October 2008
You are currently browsing the articles from Red Worm Composting written in the month of October 2008.
Here is a question from Lynette re: the critters she has been finding in her worm bin:
I’d love to see photos of pests so I know what I have and if
they are a problem. I had 1/4-1/2″ segmented critters in there during
the summer and now I have a bunch of tiny white things busily going
all over. I tried to pick the first ones up (there would be chunks of
them happily eating on something). These white things are newer and
there are now fewer of those larger wormy bugs and a definite
reduction in worms. We had a hot summer in Texas and these have been
shaded on the patio, not too dry, I’m sure. What has happened?
Hi Lynette,
It is very common to encounter other creatures, aside from worms, in your worm bin. For the most part, they will be at worst an annoyance - i.e. there aren’t too many that will actually directly harm your worms.
When new critters appear in great abundance it is usually just an indication that favorable conditions (for them) have developed and/or there is plenty of food available. The shift in conditions can sometimes have a negative impact on the worms, causing them to die off or leave (if possible) - making it look as though the new critter is directly responsible for the disappearance of the worms.
Your wormy, segmented organisms sound like soldier fly larvae to me. They tend to be very common when bins sit outside in warmer regions.
Your tiny, white critters are almost certainly either springtails (first image below - brown ‘bug’ in that picture is actually a mite) or mites (lower image is a close-up shot of a common type of worm bin mite).
Worm bins kept outside are far more likely to be invaded by a wide range of other creatures, since the system will be much closer to their habitat (ie they won’t have to get into your house first). Both springtails and mites (most of them anyway) are totally harmless to worms, but may compete with them for food. Again, I suspect that your reduction in worms has been brought about by a shift in the conditions inside the bin - perhaps the hot Texas summer is responsible. Hard to say for sure though (at least without being able to see the system myself, that is).
Hope this helps a little!
Written by Bentley on October 11th, 2008 with 3 comments.
Read more articles on Reader Questions.
Another busy week on the vermicomposting business front I’m afraid. I’m certainly not complaining, but I really miss being able to write on the blog more often.
Anyway, this isn’t much of a post about anything - just an excuse to get something up for all y’all. One of my customers this week asked me if I was familiar with the funny worm advertising that ran during Johnny Fever’s radio program on ‘WKRP in Cincinnati” (sit-com from early 80’s). The slogan for the company was apparently “Red Wigglers - the Cadillac of Worms”.
I used to watch that show, but the fact that I was a kid at the time and didn’t yet have an interest in Red Worms helps to explain why I don’t have any recollection of that line. Anytime I hear references to composting worms anywhere these days I certainly sit up and listen.
So IS the Red Wiggler really the ‘Cadillac of Worms’?
Well, I guess that up to you to decide. It certainly is an amazing little creature!
In case you are curious, the worm pictured above (out of focus as it is - grrrr) is one of the large Red Worms I found in an aged manure pile. This particular specimen is pretty well the same size as many of my European Nightcrawlers.
Oh, and believe it or not, you can actually get a T-Shirt with the above-mentioned slogan on it. Check them out here: http://www.zazzle.com/krw_red_wigglers_the_cadillac_of_worms_shirt-235494087101854505
Speaking of which - I am actually planning to put together a little online shop for worm t-shirts etc, hopefully in time for the holiday season (so you can surprised your friends a relatives with the ultimate gift - haha). So keep your eyes peeled!
Written by Bentley on October 9th, 2008 with 8 comments.
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Back at the beginning of August I wrote about Robyn Crispe’s vermi-creation, the ‘Worm Inn’ (see “The Worm Inn” and “Worm Inn Update” for more info). I promised to keep everyone in the loop about the ‘Inn’ as Robyn continued to develop her business, but alas, she just seems to work too quickly for this slow poke!
Since posting my last Worm Inn update, Robyn started by revamping her Worm Inn page on Etsy, and then proceeded to develop a full-fledged Worm Inn Website. Robyn and I have also been in discussion about the possibility of me selling Worm Inns here at Red Worm Composting. I figured what better way to start selling vermicomposting systems than with the creative and stylish designs Robyn has come up with?
I have also ordered some Inns to sell up here in the ‘Great White North’, and Robyn was even nice enough to toss in a complimentary system to test out myself. Being the wild n’ crazy guy that I am (snicker), I couldn’t resist going with the camo design! Yeah, that’s right - I talking ’bout that sweet looking badboy you see pictured up on the right there!
Whooohooo!
Silly outbursts aside, I’m really excited to have opportunity to test the Worm Inn out for myself - rest assured, I’ll be sharing all the details here on the blog. Robyn herself has been continuing to test out her own Worm Inn, and seems very pleased with the way it has performed for her thus far. Needless to say, it is a FAR cry from the moldy ‘Creepy Pants’ vermicomposter, that was Robyn’s original source of inspiration!
Anyway, that’s all for now - you can certainly expect to see more Worm Inn updates in the weeks and months ahead!
Written by Bentley on October 3rd, 2008 with 3 comments.
Read more articles on Announcements and Home Vermicomposting and Worm Bins and Worm Inn.
Or should I say “Part Duh!!”?
