[sloegin]

I`ve had cheap trouble free wormeries for many years also known as compost heaps.

I've got some scraps to start composting again. Had a plastic compost bin. As well as the usual veg peelings, apple cores i was putting eggshells in it, then the rats came.   OH put shovel full of rat poison under shed would check it every day to she if any had gone.
 Rats were eating it. Foundloads of egg shells near the shovel & on the ground. The compost bin was around the back of the shed. So am a bit apprehensive about starting fresh compost. That's why i was thinking a wormery would be a good idea.

[8doubles]

If a rat wanted to get in to a wormery it would take it about 20 miniutes. I have even seen copper water pipe that has been gnawed through.
Unless OH makes an armour plated version i think rats would be a problem.

[Janeymiddlewife]

If a rat wanted to get in to a wormery it would take it about 20 miniutes. I have even seen copper water pipe that has been gnawed through.
Unless OH makes an armour plated version i think rats would be a problem.

I'm going to disagree! Our neighbour has chickens and have seen a rat shooting past my wormery from elsewhere, but never seen any evidence of them getting into it.

Interesting mix of opinions here, but what else should I expect?

Is it a quicker way than compost bins of processing waste to produce compost?

NO !!!  - well not in any meaningful quantities anyway!

[8doubles]

If a rat wanted to get in to a wormery it would take it about 20 miniutes. I have even seen copper water pipe that has been gnawed through.
Unless OH makes an armour plated version i think rats would be a problem.

I'm going to disagree! Our neighbour has chickens and have seen a rat shooting past my wormery from elsewhere, but never seen any evidence of them getting into it.

If they have plenty of chicken food why would they bother to chew their way into a wormery .
Intelligent animals rats.

[Snoop]

Is it a quicker way than compost bins of processing waste to produce compost?

No, but the stuff you get is absolutely fantastic. You can't pile in the waste like a compost bin but have to add it in amounts that the worms can get through. If you stick too much in and it gets very hot while breaking down, you'll end up cooking the worms!

Sorting the compost from the worms is the tedious part. But I just make two mounds out of a tray from my Can-o-worms, leave it for a few hours for the worms to head towards the bottom of each mound and then scrape off the relatively worm-free stuff at the top and pile the bottom of the mounds, which is usually heaving with worms, straight back in the wormery. If you try and 'save' every worm or egg, you'll be there for hours...

Plants love the worm tea (the liquid that drips out of a tap at the bottom of the wormery).

My only caveat is that wormeries are quite expensive to buy. Making one would work out cheaper, but remember you'll want to find a way to get the liquid out to make the most of a wormery and to stop the worms from drowning. I started off years ago with a bucket and a plastic cup of worms. To get the tea out, I used a turkey baster with a bit of lace curtain over the end to suck up the liquid but filter out any of the compost or worms.

[SarahB]

Making one would work out cheaper, but remember you'll want to find a way to get the liquid out to make the most of a wormery and to stop the worms from drowning.

You can get brewing bins that come with a tap already attached, or buy a bucket with a lid and drill a separate hole for a tap (or even just a bung).  It would just need some kind of mesh fitting inside the bucket above the level of the tap to protect the worms...

[arugula]

Is it a quicker way than compost bins of processing waste to produce compost?

NO !!!  - well not in any meaningful quantities anyway!

Thanks JMW!

No, but the stuff you get is absolutely fantastic.

Thanks snoop!