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Boardwalk :: Forum List Six (6) New Worm Digest Forums 1) General Earthworm Discussion Forum
tnwormfarm
User

A Fertile Cocoon
Posts: 7
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 Can I save the babies ??? - 2008/06/30 21:27 I harvested my first "crop" of 4.5 pounds of castings yesterday from my 10g plastic container. I placed about 2 pounds of the castings in a plastic ziplock bag to carry to my mom and when I woke up this morning there was hundreds of small, white baby worms clinging to the inside of the plastic bag. I assume they were in search of oxygen since I'd sealed the bag but I had not even thought about the possibility of babies being in the castings! Is there a way to "filter" (for lack of a better word) the castings to retrieve and save the babies?
Thank you,
Doug
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vermiman
User

A Mature Breeder Earthworm
Posts: 92
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 Re:Can I save the babies ??? - 2008/06/30 23:18 The small white worms may not be baby reds. If they have no hint of red in them then they may be pot worms. Why do you seal the castings in an air tight container. There's goodies in that there bag that needs oxygen. It's Black Gold!! It's Squirmy Tea!!

John 3:16
Acts 2:21
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Bentley
User

A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 21
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 Re:Can I save the babies ??? - 2008/07/04 20:46 Hi Doug,
Like Vermiman says, there is a chance these are simply white worms (aka pot worms), but still - you are undoubtedly going to lose a fair number of cocoons and baby worms when you harvest castings. If you really want to make sure you are getting as many little worms as you can, perhaps you could try drying out the castings a bit then placing moistened cheese cloth with some yummy rotten waste materials on top - something like watermelon or cataloupe would be great. Any worms left in the material should crawl up into the cheese cloth or at least congregate up underneath it.

Hope this helps

B
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AK Red Neck
User

A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 71
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 Re:Can I save the babies ??? - 2008/07/04 23:07 When I harvest I store the VC in a tub just like my worm bins. Every couple of weeks I sort through it and pluck the babies out. Jeremy
Sterling, Alaska
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jasdip
User

A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 18
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 Re:Can I save the babies ??? - 2008/07/05 08:08 Me too... I have about 2/3 of a 5-gallon pail (holes drilled in) with harvested castings. I keep watermelon chunks 1/2 buried in the cast, and every few days I pluck out the baby worms that are congregated on the fruit, and pop them into one of my bins.

Sherry Southwestern Ont.
Canada
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tnwormfarm
User

A Fertile Cocoon
Posts: 7
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 Re:Can I save the babies ??? - 2008/07/07 22:48 Based on the feedback, I do think they are pot worms. I appreciate each suggestion on how to retrive the babies from the castings...very helpful information, as usual!
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Boardwalk :: Forum List Six (6) New Worm Digest Forums 1) General Earthworm Discussion Forum

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