All Discussions - Worms Etc Community

starting out

snookums65 — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:58:31 -0600

Hello Matthew, I am just starting out and I have a ton of questions. I am looking to earn a little extra money and was wondering if this is what I would like to do? I have the place ,the time, and the compost to start , just have a lot of questions. -I have the side of my barn that has cinter blocks 3 high, I was thinking that I could go one deep and out 2 blocks and down the wall 15 foot. ---would this work? do I need a floor/bottom of blocks? -can I use the long bin just like this or do I need to put containers in it? -do I need to cover it? I have a lot of other questions

Hello Everyone, Matthew Wilson Here, Please Share Your Worm Composting Experiences!

Matthew — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 22:37:59 -0600

Hello everybody, if you have a story or something that you would like to share about your worms, please do so. They are very interesting critters and everyday I am still learning something new about them.

I have one worm bed that is not shaded nearly as well as the others and I am really beginning to see that it isn't producing near as many worms as the better shaded worm bins. I believe that I am going to find something to shade it with before the week is over. Also I placed a whole bunch of apple pulp left over from making apple jelly the other day in the worm bin, and to my total surprise I have hundreds of little apple trees growing in the worm bed! I couldn't believe how quickly they sprang up

Eggs Shells???

tweiss — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:42:20 -0600

I have just made the hubby Deviled Eggs. Can I dry the shells and feed them to the worms or should I boil them and dry them then grind them up and feed to the worms. ???

Problems the first year as a worm farmer.

Matthew — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:27:20 -0700

So when I told another worm farmer that I had killed a bunch of worms and felt real stupid about it he said it was kind of a right of passage. What he meant, I found out, was that most worm farmers kill a good many worms while learning how to take care of them.

Here is how my "right of passage" unfolded.

I had originally purchased 25 pounds of red wiggler worms and had them in my first large flow through bin. It was 32 square feet so plenty of room for them to grow. I had also lucked upon a source of free food. Two days a week a local restaurant less than a mile from the farm would give me loads of leftover food scraps. This was plenty more food than the worms could possibly consume, but that did not stop me from trying to feed it to them. Well this worked great for a couple of weeks. The worms were growing fast and laying egg capsules everywhere. Then the trouble started.

The first signs were not all that strong and I did not think much of them. To many fruit flies, soldier fly larvae, and a slight smell issue would have cued the experienced worm farmer in on a problem, but I just kept right on feeding. Then there were a few worms on the surface with little lumps in their bodies. They were misshapen and dying, but at first they were only a few. Before long I had lost a lot of worms. I used lime to reverse the problem but it was not near quick enough. Before the problem was fixed I lost nearly all the mature breeders.

Now I know to be careful about overfeeding and to use lime before a problem gets out of hand.

What kind of experiences have you had while learning to keep worms?

Question - are castings still usable when mold appears in drying phase?

plandrt — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:32:40 -0600

Usually I sun dry the castings, but this time it was Winter when the bin grew too full. So the castings sat in a garage, in a box, until today. Only the very bottom layer which was on the shelf is where the mold was present. And it was primarily only on the cardboard itself. I am in the process of drying them in a slow oven right now. Does anyone have any experience with this? Will they cause harm to any plants once they are used?

Newbie questions

panhandletex — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 01:07:29 -0600

Help please,

I just check on my new bin of Red Wigglers (one pound on a 10 gallon opaque Sterlite bin, has 1/8th holes drilled in the bottom (10) and around the rim (20), none in the lid). Anyway one of them are crawling up the sides, looks like they are trying to escape. Bedding is mostly torn up cardboard with a little newspaper. All I just out for them to eat is some carrot eats, celery ends and a bannana peels and a few pieces of apple.

I don't think they would be too crowded this fast would they? This there a problem with what I feed them?

Thanks

Rabbit Droppings

hensonr — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 21:13:24 -0600

Everything is ready for my worms arrival tomorrow. I suddenly remembered that my grandmother has a single rabbit. I call over and yes, she does have some droppings. Half hour later I leave with approx 10lbs. I'm afraid that I'm going to spoil my worms :)

http://imgur.com/gUTHMKP

what kind of worms do I have

sharon — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 04:35:13 -0600

Hi Mathew,a couple months ago I found a couple worms in one of my bins that was not a red,I made a bin just for them, now they have grown and multiplied. They are huge,very light in color. Their cocoons are round and translucent, much larger than a red. I found a couple that had turned redish brown so I gently squeezed them. most had one hatchling and much larger than a red hatchling with one end very red. I have no idea where they came from.

They are they are larger around than a man's thumb and 6-8 inches long when they stretch out. They are not pointed on the ends like the reds.

