Brenda
User
A Juvenile Earthworm
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Question(s) from a new vermicomposter - 2009/01/14 13:13
Please forgive the long post. I'm a first timer - with vermicomposting and the forum  Hopefully, you veterans will be able to help me out.
I started with one rubbermaid-type bin back (16"x22"x8") in Nov. I introduced about 150 wigglers, all breeder size. Last week, I noticed that the bin was very heavy and the contents had reduced by at least 1/2, even though I added bedding once/week or so.
I dug through the bin to see what was going on in there and why it would be so heavy, i.e. was it too wet? It was fairly wet on the bottom, but not enough to drip through the drainage holes. Seems that the worms were happy on the bottom. After a few minutes of digging, I found that the weight was primarily due to the number of worms and the density of the castings.
I found a few "clumps" of what was once damp strips of newspaper. Is this normal or should I be concerned?
The worms are reproducing at an amazing rate. I was picking through them the other day and curiosity demanded I count them to check my progress. I quit counting when the number exceeded 500, and that was because I found the "love nest": a huge mass of worms, paired-off, doing "the love knot" dance. 
Other than a few stinky newspaper balls, a few oak leaves the "sticks" from maple leaves, and a small amount of food left over from a couple of days ago, the contents are very dark and feel rather gummy. There isn't an offensive odor, and when I handle the contents, my hands are covered with black stains that don't want to wash off, no matter what!
I've read that the their own castings can become toxic to the worms. Is this true? Should I continue to add bedding and food, letting the castings build up further (currently, the bin is 1/2 full of dense black matter.) Or should I set up a second bin, move them over, harvest the castings, and divide the worms into what would be 2 newly set-up bins in order to avoid over-crowding?
In addition to the massive number of worms I now have(considering what I started with and the brief length of time I've had them). The bin is full of cocoons in various stages of development.
I know I'll be a time-intensive process, but I'd like to try to "pick out" as many of the cocoons as possible...keep one bin to raise hatchlings and juvenile worms until they reach sexual maturity and then transfer them to an active working bin.
It will be an experiement in order to try to keep a count of the number of cocoons and how many hatchlings result. Should I place the cocoons in a differently set-up bin, or one that's set up like any other bin.
Thanks in advance for all advice!
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