I posted last year here and here about our surprise acquisition of composting worms … since that time I’ve made peace with the worms and my kids really enjoy feeding them, watching them and learning about them.  My son especially enjoys them since he’s already got a penchant for things that make adults go “blech!”  They are surprisingly easy to care for.  I really only need to throw some food in for them every week or two.  Our bin is rather small and it takes them a long time to go through food.  The wonderful thing about having worms for pets is that you don’t have to get somebody to care for them while you’re gone on vacation (unless it is a really extended vacation).  The other wonderful thing is that I’m not allergic to them!

I tried to snap a pic of the worms themselves but my iphone camera would not cooperate … so here’s a picture of our bin.  We keep it by the garbage bins and it’s covered with a piece of cloth secured with a rubber band.

When we originally brought the worms home (“Red Wrigglers”, technically), they told us that they reproduce quickly and that we might have a few thousand within a few weeks.  Fortunately that prediction was a bit high (whew!) but by the end of last year, the bin was getting a bit overcrowded.  Although I *had* made peace with the worms, I wasn’t quite ready for what I knew I had to do next.  The composting process (i.e., the worm doo doo) leaves the soil extra-rich in nutrients that is wonderful for plants but not so good for worms.  Now and then, they need to have the soil replaced.  You can then use the composted soil in your garden.  Of course, I had the bad luck to do it in December, so my garden wasn’t much interested in the compost.

So, one afternoon I screwed up my courage and began the tedious process of sifting out (using a spoon, not my fingers!) the worms.  I created two bins where there had been one, with fresh dirt and damp newspapers as bedding.  I also brought along the eggs since I figured they’d have wormy nervous breakdowns if I left the babies behind.  As I went through the process, my hunch was confirmed – there were a LOT of wormies in there!  But they seemed happy in their new homes and burrowed joyfully down into the soil.

After the relocation was complete, I started looking for a new home for the new worm bin.  I don’t really have the space (nor the inclination) to keep two bins.  Strangely, none of my friends were eager to take them off my hands.  Then one day I had a stroke of genius – I could give them to the school!  They already have all manner of wildlife including fish, a rabbit and even some exotic cockroaches.  The teacher was thrilled with the idea and so this morning, I gave a little presentation to my son’s class and left them with our surplus bin.  Most of the children were fascinated by the worms, although a couple of children were scared at first. As part of the package, I also left them with two wonderful books that my son loves:Wiggling Worms at Work (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) and Compost, By Gosh!

As I left the classroom this morning, I have to admit that I felt a bit sad to leave our wormies behind, and I was nervous that the teacher wouldn’t know how to take care of them. I kept thinking of last-minute instructions to give her: “Make sure the soil doesn’t get dried out! But don’t get the soil too wet! Don’t feed them too much!” I had to remind myself that when I brought the worms home in a paper cup I knew exactly nothing about taking care of them and we figured it out just fine. I’m sure they’re in good hands (they are, aren’t they?)