We Have Castings!

1- 29-12    After almost a week of checking and waiting and hoping the new worms acclimate, I have been wanting to see some results. Well, today when I checked on my worms, I noticed almost all their bedding had been composted. For less than a hundred worms, I am pleased to have harvested about half a cup of castings.

These worms are the hortensis variety. They are larger that the fetidas and thus consume more, which I see as a benefit. I have a large family and, unfortunately, we create a noticeable amount of waste. Being able to indoor compost kitchen scraps and papers is a blessing. We are concerned about reducing our own carbon footprint.

It was not the type I intended to purchase, but did not realize until I got them home and they didn't look right. Apparently, the clitelum band is not as obvious on hortensis as it is on fetida.

Worm Music to My Ears

Worm Music to my Ears

I can hear them eating, munch, crunch.
They are slithering, sliding, casting.

In the quiet of the day,
if there is ever quiet in my day,
I hold up my tiny worm bin and I can hear them.

They are just doing what worms do,
kind of like babies.
They eat, sleep and poop and even make noise.

They are my squirmin, wormin, vermi- babies.
And I love them.

New Worms Experiments

I have had an itch for more worms since my original batch suddenly died due to a newbie mistake of adding fresh rabbit manure. But one problem is I am still not sure whether it was because the manure was 'fresh' meaning not composted or because it was saturated with urine turned ammonium. At any rate, it was a big mistake.

You see we got a new bunny for the purpose of breeding and composting. For now I am just trying to keep him alive through winter. Perhaps, we will find him a mate in spring.

After we got Jack home, it was time to clean his cage. Let the fun begin! It seemed the bedding was already full. We moved him to a wire cage with tray underneath to catch droppings. He is living up to his part in providing plenty of manure.

It seems to me, though, that rabbit manure is just too hot when it is fresh. But many blogs have stated they put worm bins right under their hutches. This leaves me a little confused. My experience has been overnight worm death when rabbit manure is used. Again the questions, Is the manure too hot or too full of urine.

Last night, I bought fresh worms and separated them into two containers. One with just newspaper bedding, the other with newspaper bedding and manure. This morning, I found the 18 worms in bedding only, which we will call the "control group", happy and wiggling. The other 18 worms were dead, except for one. What is that yellow stuff they excrete out of their skin?! Too hot, too much salt from the manure or ammonia or too much nitrogen. It was much sadder than watching slugs die under the torturist attack of the angry salt shaker. Further tests will follow...

Worms Out of Sight, Worms out of Mind

On 9-15-2011  Yesterday, I buried a leftover apple that I had frozen and thawed so it would be soft. I and I placed the bin on the top of a bookshelf in Sienna's room. Out of sight, out of mind.

I am trying my best to "neglect" them. It is hard since I am so interested in them. I will still have to check them to make sure the are moist.

I bought some plants to occupy my attention. I haven't even been able to get to them. In a month, maybe I'll be able to use some of the castings for my plants. That would be cool!

My red wiggler baby worms should be hatching regularly by then- I hope. Perhaps I'll get from 50 to 100 by my birthday. That would be awesome!

Red worms, Eat up!

On 9-6-2011  Today, I made a new lid for the worm bin with wire mesh screen, cardboard and duct tape. It fits snug at most places, but the corners. We will see if any of my wigglers attempt escape.

My oldest son, TJ, got a glimpse of some worms and mushrooms and he as impressed. He said I had my own little ecosystem :) He is correct!

I added fresh newspaper bedding to keep down the smell of the composting veggies. And some water as it looked so dry. I have a cardboard box bin inside a plastic tub worm bin right now. I ripped up the cardboard box inside the plastic worm bin, so they can get started eating it. They are already working their way through the bottom of the cardboard box into the plastic worm bin.

Just like the Worm Lady Said

Eureka! I have found it! Them actually. Today, as I was airing the worm bin, I noticed some new organisms. One was fruit flies :(  Another was a white larva that I hope was not a maggot.

The best things that I have found were lots of castings and 4 cocoons! I am so excited about these. I should be seeing baby worms in about 3 weeks. :)   In the words of my husband, my worms are "not only living, but they are thriving!"

They are indeed eating the food scraps and leaving castings. Nutrient rich castings! Black worm gold - LOL! Maybe this is how people who sell bat guano feel.

Today, after looking through the bedding, I placed some more food. I buried 2 and a half small rotting tomatoes and some old cooked broccoli. I mashed them up for easier consumption.

I, also, sprayed the bedding generously with water. It seemed a bit dry. I will not feed them the rest of this week and maybe not until the end of the next. And I am okay with that. Thank you, Yahweh, for the experience and trials of others.

Other news is "mushrooms"?! They are growing out from under the cardboard box, which is my bin and which is starting to mold, rot and grow mushrooms.

I don't know if this is a bad or good thing. I don't know how they got in there. I don't remember reading about mushroom and so I am not sure what to do with them. I guess my little worm bin is very fertile. :)

Don't Feed the Worms

On 9-2-11   I have managed to not feed my worms, except for adding more bedding to keep down the smell. It has worked. The bin has a more earthy smell. The worms seem to be lively and maybe even multiplying. I thought I saw one with a 'ring' around it's clitelum. I still need to build a bigger or at least different bin with a proper lid. I do believe I will buy some more worms next week. Perhaps that would be closer to keeping up with our garbage.