I know.......... I have way to much time on my hands but they have been great therapy for me, when I could not get out to garden. My husband was diagnosed with Lymphoma 8 months ago. He has been in Wake Forest Baptist hospital for over 3 weeks,he had stem cell transplant a week ago and doing remarkably well. He comes home Sunday, 3 days sooner than expected.

God has answered many prayers, he did not get as sick through all the chemo and the stem cell transplant like they said he would.

This may not be the place to post this but if this can give someone hope going through this then so be it.

Keep your mind busy with the worms.

Sharon

Worms in fruits

BenRomero — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:13:29 -0600

I want to know how worms are formed in some rotten fruits like guava, for example.

California Bay Laurel leaves - OK for red wigglers or not?

Thornezilla — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:37:29 -0600

I've recently started a 3'x4' worm bin in the San Francisco East Bay area, and am trying to find out if I can feed them some leaves from the Umbellularia californica (CA Bay Laurel) in our back yard.

I searched the web and only found a few oblique references by laypersons about avoiding Eucalyptus and possibly Bay leaves, but nothing very scientific.

So, can I feed Umbellularia californica leaves to my red wigglers or not? I'm assuming not due to the essential oils in the leaves, but wanted confirmation.

Thanks!

Compost Screener

Chuck — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 01:44:51 -0700

This is a small compost screener I made from a minnow trap,a tote and a piece of PVC.It works great and cost about $10.
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?962c42f08a.jpg

I would like to see how others screen their Vermicompost.I am also making a lager one utilizing a wagon,piece of screen and a vibrating sander.Initial testing looks good.
Thanks,
Chuck

Show me your bin!

Ant — Thu, 06 May 2010 22:57:04 -0600

So now you are a worm rancher. You have a clew of worms. Tell me about your squirm's bin, is it a DIY or a boughten one? What do you like and dislike about it? What will your next one be like?

C'mon, show me your bin!

------
My first bin was a black one, the kind with the hinged lids that shut loosely interlocking over the top. But now I have a homemade flow through bin made from a 45 gal garbage can with wheels.

I like that someday I will be able to get the vermicompost out the bottom, but I don't like that it is rather hard to see the worms, since they hang out at the bottom of the compost area, near the bars. But it is easy to use, and has a small footprint. Right now it is on the back porch, and this winter I think it will wheel into the basement without too much trouble. I hope.

Hamster Bedding?

Connoisseur — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:19:20 -0600

Hello to all, I am new to vermicomposting and have but some questions.

I would like to know if anyone has used the all natural fibrous hamster bedding before, and if so how well did it work?

Also I tend to use paper plates as a cutting board for my fruits and veggies, after chopping everything could I use my paper plates even though they seem to be soaked in the Fruit and Veggie juices. I am only asking this because I know your not supposed to mix in the food with the bedding. Thanks for reading and for any help you can give.

Wigglers for fishing bait

Ronda — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:09:08 -0600

Is there anyone here raising worms to sell for bait? I live near a river with no bait shops and thought this would be a good part time money maker. Any info. or suggestions would be appreciated......Ronda

Excessive heat from compost pile

Ronda — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:06:13 -0600

Hey all. I am new here, love this site......I was just wondering, I have had compost piles before, and I know worms do most of the work, but, does the extreme heat created hurt/harm/kill the worms? I have never tried to raise worms, so I really never thought about the heat effecting the worms.......thanks, Ronda

Free beddings. Places to get it, what works, what doesn't, and so on

Matthew — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:17:24 -0700

What are some things that you have used for bedding? How well did the worms take to it? Have you found any really good bedding materials? Please share.

Best single food item for red wiggler worms or european nightcrawlers

newwormbin — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 10:46:43 -0700

If you could pick one food item that is just a great food item for worms like cornmeal oatmeal coffee grounds egg shells lettuce spinach etc what food item is just a great food item that a worm bin operator should try and include in their worm bin once a week or so?

Bin Size

Toolman — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:29:11 -0700

Wondering what size the worm factories are.

Considering trying a 6-1/2 quart oil pans for stackables

They have them this week for 1.29 each at menards

How long before worms start eating my kitchen waste?

RichardFrank — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:30:29 -0600

Have had worms little over one week and still have 1 half cup of lettucce layed on top of bedding. Worms seam active in bedding. Just not eating lettucce. I have 4-5 inches of shredded moist paper for bedding and they are inside house. Should I be doing something else?

"City tap water v.s. Rainwater"

Chad — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:33:12 -0700

...Tap water v.s. Rainwater. I've seen a lot of YouTube videos of people spraying water from their tap into their worm bins for either wetting the bedding material or flushing their systems out..

