Living in an apartment doesn’t mean you need to give up on composting! Vermicomposting is perfect for small indoor spaces, whether you’re in a tiny apartment or simply don’t have access to an outdoor area. By setting up a worm bin indoors, you can recycle your food scraps naturally without taking up much space. In this guide, we’ll show you how to get started with vermicomposting inside your home, and provide tips to keep the process smell-free and hassle-free.
Choosing the Right Worm Bin for Indoor Spaces
When composting indoors, it’s important to choose a bin that is compact, odor-free, and easy to manage. The Box of Life Worm Studio is a great option for small-space composting. It's stylish so you don't need to hide your worm farm in a closet or basement and highly efficient due to the vertical stacking trays allowing for continuous harvesting of castings.
Alternatively, if you’re interested in a DIY approach, a simple plastic tote or a 3 gallon bucket works best. There's no need to drill holes for airflow, you can simply leave the lid on without sealing it shut.
Where to Place the Bin Indoors
The beauty of vermicomposting is that red wiggler earthworms prefer the same temperatures as humans do so keeping them indoors means you can compost year round knowing your wormies are in a happy place! A worm farm also doesn’t take up much space so you can easily find a spot for it. Here are a few ideas for where to place your worm bin:
• Under the Kitchen Sink: A popular choice since it’s close to where food scraps are generated.
• Closets or Laundry Rooms: If you prefer to keep the bin out of sight, a closet or laundry room works well as long as the temperature remains stable.
• Corners or Utility Areas: Any unused corner or utility space can become a perfect home for your worm bin, especially if it’s well-ventilated.
Keep the bin in an area with minimal light and steady temperatures, ideally between 50-80°F, as worms thrive in these conditions. It's also important to keep them accessible because if it's too far away or inconvenient, it's going to be harder to remember to feed them and it will be harder to build a successful composting habit.
How to Prevent Odors and Flies Indoors
One of the main concerns with indoor composting is the potential for odors or pests, but with a few simple practices, you can easily avoid both.
• Odor Control: The key to odor-free vermicomposting is maintaining the right balance between food scraps and bedding. For every handful of food you add, you must add an equal amount of bedding. Always cover fresh food scraps with a layer of bedding material (like shredded paper or cardboard). If you notice any smells, it’s usually a sign of overfeeding or excess moisture. Cut back on food and add dry bedding to restore balance.
• Fly Prevention: Fruit flies can be a problem indoors, but there’s a simple solution—freeze your food scraps before adding them to the bin. Freezing not only kills off any potential fly eggs but also helps food break down faster. Worms don’t have teeth, so they prefer mushy food, and pre-frozen scraps are easier for them to digest.
Managing Moisture and Temperature Indoors
In an indoor environment, maintaining the right moisture levels is essential for your worms to thrive. In winter specially when the heat is on, the air in your home can become dry and consequently dry out your worm farm too. The wormy ecosystem should be damp and the best way to know is with the squeeze test - when you gently squeeze the ecosystem, you should see a couple of drops of water fall out. Here’s how to manage moisture in small indoor spaces:
• Too Wet? Mix in a bit of dry bedding materials like shredded paper or cardboard to absorb the excess moisture until you reach .
• Too Dry? Mist the bedding lightly with water to keep the bin at the right moisture level. It should feel like a wrung-out sponge. If the bin seems too dry, then you can mix in a bunch of dripping wet bedding or ice cubes to evenly distribute moisture throughout the farm.
As for temperature, worms are happiest between 50-80°F. Make sure the bin stays in a cool, stable environment, away from any heat sources like vents, radiators and refrigerators.
At The Box of Life, we’re here to make vermicomposting as easy as possible. Our Worm Studio is designed with indoor composters in mind, so you can enjoy the process without worrying about space. Ready to get started? Let’s turn your food waste into rich, healthy soil, one worm at a time!