How Do You Use Sawdust For Raising Red Worms?
Red worms, more commonly called red wigglers or Eisenia fetida, can convert kitchen scraps to vermicompost (worm castings) in home worm bins. They require bedding materials that absorb water, since they breathe through their skin and require a moist environment. The bedding in their bin also needs to stay fluffy; if it packs down too tightly, oxygen can’t penetrate. Opinions run the gamut on whether to use sawdust as bedding for worm bins. While many books and articles for the general public on raising compost worms list sawdust as potential bedding, sawdust ranks low on the list of good bedding materials compiled by Canadian worm composting researcher Glenn Munroe. Sawdust lacks both water absorbency and fluffiness compared to manure, cardboard and shredded paper and other alternatives, according to Munroe. Other experts and hobbyists discourage use of sawdust alone as worm bedding for additional reasons, but if you choose to go that route, there are ways of incorporating sawdust into
