Euros vs Reds Challenge 2.0

It’s been quite some time since my last RWC “experiment” (I use the term fairly loosely! lol), so I decided this was the week to get back in action! Rather than setting up something big and involved, I figure it makes a lot more sense to go with a K.I.S.S approach this time around!

As the title indicates, this is going to be a follow-up to my “Euros vs Reds Head to Head Challenge“. This time – rather than comparing populations in two separate systems – I am going to put 2-3 adults of each species in the same bin and see how things develop over time.

Today I got the bin set up with some shredded cardboard and frozen food waste. I’m letting the system age for about a week, so I wasn’t too concerned about creating the ideal worm habitat. I basically just tossed in the dry cardboard and food waste, watered everything well, and put a lid on it!

Between now and when the worms are added, there will certainly be some “tweaking” (lol). I’ll mix things up really well, likely add even more bedding – and perhaps some “living material” as well.

As some of you may recall, the Euros seemed to do much better than the Reds in the last experiment. This time around I’ll be using the same number of each worm, and they will be in the same bin so I think it will provide a bit more of an accurate “head to head” comparison!

Should be interesting.

Stay tuned!
8)

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Comments

    • Dustin V
    • February 9, 2013

    Question for… have you tired Bokashi with the worms?

    • john w.
    • February 10, 2013

    seems like last time the euros did better because you “forgot” the experiment and the eruos do better at digesting cardboard than reds. So make sure you add plenty of food for the reds to see how they do if they are optimal as well. 🙂 looking forward to updates.

    • Tom Bergstrand
    • February 10, 2013

    I think that the most important part of the experiment would be the amount of castings produced. As I remember the reds consumed more for their size and reproduced at a quicker rate thereby making them more prolific than euros. If fishing worms are your end game then that’s one thing. If castings are the goal then it’s another. Here in No. AZ the fishing we do is known as “dirt fishing”. (A pet name for metal detecting for gold in the desert). My goal is to produce castings for AACT to “motivate” my greenhouses and 3,000 sq. ft. garden. I don’t fish. As the old saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for one day, BUT if you TEACH him to fish …… he will sit in a boat drinking beer all day”. Or something like that.

    • Bentley
    • February 12, 2013

    Hi Dustin – I’ve vermicomposted with bokashi before. Here is a link to one of my posts on the topic: https://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/symptoms-of-a-sour-worm-bin/
    The key is to add the material in moderation, and make sure there is plenty of good habitat available for the worms.

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