apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I vermicompost and have been really happy with it. I have a rubbermade bin (it took at most an afternoon to set it all up) that lives in our little side yard most of the year and the basement in the winter. If it was prettier, it'd be nice to have in the kitchen, but a rubbermade bin just isn't that attractive.

It's really low-maintenance, and I haven't run into any problems with critters or smells. I am sort of getting over the gross-out factor, and I can use the humus in my plants.

Also, it makes me feel very deep-green, even though I'm actually probably more of a light-green kind of person.

I don't vermicompost right now, although I have in the past. I just have not yet figured out where to put the bin in my current apartment layout. When I had a worm bin, people were always amazed that it never smelled bad (it actually had a pleasant, earthy smell).

I have made 2 homemade worm bins. I used good sized plastic bins and used a drill to make air holes on the lid and the top portions of the sides. I used old newspapers for the "bedding."

The only problem I ever had with vermicompost was with fruit flies. I'm told there are ways to keep them under control, I just never learned what they are!

I recommend the book, "Worms Eat my Garbage."

I'm on my second go-around with worms. The first time, several years ago, I used some Rubbermaid tubs, which worked OK. I had drilled holes in tehm so that moisture would drain, but that meant they got the basement floor wet.
This time around, for my birthday (!) my wife bought me a Worm Chalet, a three-decker for the worms. It works really well. It has three layers, so you can be adding to one while the others are being finished by the worms. The base unit collects "worm tea", and has a spigot so you can drain it off. It is supposed to be very good for watering plants... but I don't do it as often as I probably should!
It does smell slightly sometimes, but we keep it in the basement, so we don't notice it upstairs. Most of the time it doesn't smell at all. its only when we feed it too much stuff at once, or stuff that sat in the bucket upstairs for to long and started rotting. Other than that it is pretty unobtrusive.

we've had a worm chalet for 2 years now and it works great! doesn't smell at all.
I haven't had a problem with fruit flies yet, I hope i haven't just jinxed myself! We never put tomatoes or citrus, I read that keeps them away, but I am not sure if that is really true or we're just lucky.

Fruit flies were a major problem for us. We kept the worms in the basement & used the Rubbermaid DIY system. After two years of battling those nasty pests, my family voted to get rid of the worms. Out to the garden they went.

{I sort of miss them.}

Anyone have some sure fire fruit fly prevention methods?

I haven't started composting yet. I've been researching for the best method for me and just general knowledge since no in my family has ever done it. Thanks so much for your guys' posts on this! VERY HELPFUL! But I was wondering if you would have to turn the ingredients in a vermicompost bin or just let the worms do that? and my other question...well more of a suggestion...I put a small bowl of apple cider vinegar with a few drops of dishsoap (I use the GreenWorks type and it is still just as effective as the recommended Dawn) in it to keep down fruit flies. Wonder if a bowl of that mixture sitting on top of the bin would work? Thanks again for the great posts on composting!!!