Bugs Ate My Worms!
This question comes from Wendy, who is worried that various worm bin creatures are having a negative impact on her worm population.
Bentley,
I started worm composting following your instructions and adding a
pound of worms. Things were going great for a few months. I even
saw some worm eggs and I was able to harvest some castings. Then the
little flies came, little triangle, slow flying things. I haven’t
seen a picture that look like them so I don’t know what they are. I
also noticed little brown seed like things in the bin and then very
little squirmy things. I don’t think they were baby red wigglers,
they moved weird, not like a worm, kind of like a maggot – but much
much smaller. Then the bin started smelling bad and I noticed that
the worms were not moving much. I think the things ate the worms, I
can’t find any, not even dead ones. Help!!!
Hi Wendy!
Ok, so let me get this straight. You have:
“little triangle, slow flying things”, “little brown seed like things”, and “very little squirmy things”?
Sorry – couldn’t resist! All teasing aside, I do know how tough it can be to figure out what all these various bin creatures are.
I’m not 100% sure what your triangular, slow moving flies might be, but whatever they are there is probably a reasonable chance that the little maggots are the juveniles of these flies. The brown seed-like critters are probably a species of mite.
Is it likely that any of these creatures would eat your worms?
Not really…well, assuming this is an indoor bin, anyway. If it is located outside there is a somewhat higher chance of it being invaded by something that can harm the worms.
It definitely sounds as though some (if not all) of your worms have died. I’m not surprised that you can’t find any though – dead worms generally decompose very quickly.
Unfortunately, without seeing the bin for myself or knowing what you’ve been using for food etc, it is tough to know for sure what might have happened. As for what to do now, I would definitely recommend starting up a second bin and moving over as many live worms as you can find. I would also try mixing a lot of fresh bedding into the old bin then letting it sit for awhile, left alone. You mentioned there being cocoons in the bin, so you may be surprised to find that the bin has bounced back with a new worm population in a couple months.
Anyway, sorry I can’t be of greater assistance! Feel free to provide any additional details or ask any other questions you may have.
Regards,
B
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Written by Bentley on April 25th, 2008 with
5 comments.
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282 lb of Food Waste, and Counting!
#1. November 7th, 2008, at 9:10 PM.
I also have noticed strange bugs in my worm composter. I was expecting mites and fruit flies and the like…but I think I have something that is causing trouble. I noticed a cluster of small – half a millimeter in diameter – whitish/yellow things. they mostly appeared on some of the newspaper pieces and leaves. I thought they were worm eggs and didn’t think twice. This was about two weeks ago, my second week of having the worms. I also noticed that every time I opened the top most of the worms would be grouped together on top of the bedding in the corners, lying side by side. Last week they were not on top when I opened it but there were plenty of worms throughout the bedding and in the food. They have been fed a diet of various lettuce’s, tomato’s, bread pieces, coffee grounds and egg shells. I also started the bedding with a small amount of outside dirt. So anyway, this morning I lifted the top and again no worms on top like before, I did see a bunch in the food and what looked to be very small worms – babies. then I noticed many more clusters of the egg shape things. I looked more closely and they were moving. then I looked more closely and they were clustered around a worm and it seemed to me they were eating the worm. The worm was moist not dry and dead, but not moving. So I am worried that they will spread and eat all the baby worms. I got one of the unidentified insects on my finger and inspected it. Mind you this thing is tiny, but it resembled a tick – the round white thing and very small legs and maybe a face. it definitely had legs and crawled. If someone knows what this may be and can confirm that it is either harmful or not that would be much appreciated. I am a month into my worm farm and started with 1500 worms…would hate to have to start over. If you need other info on what I have included in the farm please let me know.