http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/ 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 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-32601 Roar Irgens Sun, 06 Nov 2011 06:31:16 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/#comment-32601 I find the comments usefull and interesting. Roar I find the comments usefull and interesting.
Roar

]]> http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-32600 Roar Irgens Sun, 06 Nov 2011 06:29:07 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/#comment-32600 I am just starting my worm box. I have previously ground egg shells in an old blendor and added that to my veggie garden. I plan to add it to the worm food. I do have a microscope. Will take a look. i have heard that the worms will nest in half egg shells. Any exoerience on that, anybody ? Roar I am just starting my worm box. I have previously ground egg shells in an old blendor and added that to my veggie garden. I plan to add it to the worm food. I do have a microscope. Will take a look.
i have heard that the worms will nest in half egg shells. Any exoerience on that, anybody ?
Roar

]]> http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-26483 Bentley Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:06:39 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/#comment-26483 Hi Robert, Not a problem - no point taking these things too personally, especially when e-communication is involved! Your friendly follow-up certainly serves as an important reminder of this. Would be interesting to see how the shells look under the microscope, but have not had the opportunity to do so yet. Hi Robert,
Not a problem – no point taking these things too personally, especially when e-communication is involved! Your friendly follow-up certainly serves as an important reminder of this.
Would be interesting to see how the shells look under the microscope, but have not had the opportunity to do so yet.

]]> http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-26479 Robert Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:13:41 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/#comment-26479 Hi Bentley: Glad to hear from you. I wondered what got into me for firing off what I wrote. Thanks for taking it with LOL., and correcting my spelling of the word. I'm still interested to see the egg shells under a microscope. Have you ever had the opportunity to compare them to grains of sand under magnification? Thanks again for the response. Robert Hi Bentley:
Glad to hear from you. I wondered what got into me for firing off
what I wrote. Thanks for taking it with LOL., and correcting my
spelling of the word.
I’m still interested to see the egg shells under a microscope.
Have you ever had the opportunity to compare them to grains of
sand under magnification?
Thanks again for the response.
Robert

]]> http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-26473 Bentley Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:19:34 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/#comment-26473 Heya, Robert Mr. Irresponsible here :lol: Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can assure you that my inclination to say "don't worry about it" was based on the lack of evidence I have seen (absolutely NONE) that would indicate worms are being harmed during the 10 years I've been vermicomposting. It is also based on the numerous accounts of others who have been adding crushed egg shells to their bins. Aside from that, I was simply sharing a personal opinion (not even a recommendation, necessarily) - I always encourage people gather as much information/evidence as they can, and then to come up with their own informed decision. Discouraging slugs from attacking your plants and adding egg shells to your worm bed are two different things. When attempting the former, you would probably heap them up in a nice thick layer around the base of your plants, thus requiring the slug to actually cross over the material to reach the plant. When adding them to a worm bin, it's a good idea - as I suggested above - to spread them out a fair bit (mix them in as well). Anyway, I value additional thoughts and discussion, even when people call me irresponsible (haha) and disagree with me - so thanks again for chiming in. Heya, Robert
Mr. Irresponsible here

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can assure you that my inclination to say “don’t worry about it” was based on the lack of evidence I have seen (absolutely NONE) that would indicate worms are being harmed during the 10 years I’ve been vermicomposting. It is also based on the numerous accounts of others who have been adding crushed egg shells to their bins. Aside from that, I was simply sharing a personal opinion (not even a recommendation, necessarily) – I always encourage people gather as much information/evidence as they can, and then to come up with their own informed decision.
Discouraging slugs from attacking your plants and adding egg shells to your worm bed are two different things. When attempting the former, you would probably heap them up in a nice thick layer around the base of your plants, thus requiring the slug to actually cross over the material to reach the plant. When adding them to a worm bin, it’s a good idea – as I suggested above – to spread them out a fair bit (mix them in as well).
Anyway, I value additional thoughts and discussion, even when people call me irresponsible (haha) and disagree with me – so thanks again for chiming in.

