Alternatives to worm blankets | Free Ways to Cover Worm Farms

Great alternatives to worm blankets are newspaper, cardboard, hessian, old clothes or cloth nappies. They keep your worms covered to keep them moist, dark and protected from birds. Using worm blanket alternatives are a great way to recycle and help the worms to quickly break down food scraps.

Use cardboard or newspaper as a great worm blanket alternative

What a worm blanket does for worms

A worm blanket will sit on top of your worm farm covering the vegetable scraps and castings to protect the worms. Composting worms like dark environments so a worm blanket will help them feel safe to climb up to the surface of the castings to eat the food scraps. A worm blanket will also help to keep moisture inside your worm farm and if it doesn’t have a lid it will protect them from birds.

Worm blankets keep your worms protected, keep the moisture in your worm farm and to encourage worms to break down organic matter quickly

It is ideal to use both a worm blanket and your worm farm lid. The lid will be a secure cover to keep your worms from escaping and keep dogs, cats or birds away from the food scraps and worms.

What else can be used as a worm blanket

Here are some great, free or low cost options to use as an alternative to a worm blanket.

Cardboard as a worm blanket

To use cardboard as a worm blanket, find some plain cardboard without a plastic coating and cut it to the size of your worm farm. Cardboard can be bent to fit on top of your worm farm tight. This works like a worm blanket to protect the worms. Wet the cardboard to keep the top of the worm farm moist. The cardboard will last for around 6 months before it breaks down and you will need to replace it.

Cardboard is a fantastic worm blanket alternative

Newspaper as a worm blanket

A fantastic option is to use newspaper as a worm blanket. Layer around 6-10 sheets of newspaper on the top of your worm farm. This can be moistened so that it forms a tight fit over your worms.  The newspaper will break down quicker than cardboard but is easily replaced. The worms will actually break it down over time and incorporate it into the worm castings.

Use newspaper at least 6 sheets thick as an alternative to a worm blanket

Old clothes as a worm blanket

You can place an old t-shirt over the top of your worm farm as an alternative to a worm blanket. Make sure you choose a natural material like cotton or bamboo. The worms will eventually eat through the material over time but I have used a cotton t-shirt for around 6 months.

Cloth nappies as a worm blanket

Cloth nappies are useful for so many jobs but I have used them on the top of my worms as a worm blanket. They can be moistened and placed on top to protect your worms. I have found that you will need to come back and add water to them every few days to keep them damp. The only note with cloth nappies is because they are white, they go a brown color very quickly.

Why worm blankets are a good idea

For every type of worm farm a worm blanket is a good idea. Even if your worm farm comes with a lid, a worm blanket will keep the worms darker and the contents of your worm farm damp. This will encourage the worms to come to the top to eat the food scraps and break them down quickly.  

My worm farm blanket has worked well for my small Styrofoam worm farm. I have added extra layers of newspaper underneath for extra protection for the worms

I have had many worm farms including worm towers, farms I have made for free at home, round and square shaped worm farms with lids and without. I have used all types of worm blankets and they all work well. The one I am currently using was bought from my local hardware store. It has shrunk slightly but is still in very good condition and fits perfectly on top of my Styrofoam worm farm.

What to do if worms are getting on top of the worm blanket

Keeping your worms environment cool and moist will encourage them to stay in your worm farm under the blanket. Here are some tips to keep your worms happy and inside your worm farm.

Keep your worm farm cool and shaded

Worms like cool weather and if your worms are finding their way on top of the blanket, they may be trying to escape to find a cooler area. Make sure your worm farm is kept in the shade and cool throughout the day. On very hot days, make sure that the worm blanket and the worm farm is moist.

Adding extra water on top of the blanket throughout the day can be a good way to keep them cool, just make sure it can drain out.

Too much water

It is possible to keep your worm farm too wet. If you are expecting heavy rain, make sure the tap is open at the bottom on pre-made worm farms and the drainage holes are clear. This will let any excess water drain out of the worm farm.

You still may find that worms are crawling up the sides of your worm farm on very wet days so keep the lid on and the worm blanket moist. You could even add some extra layers of newspaper to encourage the worms to stay in.

Worm Blanket Alternatives – FAQ

What to do if worms are eating the worm blanket?

You will find any natural material used as a worm blanket can be eaten by the worms. Cotton, cardboard, newspaper and the natural fibers of the purchased worm blankets will all eventually be broken down by bacteria and eaten by the worms. This is no problem and will add to your worm castings. You will just need to replace the worm blanket after it has been eaten through to keep the worms covered.

Do I need a worm blanket?

If you don’t use a worm blanket your worm farm will dry out a lot quicker. The worms will head to the deeper, moist areas of the worm farm and will not break down the food as quickly. Worm blankets are a simple addition to your worm farm which will make them a lot happier.

For the longest lasting option, buy a natural fiber worm blanket but for a cheap or free option use old cotton t-shirts, cardboard or newspaper.

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