glossy paper

I have just started looking at what you all are talking about and see that most of you have a problem with glossy pages in the worm box. I have only been doing this for about three months but have been using a lot of glossy pages in my bin. The worms seem to be thriving but I sure do not want to see things go bad. Should I stop using glossy paper? What harm does it do?

Hi Gregpap

Using "Worms eat my garbage" as a guide I don't use too many glossy colored papers in my bin because of the toxic metals that are associated with the colored inks. Our newspaper has switched to vegetable based inks. I'm not sure that the mags have switched. Since I use the castings around my veggies I try to limit the use of the paper inserts. Better safe than sorry for me in this case.

For 'Lasagna' beds I use it all since most are for ornamentals anyway.

Sherri

I have been more relaxed with my worm bins. I feel that if I have to separate this from that, do this and don't do that, I just as well not have a bin.
My sister raised worms for years in great big beds and fed them everything. They survived. Sure some may not survive but I think the remaining stock you have will be acclimated to the environment that they were raised.
I use whatever comes out of the paper shredder in the house. I don't even separate the shredded credit cards that the banks continue to send me. They will get separated when I get the castings.
Thanks for listening, Paul.

You're probably right Paul. I think the worms would be fine. As I use more and more of the castings I'll probably eventually do the same. I use coir for my veggies anyway. My shredder has a separate bin for the cards. I wouldn't have the patience to pick them out of the castings. LOL

Hey,
If you go ahead and dump the card pieces in the garden, it will make great aeration.
The card pieces will last for hundreds of years, so will provide aeration for ever. Some instructions for making rooftop gardens I have seen for the 3rd world even suggest that you use pieces of plastic drink bottles for aeration.
Paul.

Thanks for all your help! I was using the large number of mail order catalogs that come to our house as worm food. The way I seen it if the worms are eating it the wife can't be ordering out of it but now I see that some of them might be hard on the worms just like they are on my bank account. I have now stopped doing this and just took out some food with copy paper. My work has more of this in the recycling bins than my worms could ever eat and I don't think it will be a problem if I bring some home every day. I guess I should make sure, is used copy paper safe for the little guys?

Thanks!
Greg

I use mine. I think they like it. :)