Prepare the Bin

• 1). Select or build a container approximately 1' deep, 2' wide, and 3' long. A plastic container will work, as will an old dresser drawer or a homemade wooden box. Whatever box you choose, it should have a loose-fitting lid.
  
  
• 2). Drill a dozen holes in the bottom of the bin. These holes allow air to circulate and liquid to drain from the bottom of the bin. If you are using a plastic container, you may want to drill several additional holes to help increase air circulation, which the worms need to survive and which speeds the decomposition of food scraps.
  
  
• 3). Place the bin outdoors, elevated on several bricks with a tray underneath. This allows air to circulate under the bin, and the tray will collect "worm tea" -- which is a beneficial fertilizer for plants.
  
  
• 4). Make worm bedding from shredded newspapers and cardboard. Commercial worm bedding is available, but newspaper and cardboard work just as well and are generally cheaply available at home. Allow the newspaper and cardboard to soak up water for up to 24 hours. Squeeze to remove excess water, then fluff the bedding and fill the bin about 2/3 full with moistened bedding.
  
  

Add Worms and Start Composting

• 1). Purchase red wigglers (Eisenia foetida) online or at a local retailer. Add to the prepared bedding. Worms will quickly move down into the bedding to get away from the light.
  
  
• 2). Add kitchen waste slowly. Worms will eat most kitchen scraps, but be careful not to add too much garlic, onion or citrus, as worms tend not to like these and they may grow bacteria and cause odors. Do not place meat, dairy or other oily waste in your worm bin. You will quickly learn what your worms like the most, and how much food they can process.
  
  
• 3). Add kitchen waste in different areas around the bin in a regular pattern. For example, start in the top left corner of the bin and work around the bin clockwise. Once you return to the top left corner, the worms will likely have processed that waste and left a rich humus of worm castings in its place.
  
  
• 4). Harvest your compost by leaving a corner or section of the bin out of the waste rotation for about one to two weeks. When there is no food left in that corner or section, the worms will move to the new food on the other half of the bin, leaving a worm-free, rich humus behind, which you can remove and use a plant food.
  
  
• 5). Continue to add bedding to the bin as needed and monitor the amount of kitchen waste the worms are eating. If your bin starts producing odor, cut back on the amount of waste you are adding, include more bedding and turn the compost with a garden fork.