Will a worm farm in the city attract rats?
Image by davnull
red worms’ farm on april 24, 2008 at the OK mediendeck for the crossing europe film festival in linz, austria. for more go to davnull.webhop.org
Question by AnitraWeb: Will a worm farm in the city attract rats?
Some volunteers built a small raised-bed garden for our low-income apartment building. The soil looks like pretty good sandy loam, at least a foot deep, but short on nutrients and with NO organic matter whatsoever, and NO worms (or any other living beasties, as far as I can tell.) We’ll buy some organic additives before we plant, but I would like to get some worms in as soon as possible. I’d like to set up a worm farm. but we already have trouble with rats, and we don’t want more!
What is the absolutely cheapest set-up for a worm bin, that will be secure from rats? Do you have a persuasive argument for keeping it inside, that would work on staff worried about hygiene and odor?
Can you help? Leave your own answer in the comments!
3 Responses to Will a worm farm in the city attract rats?
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Get some small-meshed chicken wire and 2x2s, make a small cage around wormery. Rats should not be a problem with the small amounts of vegetable materials involved.If you have enough rats to make it a problem, you should deal with them for health and hygiene reasons, (you mentioned “staff”).
ED SNOW
June 25, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Worm boxes do not smell if you only include non-meat scraps in your box. Just include veggie scraps, coffee grinds, egg shells, paper napkins and towels, etc. After I dump my veggie scraps into my worm box, I cover the assortment (to keep out the flies) with straw (you could use newspaper) before I put on the lid .
For a cheap worm box, you could buy a plastic storage container with a lid (like from Target or Wal-Mart). Start out by filling it half full of newspaper torn in strips. Follow the instructions that come with your worms. My commercial worm box drains into another box where all the worm “pee” accumlates. I pour this onto my plants. If your box does not have holes in the bottom, then you will need to drain off this liquid from time to time to keep the worms from drowning!!
You could weigh down the lid with something heavy or cover the lid with chicken wire. I have mine out in my back yard. Even though we have rats and raccoons in our yard at night, they have never bothered my worm box.
I have my worm box outside under some trees all year round, but I live in Northern California. The box should not be in hot sun (you will cook the worms!) or in a place that freezes. Some people keep them in their garage or basement.
Good Luck!!
Cindy B
June 25, 2011 at 6:51 pm
I have one of the systems that is described in the website below and we keep it in the house with no odors of any kind. The important thing to remember is that only vegetable matter should go into the bins. Cooked items are OK as long as they don’t have any oils on them.
I’ve just used worms from the yard to start it so far and they are taking their good old time multiplying, I am considering buying some worms, but I’m having a problem with spending so much for worms.
Neal K
June 25, 2011 at 6:52 pm