]]> http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-26472 Robert Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:44:15 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/#comment-26472 The difference between the two comments " The answer to that question is definitely YES – egg shells are a great addition to your worm and compost bins. " and the following question and answer. James' Q. "Is there any chance of harming with worms if they were to ingest the shells after grinding? Would larger be better?" Bentley's A. " That’s an interesting question, James. I would be inclined to say “don’t worry about it”, " but I really have no clue if this is the case or not." I find it irisponsible to give advice if there is no proof that the answer is correct. I believe that it's probably harmful to the worms to swallow sharp broken pieces of egg shells. I am going to locate some one with a microscope and see for myself what a ground up piece of egg shell looks like, compared to a grain of sand. In the mean time, I will reserve my ground up egg shells to spread around plants that I am trying to save from slugs. If you want to read the other side of this controversy, look up how others have written about slugs and how the egg shells deter them from going any where near egg shells. " From Bonnie Willie's site on slugs. 7. Abrasive materials like ground egg shells, oyster shells or diatomaceous earth can be placed at the base of plants. As the slug ripples over the abrasive material their bodies become lacerated causing the slugs to die from dehydration. The difference between the two comments ” The answer to that
question is definitely YES – egg shells are a great addition to your
worm and compost bins. ” and the following question and answer.
James’ Q. “Is there any chance of harming with worms if they were to
ingest the shells after grinding? Would larger be better?”
Bentley’s A. ” That’s an interesting question, James. I would be
inclined to say “don’t worry about it”,
” but I really have no clue if this is the case or not.”
I find it irisponsible to give advice if there is no proof that the
answer is correct.
I believe that it’s probably harmful to the worms to swallow sharp
broken pieces of egg shells. I am going to locate some one with a
microscope and see for myself what a ground up piece of egg shell
looks like, compared to a grain of sand. In the mean time, I will
reserve my ground up egg shells to spread around plants that I am
trying to save from slugs.
If you want to read the other side of this controversy, look up how
others have written about slugs and how the egg shells deter them
from going any where near egg shells.
” From Bonnie Willie’s site on slugs.
7. Abrasive materials like ground egg shells, oyster shells or
diatomaceous earth can be placed at the base of plants. As the
slug ripples over the abrasive material their bodies become
lacerated causing the slugs to die from dehydration.

]]> http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-26416 Mark from Kansas Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:10:09 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/#comment-26416 James, I pulverize the dried out egg shells and sprinkle them in,nothing bad has happened to my worms. The reason I pulverize the egg shells in a mini chopper is that the first time I used the Letty's mini chopper, I ruined it and she got mad. So now I HAVE to use the mini chopper to justify ruining it. James,
I pulverize the dried out egg shells and sprinkle them in,nothing bad has happened to my worms.
The reason I pulverize the egg shells in a mini chopper is that the first time I used the Letty’s mini chopper, I ruined it and she got mad. So now I HAVE to use the mini chopper to justify ruining it.

]]> http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-26405 Bentley Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:24:16 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/#comment-26405 That's an interesting question, James. I would be inclined to say "don't worry about it", but I really have no clue if this is the case or not. I would suggest spreading out the ground up shells really well to at least decrease the likelihood of this happening. I certainly didn't see any evidence that the worms are being harmed by small fragments when I was grinding up my shells (I'm now lazier about it, opting to simply toss them in as-is for the most part) That’s an interesting question, James. I would be inclined to say “don’t worry about it”, but I really have no clue if this is the case or not. I would suggest spreading out the ground up shells really well to at least decrease the likelihood of this happening. I certainly didn’t see any evidence that the worms are being harmed by small fragments when I was grinding up my shells (I’m now lazier about it, opting to simply toss them in as-is for the most part)

]]> http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-26391 James Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:57:06 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/#comment-26391 I used to like to grind the shells after a day or 2 of drying in an old coffee grinder. Is this ok? My worry was making the shell fragments TOO small and sharp. Is there any chance of harming with worms if they were to ingest the shells after grinding? Would larger be better? I used to like to grind the shells after a day or 2 of drying in an old coffee grinder. Is this ok? My worry was making the shell fragments TOO small and sharp. Is there any chance of harming with worms if they were to ingest the shells after grinding? Would larger be better?

]]> http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-24907 Jomama Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:38:58 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/adding-egg-shells-to-your-worm-bin/#comment-24907 Does it matter if the eggshells have been cooked or not? Can I put peeled hardboiled egg shells in there? How about hardboiled eggshells that have been dyed for Easter? Does it matter if the eggshells have been cooked or not? Can I put peeled hardboiled egg shells in there? How about hardboiled eggshells that have been dyed for Easter?

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