Wiggler Hilton

Ok i started and finished my little wiggler Hilton today took me about 30 min i did my best with the pictures and editing so that i can post up som easy instructions on how i did it

Total cost: $24.67

Materials:
3 rubber maid bins (size not important)
2 scrap 2x4's cut to fit box
1 1/2 PVC Hose Spiogt
2 Rubber O-rings
1 Spigot Collar


Tools:
Drill (mine is cordless)
3/8 drill bit
7/64 drill bit
1/2 hole saw


I started with the bottom box by drilling a 1/2" hole as close to the bottom as i could get


I then put 1 rubber o-ring onto the spigot and installed it in said hole


Placed another O-ring on the inside end of the spigot to dbl seal it for leaks


and locked it into place with the spigot collar


I next installed the scrap 2x4 risers to help elevate the 2nd tier from the bottom


Then came the 2nd tier box i used a 3/8 drill bit to drill holes all the way around the up portion of the box to allow for good ventilation


Fliped the box over and used a 7/64 drill bit to drill drainage holes for the moisture to flow down into tier 1 for compost Tea i chose the 7/64 bit because its large enough to allow the water to drain but small enough to prevent the worms from commiting suicide


Now on to Tier 3 i used the 3/8 drill bit to again drill holes all the way around the upper portion of the box for good air flow i also used the same drill bit to drill holes all over the bottom of the box since it will be sitting on top of tier 2 and worms feed in an dupward motion i wanted to make sure that they had plenty of space to wiggle into tier 3



I installed tier 2 onto the risers inside of tier 1 and added some shredded paper leaves some semi composted material and compost (worms digestive system work useing whats called a gizzard which grinds stuff up so a little soil helps them alot)


And last but not least i installed tier 3 on top of tier 2 since we are not concered about this tier being submerged in compost tea no risers are needed for this section


And you are done building your wiggler Hilton very simple very inexpensive method and this is your end results



Now when your worms arrive they are ready to go to work in thier new home.

I know this thread was a bit long winded but i wanted to try and give the best description and details about it as i could, and again my photo editing skills are not the greatest in the world so i did as best i could. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask. I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial on how to build your own home made wiggler Hilton

Wow! it's a beautiful...hotel Nice pics and commentary as well!

Wow, this puts my old black plastic composter and utility sink to shame! Great job!

very much for the tutorial. I have been wondering about how to do this.

Just one question, Why the top (3rd) tier?

I understand the 1st tier for catching the tea, the second for the worms mixed into the compost but that third one just evades my understanding.

3rd tier is for more compost the set up can be expanded as many times as you want as long as the holes on the tier above the worms are large enough they will miggrate to the next lvl to feed work and play

That makes since. Learning new things every day. Got my lesson for the day so guess I can give the brain a break for now.

Thanks choksaw! I might try this if I can find a spot that won't cause the little guys to bake in the Texas sun.

Thanks. One question, wouldn't you still need risers between the 2nd and 3rd sections so the worms don't get squished? Or am I missed something here?

Oh, where did you get the spigot? I've never seen them at the stores, just mail order.

I love it! Very clear and concise instructions! A picture is worth a thousand words -- haven't I heard that somewhere?

Thanks for your great effort in posting.

no need for risers for the 3rd tier by the time if gets heavy enough to do anything the worms will have already migrated into the next box, not to mention worms are like cockroachs (bad analogy) they can flatten thier boddies and still wriggle freely

the spigot was found at lowes in the plumbing department originaly i had a brass one but could not find a collar or O-rings that would fit so i went back and looked at other options and saw the PVC 1 for half the cost and was able to find the collar and O-rings that would fit (thanx to Ray at my local lowes)

Ok, so exactly how does this work? You put new food scraps into the top box? Where does the compost "tea" come in? Do you add water to the boxes when you want "tea"? Or does the composting by the worms create enough moisture that it drips down and gathers in the bottom box? My Dad has a similar set up minus the spigot and he ocasionally (I'm not sure how often) takes the bottom box full of finished compost and dumps it into the gardens but I've never seen the "tea" set up you've documented.