City tap water is treated with anti-microbial chemicals (chlorine..) to keep the bacterial levels "safe" for human consumption. Adding tap water to your worm bin in any amount seems counter-productive on the microbial level. What's YOUR take on this?

worm tea

cobra1 — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:03:58 -0600

what is the best way to make worm tea

single most important factor in stimulating breeding for red wiggler worms

newwormbin — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 10:55:58 -0700

Matthew what factor would you say is the single most important aspect in stimulating euros and reds to start reproducing temp, food, romantic music :-) do your worms breed just as well in winter than during warmer times of the year? WIth my worms being kept in the high 40's to low fifties wondering if that will slow breeding also what foods may stimulate the reproductive process Can I warm up my bins a little with some grass to start a little more healthy composting increasing the temp slightly?

Is it possible for food to be too rotten or too moldy?

spark03 — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:27:03 -0600

I've been using an empty cardboard orange juice container to store my scraps and let it rot a bit before feeding it to my worms. I noticed today that there was a pretty thick layer of white mold in the container. When i dumped the contents into a corner of my bin, I realized that the food underneath the mold stunk horribly. I took out most of the moldy rotten food and threw it in the garbage. I have a feeling the culprit was a half a can of black beans which was already a little sour when I put it into the food scrap container.

Anyway, is it possible for food to be too rotten or moldy for my worms?

String of Pearls

Hunt — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 11:06:40 -0600

Hi Matt, I ordered a pound of Euro's and a pound of Red Wigglers from you and they arrived in great condition and very healthy. My bin is an opaque blue 22 gallon sterlite bin consisting of newpaper, corrugated cardboard, and dried up leaves. Everything was moistened to the dampness of a "wet sponge". After a few days of letting the worms adjust to their new home, I fed them. They didn't seem to be eating the food at all. I should note that the bin was set up 2 weeks prior to the worms arriving and was jump started using Bonide's compost maker (ingredients: ocean kelp, fish and alfalfa meal). I then added some fresh grass clippings....BAD IDEA!!! After a day, I checked on the worms and the wigglers were loving the fresh grass. The euro's however were in trouble!!!! I noticed they were very lethargic and some of the worms were dying. Others were still barely alive and looked really deformed. I did a little research and the deformities they showed were exactly the same as the "string of pearls" mentioned around the internet. Also, the bin was teeming with fast moving white and brown mites along with their slow moving white cousins. The worms were also doing everything they could to "jump ship" lol. To make a long story short, I removed all the grass and food scraps I could and added tons of new bedding, some lime, and some diatomaceous earth. After a couple weeks, the bin has settled down and things are great now. It also resolved the mite issues. I guess my question here is, what caused the string of pearls to start with??? Was it the acids from the grass composting or was it the gases produced from the uncomposted food scraps exploding the little guys insides??? There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of info about this on the net. Any help you could give me on how to avoid this in the future??? I'm sure someone else on here has had to have had this happen to them...

storage of worm food

newwormbin — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 08:30:13 -0700

Is the fridge the best place to store food scraps prior to feeding it to the worms? Will the food attract beneficial bacteria that will keep the worms happier? Thanks John

shipping worms

lshersh — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 09:15:40 -0700

Hi All- my name is Lee Hersh and I have a composting toilet on St John- one of the US Virgin Islands. I would like to use worms to aid in the composting toilet- it is only used 6 months each year. I've tried to order worms from the mainland and have had some success but a recent dissaster has made me 'gun shy': a pound of red wrigglers arrived at my local mail center all dead and emitting a dreadful smell.

I would pay extra for rapid delivery or for an insulated container- does anyone have suggestions??

Raising worms in old freezers

BrocktonBrian — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 11:15:26 -0700

Hi all! I am going to start raising worms in my basement and want to know if anyone has ever converted an old freezer into a wormery! I think the goal is to raise them in tubs in the freezer with drain tubes leading to jugs on the outside. I have a friend that is in the appliance business and says he can get me as many freezers as I want. I thought this would be away of ensuring they are protected somewhat from temp changes, invaders and there is no smell. What should i do to ensure it is a great success?

food for worms

cobra1 — Sun, 27 May 2012 09:54:11 -0600

Hi. I have some frozen food in my freezer tomatillo tomato's and Jalapeno peppers can I feed them to the worms?

next ? from the garden this year Squash, Broccoli,caulflower, Bell peppers and cucumbers and so on

Thank-you

Can Styrofoam coolers be used as worm bins?

pagres — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 16:53:18 -0700

Are styrofoam coolers ok? Any temp issues? I am assuming they are not toxic since they are made for food.