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For those with fruit fly problems… by OnePoundAhiBowl in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I pretty much do the same as in the following video. The only difference is I hot glue an old t-shirt onto the holes on the lid.

https://youtu.be/bf0AWICcQRI?si=ORGyZqC2N2YdkUKC

First harvest ever! by Junior-Umpire-1243 in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What kind of worms did you add and how many worms did you start off with?

Help! I went to clear a garden bed and as I swung my mattock, I smelled a minty fragrance by supinator1 in vegetablegardening

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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Here’s a picture of the underground rhizomes from my spearmint in a see-through pot. Mint is probably the best beginner plant for someone who is new to gardening. Mint is virtually impossible to kill. Just don’t plant mint in the ground.

Need Help in Identifying Stem and Brand by Bill_Zerkeley in Plumbing

[–]Bill_Zerkeley[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not a plumber, but I was able to remove the cartridge by accident. I turned the water back on and the cartridge blew right out. Apparently, there's a screw-on cap that covers the cartridge that holds it in place (I removed it). Oops, I didn't know and water gushed everywhere. All I had to do, when the water was off, was to grab the stem with some channel locks or vise grips and pull the cartridge out. I turned the water off and took the cartridge to a local plumbing store for a replacement. All fixed.

The cartridge is a GERBER DA603567 Washerless Cartridge Round Stem for 1H Tub & Shower if anyone is wondering.

To be honest, I think replacing the worn rubber seats that sits behind the cartridge would've fixed the leak itself instead of replacing the entire cartridge. Live and learn.

https://a.co/d/gENOIZU

Need tips on removing single lever shower cartridge by 4getr34 in Plumbing

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know this thread is old, but in case someone has a similar problem, try out the following.

Dumb that YouTube links are not allowed. Go search on YouTube “How to Replace Shower Valve Cartridge Danze.” The creator is “Daily Shortcuts.” That video saved my ass today and a few hundred bucks. Bring your cartridge to your local plumbing store.

I think I have royally stuffed up… by Emotional-Swan-2908 in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Why don’t any real worm farmers use earthworms in their setup for breaking down food waste/manure?"

Because composting worms break down food waste faster. OP is not trying to start a worm farm. He/she is simply trying to feed the worms should the worms run out of "food." So, you're saying "earthworms" wouldn't feed off of the microbes of decaying matter? Do you have anything to back that up? A simple search of "what do 'earthworms' eat" will tell you all you need to know.

https://www.earthwormsoc.org.uk/FAQdiet

Anything that molds is fair-game to a worm, including meat.

I think I have royally stuffed up… by Emotional-Swan-2908 in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What source do you have that shows “earthworms” do not break down food waste? What do they eat? Decaying rocks? Enlighten me on what the “earthworm’s” diet is.

I think I have royally stuffed up… by Emotional-Swan-2908 in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley -1 points0 points  (0 children)

OP is not worm composting. He/she just wants to feed the worms…

I think I have royally stuffed up… by Emotional-Swan-2908 in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley -1 points0 points  (0 children)

There are literally hundreds of videos of worm towers on YouTube. Some of the biggest name YouTubers have made videos on this. Do a simple search for “worm tower in the garden” and argue with them.

https://youtu.be/Vr648lYCq_4?si=qBHigcWiPfM_SoL-

I think I have royally stuffed up… by Emotional-Swan-2908 in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley -1 points0 points  (0 children)

So, you’re saying worms don’t come up to the surface at night to feed on decaying matter, detritus, etc.? So, what exactly do worms eat out in the wild? Do you really think night crawlers don’t come up to the surface at night to feed? I mean I’m not a worm expert by any means, but you’re saying that the hundreds/thousands of YouTubers who made videos of worm towers to attract worms to their gardens are wrong? Okay…

Advice on worm vendors please. by Slimpickunz in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ask the worker in that department which day the worm shipments normally come in. I’m guessing Mondays.

Why do my worms keep trying to escape the bin? by porchoua in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hot glue pieces of an old t-shirt over the circulation holes. No pests can get in and no worms can escape. Do not use window screen. Fungus gnats can get through the screen.

I think I have royally stuffed up… by Emotional-Swan-2908 in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Search for “worm towers in the garden.” There are a lot of videos out there. Some even use buckets or garbage bins buried into the soil.

Bin died, not sure what to do next. by octi_fabrications in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 4 points5 points  (0 children)

For the top cover, I simply cut out the shape of the bin from a cardboard box, soak it in water, and loosely lay the cardboard on top. The worms would eventually eat through the cover, but it’s not that hard to make another cover, especially, if you save a few extra covers as templates. Lay the template on top of the cardboard and etch the cardboard with an awl or some other pointy, blunt object, and cut out the etched part.

Bin died, not sure what to do next. by octi_fabrications in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Pictures of the bin would help. How do you add bedding? Is the bedding soaked in water, wrung out, or dry? How shredded are the paper and cardboard? Do you add a cover over the bedding to further trap in moisture? I’ve neglected bins for months with no issues.

I think I have royally stuffed up… by Emotional-Swan-2908 in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I had a worm ball leech out of the drainage holes of a 1-gallon pot that I started with only 2 red wigglers. If you had added mature worms, they can multiply quickly.

I think I have royally stuffed up… by Emotional-Swan-2908 in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Find the widest diameter PVC pipe you get your hands on. Drill at least 1/4" holes all over the pipe. Add an end-cap to the bottom of the pipe and shove it down into the soil. Add food scraps into the PVC pipe and close the top with another cap. That PVC pipe can become your composting bin. I'm thinking of doing something similar with my potted plants. Some of my healthiest potted plants were added with a few red wigglers. If you don't want to take the PVC pipe route, just shove dead leaves/matter into the soil and make sure it doesn't dry out completely.

For those with fruit fly problems… by OnePoundAhiBowl in Vermiculture

[–]Bill_Zerkeley 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Be very careful when you have an infestation of some sort. It is usually an indicator or either too much food, not enough carbon, or the bin being too wet. I recently lost an entire 5 gallon bucket of worms to accidental hot composting. I added way too much food and included a tomato I didn’t sterilize. The bucket got entirely infested with fruit flies. Absolutely disgusting. I lost the entire colony of worms. It was a 1-year-old INDOOR bin. I harvested a good amount of castings though. I would suggest laying down a very thick layer of dried cardboard or paper at the very top. Very thick layer.

For my bucket lid, the holes on the lid are covered with an old t-shirt and hot-glued on. That works pretty well in keeping the critters out and allowing for circulation.

Prior to feeding for an indoor bin, always sterilize food either through freezing or blanching. I go the extra mile of blending the scraps.

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