Comments on: Bugs Ate My Worms! http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/ Red Wiggler Worms, European Nightcrawlers and loads of helpful Worm Composting Information Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:46:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/comment-page-1/#comment-25180 Bentley Mon, 03 May 2010 14:34:42 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/#comment-25180 Hi Kate, Your plan should work (although the nematodes might be unnecessary - especially given how expensive they seem to be). As I added in the first comment (as an afterthought), Cluster Flies (according to a university research page) are not associated with manure, compost etc at all, so I really don't think that's what these are. Given the lighter color and larger size I think I may actually be familiar with the type of fly you are referring to. Again, I'm certainly not saying Cluster Flies are not a potential threat - just not so sure that they would be in poultry manure like that. Hi Kate,
Your plan should work (although the nematodes might be unnecessary – especially given how expensive they seem to be). As I added in the first comment (as an afterthought), Cluster Flies (according to a university research page) are not associated with manure, compost etc at all, so I really don’t think that’s what these are. Given the lighter color and larger size I think I may actually be familiar with the type of fly you are referring to.
Again, I’m certainly not saying Cluster Flies are not a potential threat – just not so sure that they would be in poultry manure like that.

]]> By: Kate http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/comment-page-1/#comment-25179 Kate Mon, 03 May 2010 14:29:28 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/#comment-25179 Thanks, Bentley. I'll spread out the piles to lift the salt/ammonia burden. What do you think of capping the whole (spreaded) mess with black, plastic to kill the flies, then let good nematodes go at the larvae after the frost-free date? I've been composting since '94 guess I might have become complacent. Also, we had FEMA-eligible flooding here a month ago and if these guys are cluster flies, I read that they go wherever worms abound. Any and all new intelligence greatly appreciated. Thanks again. K Thanks, Bentley. I’ll spread out the piles to lift the salt/ammonia burden. What do you think of capping the whole (spreaded) mess with black, plastic to kill the flies, then let good nematodes go at the larvae after the frost-free date? I’ve been composting since ’94 guess I might have become complacent. Also, we had FEMA-eligible flooding here a month ago and if these guys are cluster flies, I read that they go wherever worms abound. Any and all new intelligence greatly appreciated. Thanks again. K

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/comment-page-1/#comment-25178 Bentley Mon, 03 May 2010 14:20:15 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/#comment-25178 Hi Kate, There are plenty of different fly species that live in manure - most of them harmless to worms, so no need to get too worried just yet. I'd be a wee bit cautious with dumping poultry manure in a worm composting system though - it tends to be high in salts and readily releases ammonia (both are very harmful for worms). If it's been sitting outside (and getting rained on) for a long time it should be totally fine though. UPDATE: Hi again, Kate - just did a bit more reading about Cluster Flies (you got me curious). It seems they are not really associated with manure at all. Apparently adults lay their eggs in soil during the spring and the maggots hatch out and find (soil-based) earthworm hosts. I'm sure they could become parasites of composting worms as well, but I haven't heard that this is a serious issue. Thanks for mentioning it though. I will continue to research this. Hi Kate,
There are plenty of different fly species that live in manure – most of them harmless to worms, so no need to get too worried just yet. I’d be a wee bit cautious with dumping poultry manure in a worm composting system though – it tends to be high in salts and readily releases ammonia (both are very harmful for worms). If it’s been sitting outside (and getting rained on) for a long time it should be totally fine though.

UPDATE: Hi again, Kate – just did a bit more reading about Cluster Flies (you got me curious). It seems they are not really associated with manure at all. Apparently adults lay their eggs in soil during the spring and the maggots hatch out and find (soil-based) earthworm hosts. I’m sure they could become parasites of composting worms as well, but I haven’t heard that this is a serious issue. Thanks for mentioning it though. I will continue to research this.

