresh newspaper bedding and watch to make sure the moisture levels are coming down.

Lastly, it is often the type of food that you are feeding that brings along an odor. Avoid dairy and meat products as well as excessively oily foods. Some individuals are not able to tolerate the odor of broccoli in their worm bin either. Though the worms are perfectly happy to eat this healthy vegetable, it carries along with it a naturally strong smell that some find offensive.