Worm Digest - Re:My worms are dying - HELP!

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1) General Earthworm Discussion Forum

thomcat
User

A Hatchling Earthworm

Posts: 15

My worms are dying - HELP! - 2008/03/04 18:57 I started a bin a month ago - similar to Can-o-worms and have it set ouside in our pole barn - live in SW FL where the temps have been mild to hot for this time of year. The bottom layer was one of those coco...things supplied with the bin and then I layered my waste. I fed them mainly lettuce, red cabbage (they didn't like it), eggshells, coffee grounds and a smoothie that was made out of kale, banana, and mango. I topped it with shredded brown paper bags (no ink) and I only have a few worms after a month. I originally started out with about 2 lbs and tried my best to make sure it wasn't too wet in there...just damp.

What could I be doing wrong? I'm getting frustrated.

thomcat

Post edited by: thomcat, at: 2008/03/04 18:58

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squirminwormfarm

User

A Protected Species Earthworm

Posts: 103

Re:My worms are dying - HELP! - 2008/03/04 20:47 To dry in the middle maybe? Hard to diagnose from afar. How were you checking the moisture? Dave Wallace
Squirmin' Worm Farm
Plymouth, WI
www.squirminwormfarm.com

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Wormbinning Mama
User

A Juvenile Earthworm

Posts: 41

Re:My worms are dying - HELP! - 2008/03/04 21:02 Is the cocounut stuff in the bottom, and then everything else on top of that? Did you check all the way down to the bottom? I once thought I'd lost all my worms in a COW and they were all down in the layer of coir (sp?) and peat that I'd kept dry in the bottom layer (between the feeding layer and the very bottom layer) to keep them out of the very bottom. Guess it got wet enough for them after awhile.

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gnosnhoj

User

A Protected Species Earthworm

Posts: 544

Re:My worms are dying - HELP! - 2008/03/04 21:13 Sounds like not enough bedding and maybe too much food for the herd in a new bin, thomcat.
You didn't mention how much of any food you'd added, and how many is 'a few worms' left?
What kind of worms, and what does "mild to hot" mean to you? Most composting worms are best maintained and productive at 60-80df. More heat is usually worse than less, survival-wise anyway.
When I started my WormFactory, also "similar to Can-o-worms", I mixed the provided coir block with a like mass of shred paper / cardboard and loaded the tray to the brim with the soaked / drained / squeezed / fluffed mix a week before the worms came, and sprinkled about a cup of chopped veggie waste all over to get the microherd started. I started with 1# of worms, and let 'em settle for most of a week before any feeding.
Recommendations:
1. Pull any visible remaining feedstock out, add damp shred (and/or) paper / cardboard / leaves to fill the tray, mix gently and well, and monitor for at least a week before you start feeding (minimally) again.
Or...
2. Pull any visible remaining feedstock out, prep another tray of fresh bedding and spatulate your original tray into the new one, mix gently and well, and monitor for at least a week before you start feeding (minimally) again.
Hope this helps. Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY

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thomcat
User

A Hatchling Earthworm

Posts: 15

Re:My worms are dying - HELP! - 2008/03/05 21:11 Gary - you may have hit the nail on the head. I have red wigglers and got my bin going the day after my 2#'s arrived in the mail. I soaked the coir and squeezed out all the excess, added a layer of shredded/chopped lettuce and topped it off with shredded newspaper/brown paper bags. I misted the shredded newspaper/brown paper bags with a spray bottle to insure I didn't get it too wet. This was about 4-5 weeks ago and I was feeding once a week. All the food seemed to be disappearing. The temps here in SW FL have been in the low 80's during the day and 50-60's at night. I have the COW located in our pole barn which gets lots of ventilation. I positioned the lid per the directions so there would be an intake of air from the bottom of the unit. The way I check the moisture level is to don plastic gloves and dig my way down through the bed. In the beginning there were lots of worms and now there are a handful.

I'll try setting up a new tray but do you guys think I need to order more worms or will the few (I'd say less than a dozen) I have reproduce enough?

Thanks for all the help.

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gnosnhoj

User

A Protected Species Earthworm

Posts: 544

Re:My worms are dying - HELP! - 2008/03/05 22:14 This might sound stupid, but have you checked your 'drainage' tray for worms? My WF worms loved it down there! Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY

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thomcat
User

A Hatchling Earthworm

Posts: 15

Re:My worms are dying - HELP! - 2008/03/06 14:29 Yes and there were just a couple. I lined my bottom tray with weed cloth to prevent them from getting down there.

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wormherder
User

A Juvenile Earthworm

Posts: 68

Re:My worms are dying - HELP! - 2008/04/27 22:48 thom cat
my offer is still open i will guve you red wigglers and a few euros mixed in and can probably look at your set up and see what you problem might be
worm herder
look for previous post and you should find the phone number in one of them
always glad to help out a local wormer
Rachel also has 2 species of worms I can get you in contact with her also if you wish

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