Dean_W
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/02 13:44
I noticed today that I had some worms on top of my bedding. Is this normal? Are they trying to flee or something? I did have a problem with some fruit flies so I buried the watermelon rinds that were causing it deeper. Could it be a change in barometric pressure?
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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geordier
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/02 14:05
Most worms will be on the surface at some time or other, having a break, looking for a mate, feeding, etc etc etc.....
Just check your bedding. It might have become a little acidic or needs a little moisture or oxygen.
I'm sure it's nothing to worry about
George
Co. Armagh
Northern Ireland
"we're Not Brasil....." |
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/02 16:32
george, thanks for your reply. 
I'm glad it may not be any thing to worry about. I checked the bedding it seems moist enough. It may have become a little acidic, I don't have a ph meter though. I've seen quite a number of worm casings (eggs) though.
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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gnosnhoj
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/02 20:03
I'm with George. If they were organizing a break-out, you'd know it - there'd be more worms outside the bin than in.
Most all vermicomposting bin compatible l'il fellas are surface worms, after all.
I've seen barometric changes get 'em moving, but never out of a bin...'cept for that one time I intro'd a new herd of ENC into my outside bin right before an impressive T-storm.
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/02 20:09
Gary, thanks for your response!
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/03 15:12
Turns out there was a problem after all. I dumped the bin out to find some dead worms. It dosen't appear to be near the pound of redworms that I started with. Also some worms appeared lethargic and wouldn't move very much.
Some were bloated in the midsection. I think I read somewhere that this a sign of acidity. I removed the watermelon rinds from the bin.
Perhaps it was the peatmoss and compost that I had added to the bin.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/03 16:43
Could I have overfed? There is alot of casings in there.
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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redhen
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/04 16:22
Did you notice that bin heating up inside?
Susan Quinby-Honer
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/04 16:44
Redhen, it was a little warm near some coffee grounds. I found some dead worms and some with swollen abdomens that looked like they exploded. ---0---0-- Any idea?
I thought worm raising would be easy.
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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redhen
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/04 22:08
How much food had you put in that bin?
Heating will cause your worms to seek safer areas to get away from it.
Coffee grounds can heat, lots of watermelon or other fruits can heat up also.
I might take that bin apart some and see what your worm population looks like.
A pound of worms is not going to be eating a whole lot of food and it is easy to overfeed.
When the bin is put back together, I would suggest feeding only half the bin at a time. Do not feed again until the new food is almost 75% gone, then feed the other half. You will be less likely to overfeed and if something heats up, the worms have the other half of the bin to flee to, until things cool down.
Susan Quinby-Honer
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Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth. |
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WFike
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/05 10:09
Dean_W wrote:
I thought worm raising would be easy.
Raising worms is easy! What is hard is learning that you can't just keep piling food on them. If you give them more than they can process then they are dead! It is that simple.
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/05 14:17
I didn't think I was feeding too much. I fed them a slice of bread, a little coffee grounds, and a couple of one inch square watermelon rinds.
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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redhen
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/05 14:58
Not sure how much is a little coffee grounds, but it does not sound like too much. All those things could heat though.
How long have you had these worms?
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/05 16:43
redhen, I've had the worms about a month. Would the compost I added have done it? I wanted to add some microbial activity.
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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redhen
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/05 20:42
I doubt the compost would cause a problem.
I do not use peat but I do know it is highly acidic and should be soaked for hours before adding to a bin to reduce acidity.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth. |
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/06 16:43
Thanks, for your help.
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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thewormguys
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/07 08:24
Dean_W
Are there any worms that look like they have been cut?
I had this problem last spring when I received my worms.
I moved the worm box to the center of the basement. The only thing I could find that might be causing the problem was ants. The problem went away when the ants left.
I had worms that were bloated and cut.
Rob
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/07 09:39
Yes, there were some that looked bloated and cut, but no ants. 
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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thewormguys
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/07 10:07
Well I use newspaper for bedding, checked the PH with a PH meter, and never served water melon rind. I thought it was the ants. The problem just seem to go away when the ants did.
The worms bounced back hopefully this will happen to you also.
One thing that I did was stop feeding them for 2 or 3 weeks and kept the bed really moist. These are solutions that I read about to get rid of the ants.
Rob
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/07 12:34
Rob, I'll add some moisture to the bedding and I stopped feeding them for now. I may have to buy another pound if that dosen't work out. Thanks, for the information.
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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geordier
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/07 14:39
Sounds like acid to me.
Bread can be a problem as well, the wee fellas don't like too much yeast, but if the bread is soaked for a day or so, they don't mind.
A ph meter is handy to have and they're cheap enough at the garden centre.
If you can't get one (by fair means or foul) then a little calcium carbonate sprinkled on the bed and a quarter cup full mixed through your bedding works wonders. The worms will use it up and it helps with digestion and reproduction.
Keep us informed.
George
Co. Armagh
Northern Ireland
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/07 15:00
I'll have to purchase a PH meter. I guess the peat moss did them in? I don't know if I can find Calcium Carbonate, but how about a bunch of egg shells. On a brief examination this morning I didn't see many worms left, but there were alot of casings.
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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Marshall
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/07 20:19
Dean,
I don't go along with adding chemicals, or soil for grit, or half the other additives you hear about. I like to keep it simple and let the worms get rid of the waste from the house. I add a few egg shells and that probably keeps the PH at around neutral.
Anyone from Adelaide want some worms??
Marshall
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Dean_W
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/07 22:13
Marshall, thanks for your reply!
Dean
Cedar Park, TX |
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jvolpert
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A Fertile Cocoon
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Re:Worms on top of bedding? - 2008/04/09 23:50
How and how often should one check up on the worms? Some people say not to disturb the worms.
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