Comments on: What Makes Worm Cocoons Hatch?

By: Bentley

Bentley — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:18:28 +0000

Hi Shirley – there is a world of difference between a large outdoor in-ground bed and something like (for example) a plastic stacking indoor worm bin. It is FAR more difficult to overfeed a larger, open outdoor system. Some years ago now I was collecting lots of grounds from a local coffee shop and adding to my outdoor beds. As I discovered, this can be a tricky material to work with in these types of systems, especially when a lot is added at once. In my experience you can end up with a lot of heating, and unless weather conditions are really wet the grounds seem to dry out very easily and are then very difficult to re-wet. Left for long enough the coffee-grounds-heavy zones eventually ended up aged and wet enough to be favorable for worms, but it was far from an ideal material – at least when using so much of it (mixed with so little else).

By: Shirley Davis

Shirley Davis — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 14:53:07 +0000

Started an inground worm bed 5 yrs ago and have added to it as I get stuff. As you said, only see the worms in the spring as I live in Arizona and it is either too hot or cold for them so I think they bury deeper. I have a shade cloth thrown over top and keep them damp, burying all garden and yard wastes. My question is I never think about the amounts of stuff I am burying and sometimes get 5-10 lbs of coffee grounds from Starbucks and I throw the whole thing in and bury at once. Same with all scraps and yard trash. Coffee is very acidic but I figure if they don’t like it they will move to a different spot until it neutralizes. Can I overfeed the worms? Also, have started having a mouse pop out once in awhile while buring scraps.. I have enjoyed your website. Thank you.

By: Bentley

Bentley — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 17:56:31 +0000

In reply to Cathy. Interesting question, Cathy! It may have to do with the age of the cocoons, as well as the number of worms each cocoon contains. I am of course assuming here you only have one kind of worm (obviously different worms can have cocoons with somewhat different shapes). I've noticed that newer (freshly laid) cocoons can tend to be a bit more round, while the older ones are a bit more elongated. In the case of Red Worms, cocoons can have more than one worm in them (the average is supposed to be 3 in fact). So it would make sense that if a cocoon only had one worm in it, it would be smaller than one with three worms in it.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 08:00:06 +0000

Why are some cocoons round and yellow birth lg and sm., and others are football shaped?

By: Cindy

Cindy — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 20:16:31 +0000

We raise rabbits for meat and are ready to combine our rabbit poop and kitchen scraps with worm composting. My one question I have not been able to find an answer to is , if we put our worm compost bins directly under our rabbits, will their pee hurt or have a negative effect on the worms or composting process? Or would it be better to have the bins off to the side and divert the poop to the bins?

Thank you for your time, Cindy

By: Bentley

Bentley — Sat, 27 Jun 2015 17:35:43 +0000

Hi Danny
In this case the term “cocoon” does not have the same meaning as it does for insects such as moths and butterflies.
You are however correct in that “eggs” are not the same as “cocoons”. Fertilized eggs are deposited IN the cocoon as it forms (from a mucus ring). In the case of Red Worms, each cocoon produces an average of 3 young worms.

By: Danny

Danny — Mon, 18 May 2015 10:38:59 +0000

Worm eggs are no way the same as a cocoon. Those that think they r need to be corrected worms do not metamorph into something else.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 01:24:47 +0000

I have 3 bins (RM style) and Red wigglers. I have the main bin for the “herd” second bin with several (4 mature adults) for breeding and the third, for cocoons (empty at the moment)

Additionally; I have 3 bins on another table (2 18 gallon) for cocoons and breeding and a 36 gallon tub for the main herd – European Night Crawler – (heading this way as I speak) I also have 100 cocoons of ENC heading this way soon so I can study both species, and have enough of each in all tubs in case I screw up miserably. Bentley – 36 gallon tub filled 12 inches high – RM style = how many sq. ft – and what is the max amount of worms for this.

By: SoCalDeere

SoCalDeere — Sat, 28 Mar 2015 17:56:37 +0000

I cant afford to buy a truck load of worms

So I am very intrested in breeding My own

So I am following this thread and this group

By: ryan

ryan — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 16:30:49 +0000

I have three fiberglass worm bins with the leachate catch at the bottom each are 4×8 feet and I started with 10 lbs of worms in each one. I have lots and lots of worms now iv used everything from whole pieces of cardboard that I to my surprise was gone in a few weeks used yard debre paper and manures never really had much as far as fruit or vegitable matter. im stumped here though. I have tons of worms iv filled each bin with over a foot and a half of material as they ate it all down. I can never find … an egg. also how big is a mature worm normally.