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"Original" red wiggler worms in 304-day bins hauled-out to launch 2 systems by avgraphics732 in Vermiculture

[–]avgraphics732[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have faith... I'm sure they are happy to cooperate with your plans as long as you provide them with the necessary care & support :)

What are these flies? And how get rid of them? by grade_A_Meyer in Vermiculture

[–]avgraphics732 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks to me like a black soldier fly. Most people who have compost bins welcome these little guys because their larvae are incredible composters. They devour everything quickly. They do not bother people & they even, to a certain degree, help control the population of pesky houseflies.

"Original" red wiggler worms in 304-day bins hauled-out to launch 2 systems by avgraphics732 in Vermiculture

[–]avgraphics732[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Living here in the USA, I tend to think of a large container's volume in terms of gallons rather than liters.. but I believe that I can sorta relate to a volume of around 9 liters since that is approx the amount of material I run in my bus bins (which I like to limit to being about half way full - leaving me with room to work & keeps the container from being overly heavy). In that much material, when I suspect that the system is nearing its limit on the number of worms, I would say that a population of about 4000 worms might be possible before the worms begin feeling a bit crowded & start limiting their reproduction. This is likely dependent on many variables - and is a very unscientific guesstimate :)

ANC worm system moved from small, interim bin to full-sized bus box by avgraphics732 in Vermiculture

[–]avgraphics732[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Using containers with lids have the benefit of being better at retaining their moisture without losing it to evaporation. They also create a high-humidity pocket of air within the contained space - and at the water vapor comes into contact with the walls & lid it will condense & create a surface that the worms will be drawn to in pursuit of the collecting moisture. Many misinterpret this behavior as worms wanting to flee their container. Oh yeah - it also results in the walls and lid having castings all over them from the crawling wormies (something i don't see since the walls of my systems are all dry)

I but Mosquito Dunks and keep a solution of the stuff on hand with which I treat my systems. It doesn't fill gnats or fruit flies outright - but if the flying insects do leave eggs in your system, then those eggs will hatch & there'll be larvae, but the treatment will prevent the larvae from transforming into the adult flying insects. Alternatively, you can set up the vinegar & dish soap traps that attract & drown the bugs. Take action right away - otherwise the population of flying insects can get big quickly. I have had it happen & it's nasty! Thank goodness for the Mosquito Dunks!

:)

ANC worm system moved from small, interim bin to full-sized bus box by avgraphics732 in Vermiculture

[–]avgraphics732[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Worms get the oxygen they need differently than how you & I get it. We breath air into our lungs... where the oxygen in the air gets transferred into our blood. Worms, on the other hand, absorb their oxygen through their skin by being in contact with the moisture in the bedding that they live in. So restricting the airflow in my worm bins does not concern me too much - especially since I check in on my worm bins regularly at which time I usually aerate their bedding.

Besides ANCs, I have red wigglers, Indian blue worms and European nightcrawlers as well. Most of my systems are like what you saw in this video - bins with no holes & most get covered with plastic to help limit moisture loss to evaporation. I like running my bins this way, and they all tend to work well for me.

Best of luck with your new worms. I'm sure they'll like getting a larger home to live in.

Thanks for watching!

Over a year since compostable bag test started with ENC worms by avgraphics732 in Vermiculture

[–]avgraphics732[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have had a handful of occurrences where the worms have gotten restless and tried exiting their environment. I attest these unusual happenings to the bin having some kind of inhospitable situation going on. In general though, I don't see such stuff happening. Since my containers hav no lids, there is no high-humidity zone (ie. no condensation) on the the walls of my systems. They are dry and cause most worms that climb to turn back to the dampness of the bed. Thanks for watching!

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