3) Critters The Worm Inns definitely win in this category hands-down! Fantastic aeration (and potent

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It s no secret hotel allegro chicago that I love both of these types of bins. And yes, of course I am super-biased (lol). After all, I do sell both of them (well, the plans in the case of the VermBins) but it s very important for everyone to realize that I only sell/promote them because I LOVE them and stand behind them 100%! You ll notice that I don t sell any other bins on the site (nuff said).
Both of these are single-compartment hotel allegro chicago flow-through bins. In other words, there is one main vermicomposting hotel allegro chicago zone wastes hotel allegro chicago get added up top, and vermicompost get s removed from the bottom (NOTE: you can certainly hotel allegro chicago have horizontal flow-through bins as well but generally they will require one or more additional compartments).
In theory, the worms should follow the food materials and concentrate themselves up near the top of the system, leaving castings-rich vermicompost down below. In actuality there are always going to be at least some stragglers hanging out in the material that gets harvested. But, all in all, when these systems are maintained properly you should see a pretty good separation of worm from vermicompost.
Both of these bins offer excellent air flow, and as such they can produce really high quality vermicompost usually faster than in something like a plastic, enclosed bin. They also both help to promote very healthy living conditions for the worms.
1) DIY vs Manufactured VermBins need to be built whether by you or someone else so that naturally adds a bit more challenge/hassle. But also adds a bit more flexibility. While you are encouraged to stick to the plans especially hotel allegro chicago if you are a DIY novice there are plenty of ways you can tweak the design (or completely modify it, if you are good with tools) to suit your needs.
Worm Inns are basically ready to go. The only thing you need to build is the stand. If building the PVC pipe stand (all Worm Inns come with corner pieces and zip ties for this you just need to buy the pipe) other than cutting the pipes, there s really nothing to it. It s just like putting together Tinker Toys . Building a wooden or metal stand will obviously be more involved, but still easier than building a VermBin.
2) Weight The Worm Inn itself is incredibly lightweight made from durable cordura fabric. VermBins, being made of wood (with various hotel allegro chicago metal components) have the potential to weigh a LOT more. In some ways the VB24 will have the edge, however, since it is a very solid, rigid design you can hit it pretty hard and you don t have to worry about anything crashing down. As I touched hotel allegro chicago on in my recent Worm Inn Mega video , as solid as the PVC stand is (zero issues handling hotel allegro chicago the weight of the system), hotel allegro chicago there is some potential for trouble if you happen to bump into it really hard. It s also important to point out that one of the optional add-ons for the VermBins is a set of wheels so that gives the VermBins an edge for moving the system.
3) Critters The Worm Inns definitely win in this category hands-down! Fantastic aeration hotel allegro chicago (and potentially light, if sitting in well-lit location) up above keeps organisms down in the composting hotel allegro chicago zone. The zippered mesh lid is pure genius helping to keep flying critters OUT (or those that have hatched IN). VermBins tend to be better than enclosed plastic bins in terms of encouraging hotel allegro chicago the development of beneficial critters but they don t do much to keep the ones that fly in or out!
4) Size/Volume I did a rough calculation of the volume of a Worm Inn Mega based on its measurements and came up with approx. 4 cu ft. I ve previously calculated the internal volume of the VB24 as ~5.6 cu ft, so it s definitely a decent amount bigger. But it also takes up more room. It is 24 x 24 x 42 (without wheels) whereas the Mega stand is 20 x 20 x 36 . I should hotel allegro chicago also mention that the extra volume (and solid wall construction etc) means the VB24 is a lot more likely to overheat. I can t think of a single time I ve had a Worm Inn overheat hotel allegro chicago not saying hotel allegro chicago it s not possible (especially hotel allegro chicago in the case of the Mega, and also in cases where the system is sitting in a warm location), but definitely a different kettle of fish than the VermBins hotel allegro chicago (as you might imagine, the VB48 and VB96 are even more likely to heat up).
5) Pricing The suggested retail price of the Mega is about $135 or so * . The cost of brand new supplies hotel allegro chicago for the VB24 might be in the range of $100-$150, depending on where you live and how good you are at finding deals. Of course, you can build it for a lot less than that if you improvise a bit and/or use reclaimed materials.