]]> By: Kate http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/comment-page-1/#comment-25169 Kate Sun, 02 May 2010 15:23:42 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/#comment-25169 I got two trash-cans of chicken manure a few days ago, fed them to my otherwise impressive red-wormy compost pile and now have what I believe are cluster flies. (They're larger than house flies, light brown, gross.) If they are cluster flies, they're earth worm predators. What do I do now? HELP! Thanks. I got two trash-cans of chicken manure a few days ago, fed them to my otherwise impressive red-wormy compost pile and now have what I believe are cluster flies. (They’re larger than house flies, light brown, gross.) If they are cluster flies, they’re earth worm predators. What do I do now? HELP! Thanks.

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/comment-page-1/#comment-25125 Bentley Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:11:55 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/#comment-25125 Hi Chester - have you found any larvae in your bin? Dig through the cornmeal and see if there are any there? Generally, worm bins are not great breeding grounds for most fly species (at least not when managed properly). Hi Chester – have you found any larvae in your bin? Dig through the cornmeal and see if there are any there? Generally, worm bins are not great breeding grounds for most fly species (at least not when managed properly).

]]> By: Chester http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/comment-page-1/#comment-25122 Chester Tue, 27 Apr 2010 01:18:41 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/#comment-25122 I believe I have cluster flies in my worm bin. Lately I have found a fly a day for a week in my house. My bin is indoors and I have only put newspaper and cornmeal in my bin..help ...what can I do? I believe I have cluster flies in my worm bin. Lately I have found a fly a day for a week in my house. My bin is indoors and I have only put newspaper and cornmeal in my bin..help …what can I do?

]]> By: Dereck http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/comment-page-1/#comment-21115 Dereck Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:31:17 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/#comment-21115 To Wendy's "triangular flying things": I can almost guarantee that those are fungus gnats. Harmless, but a huge nuisance. To Wendy’s “triangular flying things”: I can almost guarantee that those are fungus gnats. Harmless, but a huge nuisance.

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/comment-page-1/#comment-18074 Bentley Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:57:27 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/#comment-18074 Vacuum - apple cider vinegar traps (cup with apple cider and drop of soap, covered with plastic wrap with few small holes punched in) - remove excess food - don't feed for awhile - lots of dry bedding - leave undisturbed for a number of days - predatory plants - fly paper (dab with apple cider vinegar) Hope this helps :-) Vacuum – apple cider vinegar traps (cup with apple cider and drop of soap, covered with plastic wrap with few small holes punched in) – remove excess food – don’t feed for awhile – lots of dry bedding – leave undisturbed for a number of days – predatory plants – fly paper (dab with apple cider vinegar)

Hope this helps
:-)

]]> By: mason http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/comment-page-1/#comment-17951 mason Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:55:04 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/#comment-17951 wew think we have fruit flies, what should we do? wew think we have fruit flies,
what should we do?

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/comment-page-1/#comment-15278 Bentley Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:20:36 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/bugs-ate-my-worms/#comment-15278 Hi John, It sounds like you have a very common variety of worm bin mite. They tend to appear when there is excess food and very moist conditions. Often people assume they are harming the worms when it fact they are simply taking advantage of ideal conditions for their growth/reproduction. They are scavengers and will consume dead and dying worms. They won't reduce the population of healthy worms however. I'd recommend adding a bunch of dry, absorbent bedding to your bin. This should help to improve the situation - absorbing excess moisture and balancing the C:N ratio. The good news is that you definitely do not need to start over! :-) Hi John,
It sounds like you have a very common variety of worm bin mite. They tend to appear when there is excess food and very moist conditions. Often people assume they are harming the worms when it fact they are simply taking advantage of ideal conditions for their growth/reproduction. They are scavengers and will consume dead and dying worms. They won’t reduce the population of healthy worms however.

I’d recommend adding a bunch of dry, absorbent bedding to your bin. This should help to improve the situation – absorbing excess moisture and balancing the C:N ratio.

The good news is that you definitely do not need to start over!
:-)

]]>