February 2019
Urban Worm Bag – A New Project Focus
Sometimes I think it is very important to see a project/experiment all the way through to completion. Other times…not so much!
Some time ago I reached the conclusion that my cat waste vermicomposting project fell into the latter category.
I’m the sort of guy that really loves to “play” with my active systems (when I’m not busy “neglecting” them, that is – haha) and – quite frankly – playing around with a system containing plenty of “kitty poopies” isn’t really all that much fun.
I see plenty of value in using Red Worms to (more…)
**For Even More Worm Fun, Sign Up for the RWC E-mail List!**4 Worm Reproduction (2019) – Day 70
Just a quick update regarding my new(ish) 4 Worm Reproduction Experiment. I decided to check on the systems yesterday evening (Day 70) – and it really hit home that these systems were in serious need of an upgrade. Yes, it’s pretty clear that I’m going to easily disprove the myth about a Red Worm population only doubling in 90 days – but when it comes down to it I’ve definitely been throttling the true population growth potential by keeping these worms in tiny sour cream tubs.
As you can see in the images below, the volume of material in all systems had decreased a fair bit, and things were getting pretty dry up near the top. This was particularly pronounced in the cardboard treatment (3rd image down).
(more…)
How to Tell Euros Apart From Red Worms
A recent discussion in a Facebook group about distinguishing European Nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis; sometimes Dendrobaena sp) from Red Worms (Eisenia fetida/andrei) reminded me that this is something a lot of people wonder about. So I thought I would take some pictures (now that I finally have Euros!) and share what I feel are some of the key differences.
The “big 3” in my mind are:
1) Size
2) Body Shape
3) Coloration/Striping
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** SIZE **
As you can see in the first image, Euros are typically (more…)
2 Euro Challenge – 02-08-19
Back in the middle of January I wrote about the “Tiny Tub” system I had set up (earlier in Jan) for two “rescued” European Nightcrawlers.
Finding these Euros was very exciting since I was starting to think I didn’t have any of these worms left, and…well…two is all you need to start building a new population!
Today I decided to assess the situation, and then moved the Euros/cocoons/habitat material to a 1 gal bucket system I set up a couple of days ago (wanted to let it “brew” a little bit before adding the worms). I’m sure they would have continued to do fine in the yogurt tub, but I want to make absolutely sure I am providing them with enough space and food/habitat to really thrive. This also means I won’t need (more…)
The Insurance Bin – One Year Later
I’ve known for a long time – largely thanks to all the bins I’ve neglected over the years (lol) – that a population of worms can be sustained on bedding alone for months on end. This by itself is pretty cool, since it means you really don’t need to try so hard to “take care of” the worms all the time (and in fact – too much of that “caring” can actually get you in trouble). But I saw even more potential in the form of what I’ve referred to as “Insurance Bins”.
The basic idea – set up a pretty typical (but usually smaller-sized) plastic tub worm bin with lots of bedding, a modest amount of food, and of course some worms (you don’t need a lot). Maybe feed it once or twice more before leaving it completely alone (other than maybe adding a bit more bedding here and there, maintaining moisture etc).
This type of completely-low-maintenance system – that should be kept indoors – ensures you will (more…)
4 Worm Reproduction (2019) – Day 44
NOTE: This series was previously referred to as “(Red Worm) Cocoon Production in Different Materials”. As touched on in my last update, I decided to let the bins continue on, so now it’s more like my original “Four Worm Reproduction Experiment“.
I had planned to check on the bins a bit sooner than yesterday (Day 44), but in all honesty I do think it’s not a bad idea to limit the amount of disturbance as much as possible – especially now that there are tiny hatchlings involved.
As you may recall, my Day 21 update seemed to suggest that (more…)