Comments on: Cocoons or Mites? https://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/cocoons-or-mites/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cocoons-or-mites WAY Too Much Fun With Worms! Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:54:56 +0000 hourly 1 By: Bentley https://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/cocoons-or-mites/comment-page-1/#comment-5621 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:54:56 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/cocoons-or-mites/#comment-5621 Hi again Treasa,
In this case I wouldn’t recommend adding more worms – unless of course you happened to have another worm bin that was already well balanced. Getting another shipment of worms might just leave you with less money in your pocket and more worms on the floor. 🙂
New worms tend to finicky as it is, so adding them to an unbalanced system might not be the greatest idea.
I would simply slow down what you are presently doing. Make sure you mix in some more bedding and just let everything sit for a bit. If it looks like they are ok – i.e. when you poke around a bit they are active and move away quite quickly – then maybe try adding some more scraps (a few at a time. This time don’t blend them up – maybe cut them up a little to increase surface area, but no need to make a slurry. Monitor the bin closely to see if the new food is being consumed, then take things from there.

Hope this helps!

B

]]> By: Treasa Birchett https://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/cocoons-or-mites/comment-page-1/#comment-5620 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:39:54 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/cocoons-or-mites/#comment-5620 sorry I meant that I started out with too few worms not too many

]]> By: Treasa Birchett https://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/cocoons-or-mites/comment-page-1/#comment-5619 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:38:50 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/cocoons-or-mites/#comment-5619 Thanks for the tips. I have ben thinking that I started out with too many worms and I did what they tell you to do add the worms to the new beeding everything very sterile will adding another pound of worms help. or should I just start a new tray basically start over same worms with new bed

]]> By: Bentley https://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/cocoons-or-mites/comment-page-1/#comment-5482 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:09:02 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/cocoons-or-mites/#comment-5482 Hi Treasa,
I probably wouldn’t worry too much about one or two dead worms, since some worms just seem to be more adventurous than others. If you see that a bunch have moved down into the collection tray then this would likely indicate something going wrong.

Blending stuff up using a food processor isn’t a bad idea, but you DO need to be a little more careful with this sort of material since it can go anaerobic very easily. I wouldn’t blend your bedding in with the food either. The benefit of bedding is that it helps to aerate your bin materials and soak up extra moisture, neither of which it can do if blended up.

B

]]> By: Treasa https://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/cocoons-or-mites/comment-page-1/#comment-5481 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:02:39 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/cocoons-or-mites/#comment-5481 I am also new to vermicomposting and my worm bin is about a month old. but i feel I ma having a problem. I purchased a three drawer worm bin so plenty of ventilation. moisture is ok small springtail population and even a few potworms. now When i look in the bottom
of the bin or collection tray I have usually one or two dead worms.
I do not know what is causing this is it normal I feed about once a
week I have turned the soil to aerate. when I feed it is usually egg shells some vegetable peels, carboard and or newspaper all run through my food processor. because I started with only 1 pound of worms i only put a few handfulls in when I feed.

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