The bottom section is to catch the liquid that naturally forms in the composting process. Otherwise the compost would get too soggy and the worms drown. Makes sense to be able to siphon it off for use in the garden.

exactly i could have done without the spigot but this being my first attempt at vermiculture i wasnt sure how heavy the compost bin would get or how heavy the tea bin would get so i tried to stay with the "KISS' system as much as i could. the only heavy lifting will be when i need to transfer the "garden gold" to another container for future use.

for those that dont know what the "KISS" system is KISS= Keep It Simple Stupid

Very Nice! The best instructions I've seen so far on the web. This might be just the push I need to go ahead and build one.

So, I set up my worms the other day and I have found maybe 4 or 5 all dried up on the floor next to the worm box. I opened it up and took and lot and there are lots of worms busy eating. Is this normal or did I miscalculate somewhere? It doesn't really bother me grossness-wise, but I don't want to let them hurt themselves...
Sandy

escape artist worms lol um not too sure this is my first time ever trying vermiculture but i remeber back as a kid when i went fishing the worms always tried to get out of the container some are just free spirited and dont like captivity i guess

I know there are several links to posts about the worm hotel setup but what types of temperature ranges can the little guys handle? It gets pretty hot around here in mid summer. Would they be able to handle mid to upper 90's if they were completely shaded? I would hate to spend the money on some good crawly creatures only to kill them off the first good day of summer.

thats something im worried about as well im further south then you are in Tenn an di work outside for a livieing and i know the temps get up there im hopeing that if put in a full shaded area with good ventilation and moisture in the box will keep my guys alive as well

nidiyao wrote:So, I set up my worms the other day and I have found maybe 4 or 5 all dried up on the floor next to the worm box. I opened it up and took and lot and there are lots of worms busy eating. Is this normal or did I miscalculate somewhere? It doesn't really bother me grossness-wise, but I don't want to let them hurt themselves...
Sandy

From what I've read this sometimes happens with a new worm setup. To keep them from escaping, keep a light on over their bin for a few days until they become use to their new home and start eating.

Thanks Titan. Of course the girls were totally grossed out (they are at that easily grossed out stage, ages 14, 12 and 11). I'm hoping they will grow up to be gardeners so less grossing out is better!
Sandy

I'm not handy so last spring I bought a worm condo. I love it. It has 3 stories. In the spring I put it outside in the shade of trees and kept them out all summer. If it was going to rain, I laid a plastic tablecloth loosely over it to keep them from drowning.
Worms like moisture, but never overdo it or they drown.
They love your spent coffee grounds and tea bags.
You can prevent escapes thru the spigot by putting a piece of panty hose over the opening and securing it with a rubber band.
Do NOT give them too much lettuce. A wormer paid the price for this experiment with feeding them an old shredded head of it, by losing nearly his whole colony. Mix the lettuce with other foods.
Chop up the foods into small pieces. I used a veggie grinder a couple of times but don't like the wetness of it. I like a little substance to their food.
Last fall I got a lovely bucket of castings that were just marvelous.

They don't care for root crops so save your potato peelings for your composter.
I keep mine in the bathroom when they are not living outside. They should not be subject to temps in the 90s because it'll be hotter inside the container. Take your worm city into the house for relief from heat if you live in the south.

They don't smell so being inside will not be a problem.
Enjoy your worm farming. It's a great way to 'go green' and improve your garden as well.

I live in the South and experience +100 temps in the summer. Since I don't air condition, the inside temps are about the same as outside. Does that mean I can't keep worms? I just purchased three tubs on sale and was all ready to order the worms when I read these temperature threads. I thought as long as they were out of the sun, things would be OK. Advice please.

No experience to offer, just a thought. Would a hole in the ground help? Ala the old root cellar concept?

boffer wrote:No experience to offer, just a thought. Would a hole in the ground help? Ala the old root cellar concept?

+1 that was my first thought, maybe have to mulch them in with straw or something... :?:

camprn wrote:

boffer wrote:No experience to offer, just a thought. Would a hole in the ground help? Ala the old root cellar concept?

+1 that was my first thought, maybe have to mulch them in with straw or something... :?:

Mulched worms...........now that is just a gross visual. Thanks a lot camprn!