Can I Feed Cardboard To Worms? Find Out!

Can I Feed Cardboard To Worms? Find Out!

Everything You Need To Know About Cardboard and Worms

You may have heard that you’re not supposed to feed your pets certain things, like rotting fruit or cardboard. Well, the same logic applies to composting worms.

Worms are sensitive creatures and it’s easy for them to become sick due to an inappropriate diet. Even the most common things in the world can pose a threat to them, without you even realizing it!

So, what should you feed your worms? And more importantly… can you feed them cardboard?

Keep reading to find out!

Chemicals In Cardboard

Worms are very sensitive creatures. They have extremely delicate digestive systems, which is the reason why you have to be so careful with what you feed them. Even the most common things could be toxic to worms if their diet is not properly balanced.

Cardboard is one of these dangers for worms because it contains chemicals that can be harmful to them. When cardboard is produced, it’s treated with toxic chemicals that have a preservative effect. These chemicals help prevent the cardboard from rotting and decaying too quickly.

Unfortunately, these same chemicals can also be toxic to worms. The biggest chemicals you need to watch out for with your worms are formaldehyde, ammonia, and sodium hydroxide. Too much exposure to these chemicals could make your worms very ill.

Can Worms Eat Cardboard? 

It’s actually not too difficult to find worms that can eat cardboard. There are actually many species of worms that live off of cardboard as their primary diet (which is not safe). 

Do Worms Like To Eat Cardboard?

A quick answer is yes, worms love to eat cardboard. They can eat it sleep on it and enjoy it. So why wouldn’t they like it?

But even if worms eat cardboard, does that mean you should feed it to your worms? Not exactly..

Is Cardboard Safe for a Worm to Eat? 

Cardboard is totally safe for worms to eat and consume.

When it comes to cardboard it’s safe for worms to eat. Many worms actually eat cardboard as the main part of their diet. This is the part that should be avoided. Cardboard shouldn’t be fed to worms as one of the main parts of their diets.

Something important to keep in mind is that they shouldn’t be given a full piece of cardboard it should be prepared correctly before giving it to them.

How To Prepare Cardboard For Worms?

Things to keep in mind when giving cardboard to worms.

  1. The cardboard should be clean.
  2. Shouldn’t contain any special none ordinary ingredients.

The first step in preparing cardboard for worms is to run the cardboard through a heavy-duty paper shredder. Next soak the cardboard gently so it’s not hard. Lastly, place it in your worm bin.

Can Worms Eat Colored Cardboard? 

As long as the cardboard is made with non-toxic dyes and paints, you don’t need to worry about feeding it to your worms. Most cardboard is made with non-toxic dyes nowadays, so you should be fine.

When it comes to colored cardboard, you should watch out for how it was manufactured. If the cardboard was painted with toxic paints, it’s best to avoid feeding it to your worms. Even non-toxic paints can contain chemical pigments that are not good for your worms.

– As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to avoid feeding your worms any cardboard that has paint on it. To avoid any harm to your worms. Brown cardboard is the best option!

Does Cardboard Provide Any Nutritional Value To Worms? 

If you read about feeding your worms cardboard online, you’ll probably notice that people often mention that cardboard is a good source of fiber. This is true, but it’s not really relevant to worm health.

Worms don’t really have a digestive system in the traditional sense. They have a bunch of little mouths called “mouths” inside their bodies that they use to break down food as they’re eating it.

Worms don’t actually “chew” their food, so they don’t need any extra fiber to help break it down. All your worms need is protein and carbohydrates. They have a digestive system unlike any other animal on the planet.

Cardboard doesn’t provide any nutritional benefits in any way to worms. It can actually be quite dangerous If consumed too much and on a regular basis. 

How Does Cardboard Benefit Worms?

The main benefit of feeding your worms cardboard is that it’s cheap. Even though feeding cardboard to worms isn’t expensive. Feeding cardboard to your worms is even less.

Cardboard can be found anywhere and is usually free. If you’re starting a worm bin in your house and don’t have a lot of money, feeding your worms cardboard is a cheap and easy way to get your worms started. Depending on how much cardboard you feed your worms, they can even start to help with some household waste.

There are a couple of other benefits of cardboard for worms which include:

  • It makes for great bedding.
  • Keeps the environment damp.
  • Eliminates the risk of cutting worms.

It’s possible that your worms will eat food waste as they’re breaking down the cardboard. In this case, your worms would become like little garbage disposals in your home!

What To Feed Worms Instead Of Cardboard?

If the idea of feeding your worms cardboard doesn’t sound appealing to you, don’t worry! Worms can be fed many different things. They can eat all sorts of fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds and even things like peanut shells and croutons!

You can also feed them animal products, like unprocessed shredded cheese and unbleached shredded paper. There are many online guides that describe the best way to feed your worms. They’ll give you a checklist of things to avoid as well as things that are safe to feed your worms.

Bottom Line

Worms are sensitive creatures who need an appropriate diet to stay healthy. Without the right food, they can become ill very quickly. While there are many things that are safe to feed them, the best option would be to buy commercial worm food or just vegetables.

With the right food, your worms will be healthy and happy. If you want to keep worms as pets, you should definitely feed them something. It’s not good to keep worms hungry.

Feeding your worms is also a great way to learn more about them!

author
DrWorm - Vermicomposting enthusiast and avid worm researcher for the last 25 years. Interested in what earthworms eat and how to farm and breed them. His garden wouldn't be the same without the help of mother nature's finest fertilizers!