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 Post subject: vermicomposting
PostPosted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:16 am 
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Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 2:45 pm
Posts: 7
Have been trying to work with worms in bins outdoors for two years now; results up and down. Using DE to get rid of fireants in the bins earlier the year was suggested here; many thanks for that help. Recently have started the process of moving them from one bin to another by stacking a bin on top with fresh bedding and food there. Seemed to work great, and I was rejoicing that something seemed to be going right. What surprised me was how fast the bedding disappeared (within a few weeks) and the food was gone faster than usual. Found worms crawling the sides a few times, so surmised maybe not enough food provided. Increased the amount of food. Now this week, I find the upper bins full of sow/pill bugs (like a million of them) chomping away at the remaining food. Digging carefully through the mess, I found not one worm in either bin. I'm at a loss as to what to do next. Any suggestions from someone who is experienced in this out there? Thanks. Zippy Gigglesniffer


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 5:48 pm 
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Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 10:51 pm
Posts: 747
Location: Garland, Texas
Zippy Gigglesniffer :lol: :lol: :lol:

I love the ID! Do tell the story behind its creation.

I am curious as to what answers may be given here. I have toyed with seeding my compost pile with Red Wrigglers attempting to "farm" sans worm bins. Have had varying successes and failures. Feast or famine.
Are you using commercially available bins, or homemade Rubbermaid? What are you using for bedding, newspaper?

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 Post subject: vermicomposting
PostPosted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 5:58 pm 
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Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2003 4:36 pm
Posts: 56
Location: Robinson,TEXAS
I have done this for years and you mentioned some on the sides. Are you sure they did not crawl you. Outside bin on a real damp night or when it has been raining have a tendency for the worms to crawl out at night. I solve the problem by keeping a light on the bins during the night hours when these conditions exist. Also, make sure that the bins are not too dry. You can kill worms a lot quicker by having the bedding too dry than too wet.
This is the easiest and most fun way to compost and I would hate to see you give it up. As a master composter I teach and encourage vermicomposting every way I can. Do a search for vermicomposting and you will find worlds of information that will help. Two of the better ones are wormdigest.org and mastercomposter.com.
Hope this helps!
Richard Spitzer


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 Post subject: vermicomposting problem
PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2004 10:48 am 
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Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 2:45 pm
Posts: 7
In checking my smaller worm bins more thoroughly and doing some research into the larvae found there, I find that I'm mistaken about sowbugs/pill bugs being there; it is the larvae of the soldier fly. There are no worms in this upper bin with these larvae, but in the lower bin I did find many worms, and a few of these larvae. These in the lower bin have not been fed now for two months because the purpose was for them to move to the upper and leave their castings behind for me to harvest in three months. As I said in my previous message, many, many worms did come to the upper bin, and I thought the process was successful. Where did they all go? Yes, they could have continued on outside the bin, but I would think I would have found a least some on the outside at some point. Could they have returned to the lower bin? I doubt it because the food would have kept them in the upper. At first I thought the larvae would have eaten them, but now I know the soldier fly larvae would not. So, now I have an upper bin half full of what the solier fly larvae leaves behind, and many larvae. I wanted to add newsprint paper bedding to the upper bin, but have run out of paper at the present (unexpectedly). I really don't know what to do now. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks. Zippy


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 Post subject: vermicomposting
PostPosted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 7:18 pm 
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Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2003 4:36 pm
Posts: 56
Location: Robinson,TEXAS
I have not had any experience with stackable bins so I am not sure. What you might want to do is start with a bin with fresh bedding and move as many of the worms as you can to the new bin. I use partially decomposed leaves as bedding and fill the bin almost full and put the food on top of the leaves with wet newspaper on top to maintain the moisture in the bin. As long as you keep the newspaper moist the bedding will stay wet. Just a suggestion. It works well for me.
Good luck,
Richard Spitzer


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 Post subject: stackable worm bins
PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:22 am 
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Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2003 10:18 am
Posts: 5
USE 15 GALLON PLANT BUCKETS AND COVERWITH UPSIDE DOWN CARPET TO RETAIN MOISTURE. WORMS AND EXCESS MOISTURE CAN MOVE THROUGH THE HOLES IN THE BOTTOM. THE ONLY NEGATIVE IS COMPACTION. I USE COW MANURE AND HORSE MANURE. IF YOU NEED TO WET THE MANURE, PUT A TRASH BAG INSIDE ONE BUCKET AND SET ANOTHER BUCKET DOWN INSIDE IT AND FILL IT WITH WATER. IF YOU ADD OTHER FOOD, DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH AT ONCE OR TOO MUCH IN ONE AREA. WITH THE RIGHT CONDITIONS TOO MUCH FOOD AT ONCE WILL EITHER RUN OFF THE WORMS OR KILL THEM. (ANEROBIC? AMMONIA? METHANE?) I USE A PENCIL OR A STRAW TO MARK WHERE I BURY THE FOOD EACH TIME SO THAT NEXT TIME I BURY IT AWAY FROM LAST TIME. WHEN THE CASTINGS ARE FINISHED, I USE THEM TO MAKE AROBIC COMPOST TEA ( LEAVE A FEW WORMS IN IT TO MAKE THE TEA BETTER) AND ADD A LITTLE COMPOST MADE FROM LEAVES AND PLANT MATERIAL TO PROVIDE SOME GOOD FUNGLE MICROBES TO THE TEA.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 5:03 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2004 11:48 pm
Posts: 49
Location: California, San Joaquin Valley - home of 105* summers, foggy winters.
It sounds like the bedding became too acid. This is usually caused by too much food and/or too much water. An earthworm can eat from 1/2 up to their full body weight a day. If you add more than this, the worms can't clean it up before it becomes acid.

Add some clean barely moist dirt, sphagnum moss or ground coconut hulls to dilute the amount of food in the bin. Newspaper can't control the ph as well as other bedding mediums. It also doesn't contain much in the way of bacteria to help break down extra food when too much is added.

Turn the bedding over with a gardening fork every day for 3-4 days. This will expose the extra food to the air which will help the bacteria to eat what the worms were unable to. Wait a week or two, then find some redworms from another bin or pile, and reinoculate this bin with them and start over.

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