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Boardwalk :: Forum List Six (6) New Worm Digest Forums 1) General Earthworm Discussion Forum
nmaidell
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 No more worm bin woes, just questions about worms - 2006/07/11 15:32 I haven't been on for 2 months after most of my worms died in April , but I didn't give up and I took Wormmainea's advice and made one of my own with vent holes on the sides and started a new bed with the remaining worms I had. They have really thrived in their new home and now I think I'm now in the hundreds (better than the 20s) with new worms and rich compost.

They have reproduced in the last 3 months but I read that worms will actually die off to make room for others. Is that true? About how many worms do you think will fit in my 10 gallon plastic bin and how deep can it be filled? It's filled with about 4 inches from the bottom with compost. Can I speed up the production by adding more food? Thanks for your help.
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redhen
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A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 684
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 Re:No more worm bin woes, just questions about wor - 2006/07/11 20:51 About how many worms do you think will fit in my 10 gallon plastic bin and how deep can it be filled? It's filled with about 4 inches from the bottom with compost. Can I speed up the production by adding more food?
Worms will populate your bin and self limit it's population by the food and space available. There are not hard fast numbers, but if you want, think of 1lb per square foot of surface area.
In my 10 gallon bins, I think 3 lbs are max. Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth.
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nmaidell
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A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 36
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 Re:No more worm bin woes, just questions about wor - 2006/07/12 13:41 Well I definitely don't have 3lbs of worms right now. Thank you the estimate, I have lots of room to grow.

I have a question about compost tea. I read the forum about compost tea and I didn't realize what was involved. Why can't you put in cheesecloth or a burlap bag and soak it in water? Thanks.

Nancy
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WormMainea
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A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 149
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 Re:No more worm bin woes, just questions about wor - 2006/07/19 07:35 You can make a form of compost tea that way, but it is not as good as fermented compost tea. Fermented compost tea takes advantage of oxygen (via air that you bubble through the mix) to increasse the number of microorganisms. In my opinion, the process is not really that hard. Check our Dudley's tea brewing system on my site-- you can get everything you need at a pet store for $20 or less.

Mark WormMainea.com
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nmaidell
User

A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 36
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 Re:No more worm bin woes, just questions about wor - 2006/07/23 23:16 Thanks for the reply. I will keep the compost kit in mind.

Now I have another question that I've been trying to figure out through the critter gallery. I don't see them very often but more lately, they are short worm and I thought it was a tiny worm but it moves very fast and has legs with two antennae. They are the same reddish color as a worm. My bin is in my house. Could this actually be a centipede or millipede?! What do you guys think?
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Grimlock
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A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 40
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 Re:No more worm bin woes, just questions about wor - 2006/07/24 14:48 Kill it! I think it is the millipede. From what I read they can/will eat your worms.
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nmaidell
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A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 36
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 Re:No more worm bin woes, just questions about wor - 2006/07/26 13:16 I discovered through Happy D Ranch's website that they were most likely centipedes. By the way that site on invertebres is excellent, lots of pictures and good descriptions of what each critter is. Well I went hunting for my worm killers and I couldn't find any. Do you think perhaps they died or just hiding out when I come? Does anyone know how they got there? I'm amazed that such a large and mean critter could just grow out of a plastic worm bin.
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Grimlock
User

A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 40
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 Re:No more worm bin woes, just questions about wor - 2006/07/26 14:05 They are probably hiding. In my outdoor bin there is no way to avoid them. You will see them now and then looking through for capsules and such. I just crush them. I noticed a bunch of little ones in there too, so they must have bred also.
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Boardwalk :: Forum List Six (6) New Worm Digest Forums 1) General Earthworm Discussion Forum

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