Worm "pit"

**Hanshendrik Harmsen e*@world-net.co.nz**

Dear Mohamed,
If you dig a pit for your worms, make sure it has drainage.
Worms can have quite a damp environmment, but they can also drown in an 
over wet place.
Fact :
worms will come up to the surface in wet rainy weather, to avoid drowning.

The size of your "pit" seems to be OK  for one household 's kitchen scraps.,
but for ease of moving the wormcastings when finished, why not set up two 
or more smaller "pits".
Better build your unit in the form of boxes above the ground  and then put 
a proper roof over it as well.
Don't worry about being 1800 Ft ASL, I live at about that altitude, and the 
worms are doing fine.

Fact :
I have a small wormfarm, and have built a shed on a concrete floor, with 
boxes sized 6x3x1 foot.
I collect the scraps from two families, and feed two boxes of woms with that.
plus some tree leaves, partly rotted.
Worms will eat nearly their own live weight of foodstuffs per day.

The type of worm most suitable for handling the kitchen scraps, would be :
Lumbricus Rubella, and Eisenia Foetida.
I do not know if you can specifically obtain those in Malaysia.
Feeding once a week is about all you would have to do.
I sometimes leave them alone for about three weeks before feeding them again.
One thing is important :
Fork over the bed regularly, to give the worms oxygen.

Fact :
If your boxes are set up above ground, and the worms in the ground have 
free acces from below, then you will find,
that the local breeds will automatically head for the food you provide, be 
it kitchen scraps or other food.

Covering of your boxes,
A tarpaulin will quickly rot in Malaysia I expect.
So you would be beter off, to put a corrugated iron roof on poles over the 
boxes.
This keeps out the rain, and also provides shade for the worms to work.
A mat cover over the boxes will be essential to keep it in the darkness for 
the worms,
Better still, to keep away the flies, birds and other vermin, put netting 
around your unit as well.
Worms hate light, and direct sunlight will kill them very quickly.

Fact :
I have a dedicated website, giving a lot of information about wormfarming 
here :
http://www.wormfaminginfo.co.nz

Visit it, and you will see what is what about setting up with worms.
Any other info needed, just e-mail me.

Kind regards,
Hanshendrik Harmsen,
plenneke@xtra.co.nz 

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