Question 1

Hi!  How long can the worms live unattended, for vacations and such?

Accepted Answer

Hi! Once the worms are settled in you can give them some dry corn meal and some food scraps (not too much food scraps) and they can be left for up to three weeks, possibly four if it is a well-established composter.

Question 2

I found these questions but they weren't actually answered in the response.  So, hoping can get them here!
1. How long-ish does it take for the scraps to compost?
2. Can someone provide a list of places, providers, best practices on where to find the special soil and worms?
LID PROBLEM:
3. Has the problem with the LIDS CURLING been fixed?
4. If not, has anyone come up with a work-around, that works?
5. Are they strong enough to keep the worms from escaping?

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and expertise!

Accepted Answer

HI! 
1. The composter can process over two pounds of food a week, enough to keep up with most or all of the scraps in a two- or three-person household. If it starts to get too full, transfer the finished compost to potted plants or a garden to fertilize the soil.
2. You can purchase Red Worms / Red Wiggler / Brandling / Manure worms or Composting Worms (which are the ones you'll need for this. These can be bought at most garden supply shops or online as well as the Sawdust. 
3&4. The lid cork may warp with humidity and fluctuations in temperature. To rectify this, firmly bend the lid back into shape.
5. Making sure the lid is secure will help prevent the worms from escaping, the vendor also has this to say about the worms getting out: "Worms escape for many reasons, adding too many worms when starting Biovessel, unpleasant environment(too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold...), inappropriate food waste being added to the bin such as raw meat, citrus, fermenting fruit, alcohol, etc., can all cause worms trying to escape from the bin. We will suggest putting Biovessel in a brighter environment first, this will stop worms from getting out Biovessel as they are Photophobia creatures. Sometimes stop feeding food waste for a couple of days can help. And then start creating a comfortable environment for worms, they require similar conditions as humans – they prefer room temperature (55-85°F) and adequate moisture, pH level."

We hope this information helped!

Question 3

The top looks to be made of wood in the main product images, yet the description says cork like in in the older customer photos. Is this an updated or outdated model or feature? It appears the cork top has less than stellar reviews below and I'm wondering if they updated it so that the corners didn't curl.

Verified reply from Leslie

Hi there! The version we offer has the cork lid.

Accepted Answer

Hi there! The version we offer has the cork lid.

Question 4

This has already been asked before, but not yet answered, as far as I can tell: what happens over time as the worms populate?

Accepted Answer

Hi Cait! According to the maker:

Worms will regulate their population according to the conditions of the environment. These conditions include space, moisture, pH, temperature, bedding material, and types/amount of food waste. In our experience, by following the guide, users might need to add worms after 12-18 months, the number of worms that should be added can refer to the efficiency of the food waste they break down.

If worms have to compete for food, the population will go down. If there is a lot of food available for a time, then worms multiply at a high rate and more young worms then compete with their parents. Then this greater population produces more castings, it is important to note that castings are toxic to their own species, so it is advisable to harvest the castings regularly.

Question 5

Is there any chance to ship this product or similar to Mexico City? I need 77 as a corporate present.

Accepted Answer

Hi Max! This question would be best served by our corporate orders team! You can find more info here: https://www.uncommongoods.com/corporateOrder

Question 6

Just set up the composter today and my worms keep getting out! I followed all the directions. And it's not like one worm, at least 20 so far have gotten out and it's only been a few hours. What do I do?

Accepted Answer

Hi Madeleine! We checked with the maker and they said the following:

Worms escape for many reasons, adding too many worms when starting Biovessel, unpleasant environment(too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold...), inappropriate food waste being added to the bin such as raw meat, citrus, fermenting fruit, alcohol, etc., can all cause worms trying to escape from the bin.
We will suggest putting Biovessel in a brighter environment first, this will stop worms from getting out Biovessel as they are Photophobia creatures. Sometimes stop feeding food waste for a couple of days can help. And then start creating a comfortable environment for worms, they require similar conditions as humans – they prefer room temperature (55-85°F) and adequate moisture, pH level.

Question 7

Hello! I can't find sawdust soil mix either at local shops or online, as indicated in the materials list. Does it go by another name? Can you suggest where I might be able to find it? I live in New York City. Thank you!

Accepted Answer

Hello! The maker of this product suggests purchasing composting worms and soil together from the same supplier and make sure with the supplier that the soil will work for worm composting. Every worm farm has their own kind of soil for worm composting - it doesn't have to be sawdust soil. Hope that helps!

Question 8

It comes with a probe for moisture, light, and pH but the instructions don't say what to do if the vessel becomes unbalanced. Adding water to a low moisture reading is obvious, but what do you do if the pH or something else is off?

Accepted Answer

Hello! The pH level changes due to different kinds of food waste users put in. If it’s unbalanced, try putting less food waste for couple of days to let worms and microorganisms digest the food wastes a bit and adding some bedding soil, it could help balance the pH level back to normal.

Question 9

How much does this product weigh?

Accepted Answer

This item weighs 4.3 pounds.

Question 10

How do you separate the worms from the compost when you harvest the worm castings?

Accepted Answer

Spread a thin (approx 1 inch) layer of castings on the burlap. Wait for at least 20 minutes for the worms to burrow away from the light source, directly into their new home. Worm-free castings can then be removed from the top of the burlap. Repeat this process until all bin contents have been separated.

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Living Composter

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photos from reviews