Comments on: Tiny White Things in Worm Bin http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/tiny-white-things-in-worm-bin/ Red Wiggler Worms, European Nightcrawlers and loads of helpful Worm Composting Information Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:28:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Morris http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/tiny-white-things-in-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-23942 Morris Sat, 19 Dec 2009 22:17:51 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=239#comment-23942 I have had 3 large red wiggler die-offs. The only thing I see possibly wrong in the bins is a white, bacteria-like worm, thinner than fine thread, and not segmented. They move like worms and multiply amazingly fast. I find them feeding on everything, including the dead wigglers. They prefer the soil close to the top. and they climb up the sides and onto the undersides of the bin lids. I cannot get rid of them. What are they?? One morning the Wigglers seem fine and then several hours later the top of the soil looks like red spaghetti. They are all trying to get out, and most are dead, on top on the soil . HELP! I have had 3 large red wiggler die-offs. The only thing I see possibly wrong in the bins is a white, bacteria-like worm, thinner than fine thread, and not segmented. They move like worms and multiply amazingly fast. I find them feeding on everything, including the dead wigglers. They prefer the soil close to the top. and they climb up the sides and onto the undersides of the bin lids. I cannot get rid of them. What are they?? One morning the Wigglers seem fine and then several hours later the top of the soil looks like red spaghetti. They are all trying to get out, and most are dead, on top on the soil . HELP!

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/tiny-white-things-in-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-22897 Bentley Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:37:22 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=239#comment-22897 JOHN - thanks for chiming in. Fruit fly (or even fungus gnat) larvae are a possibility that didn't even come to mind. --------- MGB9 - the creatures you are referring to are 'White Worms' (aka 'Pot Worms') and can indeed be found in a worm composting system, so that could be another possibility. While you certainly may attract these worms to where the bread is sitting, be careful - they will also start breeding VERY quickly. These little guys are a common food for aquarium hobbyists and the 'milk-soaked-bread' (or even just water-moistened) method apparently works very well. Anything starchy that goes sour, really - my first experience with a white worm explosion was in my very first worm bin. I added a huge amount of cooked rice and ended up with more white worms than you could probably count in a lifetime! (haha) They were coming out of the air holes and everything! -------- STEPHANIE - Hard to say for sure what you might be seeing. I would need to see a good close-up unfortunately. -------- AMELIA - Compost bin mites are not parasitic. They are specialized for the composting environment, not living on a pet JOHN – thanks for chiming in. Fruit fly (or even fungus gnat) larvae are a possibility that didn’t even come to mind.
———
MGB9 – the creatures you are referring to are ‘White Worms’ (aka ‘Pot Worms’) and can indeed be found in a worm composting system, so that could be another possibility. While you certainly may attract these worms to where the bread is sitting, be careful – they will also start breeding VERY quickly. These little guys are a common food for aquarium hobbyists and the ‘milk-soaked-bread’ (or even just water-moistened) method apparently works very well. Anything starchy that goes sour, really – my first experience with a white worm explosion was in my very first worm bin. I added a huge amount of cooked rice and ended up with more white worms than you could probably count in a lifetime! (haha) They were coming out of the air holes and everything!
——–
STEPHANIE – Hard to say for sure what you might be seeing. I would need to see a good close-up unfortunately.
——–
AMELIA – Compost bin mites are not parasitic. They are specialized for the composting environment, not living on a pet

]]> By: Amelia http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/tiny-white-things-in-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-22888 Amelia Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:15:04 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=239#comment-22888 Hi, I also have a new worm bin and recently discovered white mites. My question is in regards to my other pets. I have reptiles and a frog. I plan to feed some of the worms to them. Can I cross contaminate and get a mite infestation with my pets? Hi,
I also have a new worm bin and recently discovered white mites. My question is in regards to my other pets. I have reptiles and a frog. I plan to feed some of the worms to them. Can I cross contaminate and get a mite infestation with my pets?

]]> By: Stephanie http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/tiny-white-things-in-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-14024 Stephanie Sat, 25 Oct 2008 17:12:24 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=239#comment-14024 I too have a lot of tiny white bugs in my worm bin. They crawl (quickly) all over the place, in all of the layers. They are about the size of a knat or noseum(sp?). They are flourishing and taking over my bin!Any ideas of how to reduce their numbers? I too have a lot of tiny white bugs in my worm bin. They crawl (quickly) all over the place, in all of the layers. They are about the size of a knat or noseum(sp?). They are flourishing and taking over my bin!Any ideas of how to reduce their numbers?

]]> By: mgb9 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/tiny-white-things-in-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-13126 mgb9 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:14:53 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=239#comment-13126 hi, i heard that moist bread in your wormery will attract the white things, you can then take the bread out and feed it to the birds. i had a problem with ants this summer. hi,

i heard that moist bread in your wormery will attract the white things, you can then take the bread out and feed it to the birds. i had a problem with ants this summer.

]]> By: John Augenstein http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/tiny-white-things-in-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-13071 John Augenstein Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:30:05 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=239#comment-13071 Lynette, Like Bentley, I couldn't be sure without seeing them, but I live about 30 miles west of Clovis, New Mexico (If you're in Texas you may know where that is.) and we may have pests in common. I've never seen a springtail or a mite in my tubs but I've been feeding a lot of apple peelings and melon rinds and from time to time get heavy infestations of fruit flies. When this happens I start finding "little white things" about 1/16" to 1/8" long, segmented, which I have identified as fruit fly larvae. (Miniature maggots.) Neither the larvae nor the fruit flies are harmful but the fruit flies can be very annoying. Just another possibility. John Lynette,
Like Bentley, I couldn’t be sure without seeing them, but I live about 30 miles west of Clovis, New Mexico (If you’re in Texas you may know where that is.) and we may have pests in common. I’ve never seen a springtail or a mite in my tubs but I’ve been feeding a lot of apple peelings and melon rinds and from time to time get heavy infestations of fruit flies. When this happens I start finding “little white things” about 1/16″ to 1/8″ long, segmented, which I have identified as fruit fly larvae. (Miniature maggots.) Neither the larvae nor the fruit flies are harmful but the fruit flies can be very annoying. Just another possibility.
John

]]>