Back in July I was convinced that I had a bunch of watermelon plants popping up in one of my ‘garbage gardens‘. It made total sense to me at the time - after all, I knew I had added a considerable amount of watermelon waste to that bed.
During the weeks that followed I watched as the plant (I pulled up all but one) continued to grow and thrive. Before too long I noticed that one of the flowers was becoming a fruit. I’ve never grown watermelon before, so it was exciting to think that I might have my very own little watermelon patch by the time fall arrived - thanks to the assistance provided by my vermi-herd.
As the fruit developed I noticed that it didn’t really look like a typical watermelon. It had a very dark, rough-looking skin, and it was very round in shape. I just assumed it was exhibiting the traits of a young watermelon fruit…did I mention that I’ve never grown watermelon before?
Anyway, you obviously know where this is going…
Incredibly, it wasn’t until I finally decided to harvest my ‘watermelons’ that I clued in to the fact that something just wasn’t right. Once I had the picked fruit in my hands, I couldn’t help but notice that they bore an uncanny resemblance to an old ‘Buttercup Squash’ I had sitting on my deck - one of two we had purchased earlier in the summer.
Then it suddenly dawned on me…
Written by Bentley on October 3rd, 2008 with 1 comment.
Read more articles on Gardening and Home Vermicomposting.
Here is a great question from Susan, and something I haven’t really talked about:
What’s the best way to store harvested compost that you
won’t be using for several months? Should it be kept in an airtight
container?
Hi Susan,
Good compost is absolutely loaded with aerobic organisms (mostly microbes, but certainly also some invertebrates as well), so it is vitally important that you don’t completely seal it in a bag or container. If you do this the oxygen will be consumed very quickly and conditions will become anaerobic, potentially leading to the production of various compounds that can be harmful to plants (not to mention the death of your beneficial aerobic organisms).
It is best to store compost in a cool, dry place, providing air flow while not letting the material completely dry out. If it is really moist or wet, you should spread out the material and let it dry for awhile. It should be nice a crumbly and not feel damp when you hold it in your hands.
If you want to put it in plastic bags just make sure to add lots of holes in the plastic to allow for gas exchange. Any sort of bin/tub used to hold compost should also allow some air flow - generally, Rubbermaid type bins have loose fitting lids and some holes near the handles, so you won’t like need to actually drill any (as long as the moisture content is as described above).
Needless to say, compost should never be stored unprotected outside for any length of time. Rain will wash away a lot of the beneficial compounds (nutrients etc), and the sun can dry out the material too much as well. If properly prepared material is allowed to freeze this shouldn’t create too much of a problem - many microbes will die, but plenty of them will simply go dormant, ready to repopulate the material once it thaws out again.
Hope this helps!
Written by Bentley on October 1st, 2008 with 9 comments.
Read more articles on Reader Questions.
This question comes from Christine:
I keep my worm bins in the basement and need to spray for spiders and
other creepy crawlies in the basement. I put it off this year, but my
son moved down to the spare room in the basement and has been asking
me to spray. How will spraying affect the worms in the bins? I can
avoid spraying in the small room the worms are in, but is this enough?
Should I move the bins upstairs while I spray? Is it okay to move them
back down once I spray? I don’t want to harm the worms, but also don’t
want a basement full of spiders.
Hi Christine,
Here’s my take on this. Being an ‘ecosystem’ kinda guy, I tend to view all organisms as having an important role, regardless of how ‘creepy’ or ‘crawly’ they happen to be.
Spiders and other creepies will only appear and remain in a given location if there is enough food to sustain them. Remove that food source and they will disappear - it’s as simple as that. In the case of the spiders, that food source will be other critters, like flies and moths etc. So, it is likely the food sources of these organisms that will be the root of your problem.
In my household, while my wife would definitely subscribe to your line of thinking, I actually welcome spiders, since they help to trap annoying pests like fruit flies and fungus gnats (among others).
Please don’t take this the wrong way, Christine - this is not meant as a reprimand by any means. And it’s not only a discussion about killing spiders in the basement either. I see a very close parallel between this topic and the topic of ‘critters’ in a worm bin. Many beginner vermicomposters become alarmed when they notice other creatures (aside from worms) appearing in their vermicomposting systems.
The first reaction tends to be one of alarm, paired with the desire to get rid of the ‘invaders’. Again, my advice is to assess the situation from a full ecosystem perspective. Organisms appear in a given habitat to take advantage of some resource that has become available. In the case of a new worm bin, one of the most common problems is overfeeding. When there is too much food in there for the worms, it only makes sense that other creatures (like mites, springtails, fruitflies) are going to take advantage of this abundant resource. On a related noted - one of the interesting things I’ve seen in my high density worm systems is that there seems to be relatively little in the way of competition from other worm bin regulars. There are so many worms and they consume the food material so quickly that it becomes difficult for anyone else to get a foothold.
Anyway, back to the actual topic at hand (sorry about that, Christine)…
If you are determined to spray for spiders, I would definitely remove your worm bin for a little while. Worms are highly sensitive to chemicals, and you may end up harming them. Their worm bin habitat certainly provides a protective buffer zone, but it never hurts to err on the side of caution.
Hope this helps!
Written by Bentley on October 1st, 2008 with 4 comments.
Read more articles on Home Vermicomposting.
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