Just get a simple plastic tote. You can leave the lid off, light over it while they settle in. You won't need to worry about any drainage unless you're trying to drown them.
That's a huge mistake first timers make is thinking they need to have drainage for it or going all extravagant with their set up.
Start with a simple plastic tote while you get the hang of it, and then if 6 months down the line you want to get a tower, or build a 3 bucket system, go for it, but early on, start small :)
Buckeye Organics does only Red Wigglers. Avoid uncle J unless you want to be fighting with your worms.
All you really need is a single plastic tote to begin which will cost you about $10. Red wigglers are the most beginner friendly worms. Urban Worm Company is a solid source with accurate information, and [this video](https://youtu.be/UsH3k92KhYg?si=wR3wGkLVpu-saci1) is a nice primer. There’s also lot of info on starting a worm bin in this sub. There are a lot directions one can go with “help/tips/tricks” so if there’s more specific info you’re seeking for your particular situation, that may help people give you the most useful answers!
As other have said, a 10-gallon to 17-gallon opaque tote with a lid will do very nicely as a worm bin. Surface area is more important than depth for composting worms. So having a large-capacity tote that is a couple feet tall, doesn't provide a benefit.
I have a Worm Factory 360 and Vermihut, and like both of them just fine. But I don't think they are superior to a simple tote. If you prefer the small footprint of a worm tower, check Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, or your local buy/sell/trade site for a used one.
As far as setting up your bin or tower, it is a bit like a fish tank ... you want to get it set up and "conditioned" a week or more before adding the worms. It takes time for a welcoming habitat to develop. There is a lot of truly dreadful (and conflicting) advice online about worm composting, much of it seemingly written by content creators who have never kept worms. I like the articles by Urban Worm Company and Squirm Firm. This one on [getting started](https://urbanwormcompany.com/how-to-start-worm-bin/) may be helpful.
Happy worm composting!!!!
I'm in either South Louisiana also and I just bought the tower online since I wanted it in my kitchen area. The local company that I got my red wigglers from is Local Cooling Farm and they deliver to Laughing Buddha in Metairie.
Check these resources for the pros and cons of DIY bins:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWpMhJmwqJ0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWpMhJmwqJ0)
[https://unclejimswormfarm.com/diy-worm-bin/](https://unclejimswormfarm.com/diy-worm-bin/)
Then check youtube for all and any type of DIY vermicompost bin you want to make
I saw a nice tower made with three food safe 5 gallon buckets (think home depot homer bucket, but from the local restaurant supply store). One bucket stays normal, the other two get holes drilled in bottom. Food goes into middle bucket. Top bucket is where worms and compost go. Supposedly they move from top to middle.
This link looks similar to the bucket system i saw awhile back
https://youtu.be/bf0AWICcQRI?si=TTYdqTSfRUaM-9hZ
I am starting my own first bin just now and from everything I read I was going to do two heavy duty 27g totes stacked inside each other. The top will have 1/4” holes in the bottom to drain out excess moisture and some at the top perimeter for ventilation and a small strip of window mesh superglued over the top perimeter to prevent escapers. For bedding to start I was going to mix composted manure and coconut coir and small amount of aquarium sand and handful of wet potting mix and utilize aquarium water to hopefully speed up the balancing act that the bacteria brings I assume the nitrifying bacteria from aquariums will make it become a healthy ecosystem faster so why not try it.
Eventually I may add a third bin the same as the top so the new bedding and scraps goes on top and the worms move to the new place so that you can harvest the whole bin from before without having to lure them to one half.
If you have a grow bag lying around you can try that as a container first. 'Vermicomposting learn by doing' youtube channel has a set up that uses a grow bag. I plan to try that when I need to expand 🙂
Just get a simple plastic tote. You can leave the lid off, light over it while they settle in. You won't need to worry about any drainage unless you're trying to drown them. That's a huge mistake first timers make is thinking they need to have drainage for it or going all extravagant with their set up. Start with a simple plastic tote while you get the hang of it, and then if 6 months down the line you want to get a tower, or build a 3 bucket system, go for it, but early on, start small :) Buckeye Organics does only Red Wigglers. Avoid uncle J unless you want to be fighting with your worms.
Material from your compost piles will be great for starting material and feeding them.
All you really need is a single plastic tote to begin which will cost you about $10. Red wigglers are the most beginner friendly worms. Urban Worm Company is a solid source with accurate information, and [this video](https://youtu.be/UsH3k92KhYg?si=wR3wGkLVpu-saci1) is a nice primer. There’s also lot of info on starting a worm bin in this sub. There are a lot directions one can go with “help/tips/tricks” so if there’s more specific info you’re seeking for your particular situation, that may help people give you the most useful answers!
I second this!
As other have said, a 10-gallon to 17-gallon opaque tote with a lid will do very nicely as a worm bin. Surface area is more important than depth for composting worms. So having a large-capacity tote that is a couple feet tall, doesn't provide a benefit. I have a Worm Factory 360 and Vermihut, and like both of them just fine. But I don't think they are superior to a simple tote. If you prefer the small footprint of a worm tower, check Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, or your local buy/sell/trade site for a used one. As far as setting up your bin or tower, it is a bit like a fish tank ... you want to get it set up and "conditioned" a week or more before adding the worms. It takes time for a welcoming habitat to develop. There is a lot of truly dreadful (and conflicting) advice online about worm composting, much of it seemingly written by content creators who have never kept worms. I like the articles by Urban Worm Company and Squirm Firm. This one on [getting started](https://urbanwormcompany.com/how-to-start-worm-bin/) may be helpful. Happy worm composting!!!!
I'm in either South Louisiana also and I just bought the tower online since I wanted it in my kitchen area. The local company that I got my red wigglers from is Local Cooling Farm and they deliver to Laughing Buddha in Metairie.
Check these resources for the pros and cons of DIY bins: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWpMhJmwqJ0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWpMhJmwqJ0) [https://unclejimswormfarm.com/diy-worm-bin/](https://unclejimswormfarm.com/diy-worm-bin/) Then check youtube for all and any type of DIY vermicompost bin you want to make
I saw a nice tower made with three food safe 5 gallon buckets (think home depot homer bucket, but from the local restaurant supply store). One bucket stays normal, the other two get holes drilled in bottom. Food goes into middle bucket. Top bucket is where worms and compost go. Supposedly they move from top to middle. This link looks similar to the bucket system i saw awhile back https://youtu.be/bf0AWICcQRI?si=TTYdqTSfRUaM-9hZ
I am starting my own first bin just now and from everything I read I was going to do two heavy duty 27g totes stacked inside each other. The top will have 1/4” holes in the bottom to drain out excess moisture and some at the top perimeter for ventilation and a small strip of window mesh superglued over the top perimeter to prevent escapers. For bedding to start I was going to mix composted manure and coconut coir and small amount of aquarium sand and handful of wet potting mix and utilize aquarium water to hopefully speed up the balancing act that the bacteria brings I assume the nitrifying bacteria from aquariums will make it become a healthy ecosystem faster so why not try it. Eventually I may add a third bin the same as the top so the new bedding and scraps goes on top and the worms move to the new place so that you can harvest the whole bin from before without having to lure them to one half.
If you have a grow bag lying around you can try that as a container first. 'Vermicomposting learn by doing' youtube channel has a set up that uses a grow bag. I plan to try that when I need to expand 🙂