Harvesting Worm Castings & Expanding Your Nightcrawler Bin

Harvesting Worm Castings & Expanding Your Nightcrawler Bin

1. When to Harvest Worm Castings

• After 2-3 months, your bin should have a buildup of dark, crumbly worm castings (worm poop).
• Worm castings are nutrient-rich fertilizer for plants.
• If the bedding looks mostly like soil instead of shredded paper or compost, it’s time to harvest.

2. How to Harvest Worm Castings

✅ Method 1: Migration Technique (Best for Minimal Disturbance)

1. Move most of the bedding and worms to one side of the bin.
2. Add fresh bedding & food to the empty side.
3. Wait a week—most worms will move to the fresh bedding.
4. Scoop out the finished worm castings from the old side.

✅ Method 2: Light Method (Faster, but More Hands-On)

1. Dump the contents onto a large flat surface in bright light.
2. Worms will burrow downward to escape the light.
3. Carefully remove the top layer of castings.
4. Repeat until only a pile of worms remains, then return them to fresh bedding.

✅ Method 3: Screening (For Large Bins)

• Use a ¼-inch mesh screen to sift out the castings, leaving worms and large debris behind.

3. Expanding Your Worm Bin

• If your worm population grows too large, start a new bin or give extra worms to a friend.
• Add a second bin on top with fresh bedding—worms will migrate upward, making it easier to harvest castings from the lower bin.
• Keep multiple bins if you want to raise more worms for composting, fishing bait, or selling.