Going on holidays shouldn’t mean worrying about your worm farm failing while you’re away. This guide includes a bunch of tips to get your bin ready to survive and even thrive in your absence. We cover strategies for short trips of a week or so, 2-4 weeks, and extended management for longer absences of 1-3 months. Everything you need to know to ensure your worms are safe so you can relax. Most importantly keep in mind our mantra, there is no such thing as failure with a worm farm, only set-backs! 🪱
Pre-holiday preparation
Reduce feeding frequency and volumes over a couple of weeks before you go away. This adjustment acclimatises the worms for less food while you’re away. Switch from daily feeding to every other day, then to twice weekly as your departure approaches. If necessary, harvest excess worm castings to ensure there is plenty of room for a larger feed when you leave. And empty your worm juice container or tank.
Start by preparing your worm bin three to four days before departure with carbon-rich materials like shredded newspaper, cardboard, with small amounts of food waste. Bury pre-composted food scraps deeper in the bedding than usual. This slows decomposition.
Position
Position your worm bin away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Always ensure your bin is located in the coolest part of your home in full shade.
Slow foods – fibrous tougher feeds
Avoid high-moisture foods like melon rinds which break down quickly and create soggy conditions. Instead, opt for fibrous materials like vegetable stalks, cauliflower broccoli and cabbage. The cellulose in such materials is slow to breakdown and will keep the decomposition process going much longer.
Add thick layers of moistened shredded paper or cardboard on top of everything. The worms will gradually work their way through these materials, keeping them fed without creating the mess that too many food scraps might produce in your absence.
Airflow
Good airflow keeps your worms healthy when you can’t check on them daily. Most commercial worm bins have adequate ventilation, but you can improve air circulation by drilling additional small holes in the sides and lid if needed, especially if you live in a humid tropical environment. However, we don’t recommend drilling holes in your farm if you live in a dryer climate or warm season as it may dry out the bedding
Fluff up the bedding before leaving to get more oxygen inside the bin. Compact bedding restricts airflow, so use a small hand fork or your fingers to gently turn the top layer of bedding. Check that your bin location allows for natural air circulation around the entire container.
Moisture and temperature
Temperature fluctuations cause moisture to evaporate faster, and hot conditions can quickly dry out your bin. A basement, garage, or shaded outdoor area works best for maintaining stable moisture levels.
Your worms need steady moisture levels to survive extended periods without daily attention. The bedding should feel like a wrung-out sponge before you leave – moist but not dripping. create moisture reservoirs by burying wet cardboard or thick newspaper lower in the bin. Drip irrigation systems can also work for worm farms if you are concerned about it drying out. Test the drip rate before leaving – you want steady moisture without flooding.
If you live in a particularly dry climate, place a dish or bucket of water near (not in) the bin to increase local humidity. The evaporation creates a slightly more humid and cooler environment around the bin. In the unfortunate instance of an extreme heatwave while you are away, the best insurance is lining up a worm Samaritan – someone who can add a frozen water bottle to create a cool zone.
Use a worm blanket and add conditioner
Make sure you have a worm blanket to keep in moisture and insulate the bin. Wormlovers worm blankets do not break down and are double thickness We also recommend using conditioner to keep your worms healthy. Wormlovers worm farm conditioner is a complete blend of minerals to ensure any nutrients missing in the feed is compensated for.
Worm Samaritan
For longer absences you could try to arrange a Worm Samaritan or caretaker. You don’t need an expert – just someone who can follow clear, simple instructions. Your caretaker needs to understand basic worm care without feeling overwhelmed by complex requirements.
Food Blocks
Slow-release food sources provide steady nutrition while minimizing maintenance requirements. There are various ways you can create “food blocks” which will maintain worm nutrition over long periods. Here are some examples:
Coconut coir mixed with small amounts of aged manure. Shredded cardboard mixed with coffee grounds offers similar benefits. Aged deciduous leaf mould breaks down steadily over weeks rather than days. Aim for materials that decompose slowly while maintaining proper carbon-nitrogen ratios.
Pumpkin hack & phone book hack
Here are a couple of really simple tricks to sustain your worms for weeks on end; Cut a big pumpkin in half and embed it flesh side down in the top of the bedding. The worms will love this protected ecosystem and slowly eat their way through this orange pleasure dome!
Another tip we’ve heard of is soaking a phone book or loads of newspapers in a tub of water and layering on top of your bin. The worms will gradually munch their wqy through the food and stay happily fed over a period of weeks or even months.
Long-Term Absence Strategies
If you are going on an extended break of weeks or months, you may need to relocate worms to a reliable friend, family member, or fellow gardener to look after your worm farm while you are away for extended absences.
Professional pet and plant sitting services may also be open to keeping an eye on your worm farm as well. Leave detailed notes with feeding and harvest instructions to help any professional caretaker maintain your specific setup’s rhythm and productivity.
Worm Hibernation
Worm hibernation mimics natural winter dormancy and can keep your worms alive for up to 3 months with minimal intervention. Start by reducing feeding a couple of weeks before departure. Add extra dry bedding materials like shredded newspaper, cardboard, or coconut coir to create insulation and absorb moisture.
Lower the temperature, if possible, by moving your bin to a cooler area. Worms become less active in temperatures below 15°C and enter a semi-dormant state.
.Post-Vacation Recovery and Maintenance
Inspect worm population health upon return. Your worms have been holding down the fort while you’ve been away, and now it’s time for a wellness check. Start by carefully examining your worm population within the first day of your return. Healthy worms should be active, and moving around the bedding when you disturb it slightly.
Check the moisture levels in your bin – it should feel like a wrung-out sponge. If the bedding seems too dry, mist it lightly. Conversely, if it’s soggy, add dry bedding materials like shredded newspaper or cardboard to absorb excess moisture.
Gradually resume normal feeding routines. Resist the urge to overcompensate for your absence by dumping large amounts of food scraps into the bin immediately. Your worms’ digestive systems may have slowed down during your vacation, especially if you reduced feeding beforehand. Start with small portions – about half your usual amount – and observe how quickly they process the food over the next few days. If the worm population looks low you can always add more worms, which you can purchase here.
Pests
Pest invasions are another common vacation surprise. Fruit flies, ants, or other unwanted visitors might have moved in while you were away. For fruit flies, reduce moisture levels and cover food scraps more thoroughly with bedding. Ant problems often resolve by creating barriers around the bin legs with petroleum jelly.
Worms are survivors!
Your worms are pretty tough creatures, and they can handle more than you might think. Even with neglect and a long break from regular feeding, your worm farm will bounce back. Worms can survive long periods without food as they can eek out a living by turning over older material and can even go dormant in extreme conditions; and more than likely there will still be worm eggs in your farm that can hatch in the future when better times come.
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