Use only red worms. Night crawlers or earthworms are not good for a worm-composting unit.
Moisture is the most important attribute to a working worm composter. Keep the moisture level like a rung-out sponge. Control this by adding food scraps for more wet conditions and dry shredded paper to dry out the composter.
Let the worms mate. Create a nice environment for them to reproduce by adding compost material like steer manure so the focus is on each other and not the buffet you are giving them.
Cover the worms with a blanket. Keep an old towel, sheet, T-shirt or rug on the top layer to make them feel secure and block the light from the top of the soil.
Give them a treat. Everyone needs a little sweet to perform the best. Add melon to the composter to really get the worms excited.
Harvest the compost tea regularly. By draining the tea out of the bottom of the composter you can control the moisture and make sure there is no pool for your worms to drown in if they fall to the bottom.
Not everyone likes oranges. Red worms do not enjoy citrus peels. To avoid mildew and mold don't add these to your composter.
Don't overfeed your worms. Add food at a controlled rate. By keeping a steady pace with what the worms are eating you can avoid odors and flies being attracted to your bin.
Here is a secret worm-fattening recipe: One part flour, one part powdered milk, one part agricultural lime, two parts oatmeal, five parts steer manure or chicken feed (meal). Sprinkle this over the top layer every two weeks for two months. Large worms eat more food, thereby hastening the composting process.