* One VERY important thing to keep in mind about the pricing of both Worm Inn models (and something I always forget to mention) is the fact that they are manufactured in the USA . Jerry Gach has a team of very hard-working, awesome folks who really benefit from his employment. He could VERY easily outsource the work overseas and pay a fraction hotel allegro chicago of what he pays per unit, but he has chosen to go this route instead. I have nothing against products made outside of North American, don t get me wrong but I still think this is commendable. If you have ever felt that these bins are expensive , perhaps this will provide some perspective.
hotel allegro chicago 6) Harvesting I think both bins have harvesting pros/cons/hassles, hotel allegro chicago so it is tough to pick a clear winner here. I love the fact that the Worm Inn (Mega or otherwise) has a tightly enclosed bottom. One of the challenges with the VermBins is that once your false bottom rots away, it is not uncommon to end up with a fair amount of vermicompost (maybe even worms) falling down. This is why I came up with a skirt and catch-bin hotel allegro chicago system for my VB48, which has been working hotel allegro chicago very well I might add. On the other hand, the fact that the bottom of the VermBins can be accessed hotel allegro chicago quickly and easily almost makes the Worm Inn harvesting look like a bit of a hassle in comparison. So it s all about deciding what works best for you! All in all, both types of systems will allow you to harvest some really nice material from the bottom (and no, the rest of the material won t just come crashing down when you do so! lol) and do so relatively easily once it is ready.
7) Worm Production This one is tough to assess and I have been extremely hotel allegro chicago impressed with both types of system for supporting high densities of composting worms. I am still in the early testing stages with the Worm Inn Mega (as I type this) but I have a sneaking suspicion (based on the gobs upon gobs of worms I am already finding hotel allegro chicago in there) that it may reign supreme in terms of density hotel allegro chicago of worms per unit volume. We ll have to wait and see!
Both of these would be fine outdoors in any location where a plastic bin is ok outdoors. I would keep the Worm Inn out of direct hotel allegro chicago sunlight as much as possible, however, since it will degrade the fabric (and mesh). Also important to keep in mind that precipitation will have an impact on the Inn (as will very dry conditions).
Hi! I m returning to worm composting after a long hiatus. I m strongly considering buying the Worm Inn, but I ve noticed what looks like mold infesting the outside of Inns in various videos. Fairly certain that my husband would not tolerate this. In the past, I ve used plastic worm tower contraptions hotel allegro chicago which certainly had their own issues (slower process, dampness, hotel allegro chicago drowning worms, fruit flies), but the outsides hotel allegro chicago were easy to keep tidy looking in a small house. Do you have advice on this? Any way to keep mold from covering the Inn? Thanks!
Hi Amy interesting question! Please let me know what videos you are referring to, specifically. Were they part of the Worm Inn Overfeeding Challenge , by chance? I don t recall there being mold on that Inn but if there was ever a situation where it might happen that would be it! lol
If there is an excessive amount of food in the system and (likely as a result) it remains hotel allegro chicago really, hotel allegro chicago really wet, I could see this potentially happening. When the Worm Inn is used properly (I had disclaimers hotel allegro chicago associated with the overfeeding challenge that definitely was NOT proper use! lol) you really shouldn t see mold growth hotel allegro chicago on the outside. I certainly haven t seen anything close to mold covering the Inn that s for sure! If you did happen to get a little patch appearing, simply wiping it down with a rag and some vinegar/water solution should get rid of it very easily.
hotel allegro chicago I ve made a couple of flow through bins, one small plastic and one wooden vb24. Both have good results although the vb24 didn t last long enough to really tell the flying critters got too much. Flow through is definitely the way to go. I m intrigued by the harvesting method used for the Inn cause it sounds like a real hassle.
I think if I were to build another hotel allegro chicago vb-style I d make the main chamber v-shadowed hotel allegro chicago to avoid the skirt which in my case alleviated the mess around the bin but not entirely and also made harvesting harder.
Hi, Bentley. I ve pretty much decided I need to replace the WF I have with a Worm Inn,and am working on logistics in a small kitchen. Outdoors is not doable over the winter, as recent temps prove. I have a couple of questions, though, that I can t find answers to.
#1 The brochure at theworminn.com says to keep a pan or bucket under the bag for leachate. I know how much exactly is going to depend on how much and what one feeds, hotel allegro chicago but since I ve never had a ton of liquid in the WF, I have to wonder, is it going to smell if I m not able to keep up with the liquid? I ve read and reread your posts, and don t see anything about catching leachate. ?
#2 It also mentions a wheeled version that is a size that would work better for me. Do you know anything about that? If not, could I trim the 18 pieces by 2-3 to make the Inn fit the corner it needs to go in? Would that cause me to have to adjust the vertical pipes to be higher to compensate?
@Lynn: I don t always have a bucket under my Worm Inn (probabl