Originally Posted by thequiltmama

I had thought about that but I am too afraid they might get out and wonder my house..ick.

Let's See....Two dogs, too many fish to count, a bird, a hamster, hermit crabs, water frogs and bird. Most didn't bother me, but it felt creepy when I would hear the hamster at night. I kept thinking it would get out and be running loose in the house... Didn't love the little rodent!!

Originally Posted by thequiltmama

I had thought about that but I am too afraid they might get out and wonder my house..ick.

Let's See....Two dogs, too many fish to count, a bird, a hamster, hermit crabs, water frogs and bird. Most didn't bother me, but it felt creepy when I would hear the hamster at night. I kept thinking it would get out and be running loose in the house... Didn't love the little rodent!!

Originally Posted by Laura3

Loose hamster....been through that. My daughter had hamsters through the years. She had one that kept her and the family awake at night it was so noisy. We finally put the cage downstairs in the living room. One morning I got up, checked on it and it wasn't in the cage, looked everywhere for it. Finally went upstairs to my daughter's room, found the carpet all chewed up at the door. Went in and finally found it curled up under her pillow. She did not know he was there. So one day I caught it climbing out of the cage and followed it. It climbed the stairs and went straight to her room, crawled under the door and climbed the dust ruffle right up into her bed. I think that was the last hamster we had. It didn't matter what we did to keep the cage closed he managed to get out.

Originally Posted by Ramona Byrd

You should be so lucky! We had a lot of pets when kids were small, from a Guinea pig that whistled shrilly when he wanted petted to a monstrous Tarantula that kept escaping his cage and wanting to join us for dinner, a caged Praying mantis that had the kids catching yucky flies to feed it, to a black cat who slapped the pee out of our Dobermans and hated strangers (the cat, the dogs liked anyone introduced to them) a baby pigeon we bottle fed and it flatly refused to leave when grown till another pigeon winked at it so ran away from home, then there was the sweet and innocent gold fish son won at a fair. This creature killed every darn other fish put in the same cage, but one day son said high school had an empty tank in the school room, so Brutus went to school and lived in solitary confinement (after others were introduced to him and good bye to them)for a long time....a worm farm sounds so NICE!!

Originally Posted by Ramona Byrd

You should be so lucky! We had a lot of pets when kids were small, from a Guinea pig that whistled shrilly when he wanted petted to a monstrous Tarantula that kept escaping his cage and wanting to join us for dinner, a caged Praying mantis that had the kids catching yucky flies to feed it, to a black cat who slapped the pee out of our Dobermans and hated strangers (the cat, the dogs liked anyone introduced to them) a baby pigeon we bottle fed and it flatly refused to leave when grown till another pigeon winked at it so ran away from home, then there was the sweet and innocent gold fish son won at a fair. This creature killed every darn other fish put in the same cage, but one day son said high school had an empty tank in the school room, so Brutus went to school and lived in solitary confinement (after others were introduced to him and good bye to them)for a long time....a worm farm sounds so NICE!!

Originally Posted by nycquilter

I started my worm bin on the cheap. There are bins available for purchase, such as through Gardener's Supply. But I didn't want to spend >$100 on this. I bought two big bins from Home Depot, drilled holes around the top of one to allow in air, put several holes inteh bottom for drainage. Placed that container, with its lid, in the second container (no lid). That way, any drippings were captured. This liquid may smell...And the kitchen counter is so not the place to store this. Think basement or garage. Start it by placing damp newspaper or leaves about 3" deep in the bin, adding the worms. Again, they are available through mail order, about $30-50 a pound. I went to the local farm and garden store and bought worms (red wigglers, genus name I don't recall, species is foetida) for much less than that. Do not use earthworms as their habits are different (sparing you the bio lesson) and won't work. they breed prolifically so you don't need a whole lot at first. Each week, I'd add my waste foods, peelings, rotten food, whatever. place it in a corner of the bin then cover with what is already there. Within a few weeks, you'll notice that they are making dirt. It smells earthy, to me at least though my DH thought otherwise. rotate the corner in which you place the garbage each week. to reduce smell, simply add more paper, I don't know why this works but it does. So I'd add newspapers and junk mail. also coffee after brewing, tea bags. No metals though and no plastics.