FAQ
Questions and Answers for The Worm Chalet
Will I ever need to replenish the worms?
- If you encounter an extreme situation of heat or cold, your worms may perish. If this is the case you will need to order another colony.
- If your worms are maintained they should reproduce continuously and not need replenishment.
What should I do if I see Fruit Flies around my worm chalet?
- Fruit flies will be attracted to a high moisture content or exposed food waste. Ensure that you are adding enough bedding with your food mixture, and make sure to bury the food waste under the bedding material.
What shOULD i do if my worm chalet has a bad odor?
- You likely have excess moisture which could be the result of not enough bedding or too much food. Ease off on feeding for a bit until there is less moisture or you can see that the worms have eaten the food that is there.
- You can also add a bit of dry bedding to absorb the excess moisture and break up clumps of food waste.
What if worms are crawling out of my bin?
- This will happen from time to time as the worms are natural explorers. However, the unit is designed to minimize this tendency.
- You may have higher rates of escape if the environmental parameters in the Worm Chalet are not optimal (too hot or too wet, for example).
What if there are other Bugs or creatures in my worm chalet?
Black Soldier Flies (BSF)
- BSF larvae will find your Worm Chalet if it is heavy on food waste. They are a beneficial species and will not harm the worms, but will out-compete them for food.
- Meats and fats will attract BSF more readily, so try to minimize adding those to your Worm Chalet.
- BSF grubs will clump and you may also be able to scoop out the colony and place it in the garden compost bin for faster control. They are harmless and will not bite or sting.
- House flies may also appear in your Worm Chalet.
- House flies tend to lay their eggs directly on food waste. If the food waste in the active tray is not exposed, it’s harder for them to reproduce.
- Ensure that you cover the food waste fully or use a coir pad to prevent house flies from laying eggs. They will not lay eggs on the coir. You can use the coir for this purpose as well as for insulation in cooler months.
What should I do if my worm chalet is too dry after returning from vacation?
- If your active tray is overly dry, you need to gradually add moisture back in. If you add too much water at once, it will run off and not soak in. Add a bit at a time until you get the tray moisture back to normal.
- A spray bottle of room-temperature water (preferably non-chlorinated) will help you add the moisture back in gradually.
What should I do if the unit ever gets over 95 degrees Fahrenheit?
- This is a serious situation and the temperature needs to be reduced immediately.
- The fastest way is having reusable frozen cold packs and placing them inside the active trays.
- Monitor the temperature and consider adding additional cold packs if the temperature does not drop.