Re: 1,000 worms on their way....

Boz 1/7/2013, 8:50 pm

GWN
I have only had a problem with fungus gnats. It is unfortunately an on going problem. I don't have enough vegetable matter to feed my worms so
I feed 5 -6 lbs of partially finished compost to my worms every week. The large volume of material just does not get frozen solid enough in the freezer so I get a constant hatch from my bins. It sounds worse than it is, I see 2 or 3 gnats a week now that I have the problem under control.

GWN 1/7/2013, 9:30 pm

THANKS Littlejo, that makes sense.That I need to try, that cardboard thing. I find it hard getting enough shredded paper, but have lots of cardboard.

GWN 1/7/2013, 9:32 pm

BOZ
One or two is not too too bad.thanks for your info
janet

littlejo 1/7/2013, 11:31 pm

Gwn, my worms just love shredded cardboard(damp), tp and papertowel rollers, etc. Eventually they will start eating the cardboard on top and you will have to cut another to fit. Banana skins are real bad for fruit flies, either freeze or microwave before putting in bin.
Jo

FamilyGardening 1/7/2013, 11:40 pm

the cardboard has worked well on top for us as well Very Happy

our worms are out side.... so slugs and spiders still get in...but the fly and gnats keep out...

happy gardening
rose

Boz 1/8/2013, 5:54 pm

GWN
I had an opportunity to test my fly elimination advise. A business had a can o worms that has scuttle fly's. I will be worm sitting the bin for the winter. I will post results to my blog.
Al

FamilyGardening 1/9/2013, 2:37 am

Happy to report our worm family is doing great staying outside in our small green house.... Very Happy

what came as a surpise is how BIG the baby worms/eggs from the 5 gal bucket of muck that we took out a while back have grown...we knew we would have missed some worms and eggs when cleaning out the larger bin and putting the muck/castings into the 5 gal bucket to completley break down for spring use...but there is a ton of worm activity going on in there that we had to feed them as well.... Shocked

happy gardening
rose

GWN 1/9/2013, 12:22 pm

our worms are out side.... so slugs and spiders still get in...but the fly and gnats keep out...

Rose our worms would not survive outside. WHen we lived in Oregon I had an outside worm farm, but here is way too cold. I do keep our greenhouse just a few degrees above freezing since that is where I am storing all my artichoke roots (my northern experiment). I know that they would survive out there, however I am more Embarassed

selfish than that and want them to produce and reproduce and reproduce.... which they apparently they do better in warmer spots.

GWN 1/9/2013, 12:24 pm

Gwn, my worms just love shredded cardboard(damp), tp and papertowel rollers, etc. Eventually they will start eating the cardboard on top and you will have to cut another to fit. Banana skins are real bad for fruit flies, either freeze or microwave before putting in bin.

thank you littlejo from Janet on her way to find some cardboard....

Thomas 1/10/2013, 10:12 pm

Just went a little bit crazy and ordered a worm factory and 1000 worms. I am a little bit worried if the worms can handle the cold if the UPS(?) guy leaves them in front of the front door and I am not home for a number of hours. But I am looking forward to getting this set up (probably in my basement) and generating some quality compost.

**Kelejan** 1/10/2013, 10:21 pm

Thomas wrote:Just went a little bit crazy and ordered a worm factory and 1000 worms. I am a little bit worried if the worms can handle the cold if the UPS(?) guy leaves them in front of the front door and I am not home for a number of hours. But I am looking forward to getting this set up (probably in my basement) and generating some quality compost.

Why not try leaving a cardboard box containing shredded paper ot polystyene packaging and a message, "PLEASE LEAVE WORMS IN THIS BOX". It may help.
Is the worm factory coming together with the worms?

Thomas 1/10/2013, 10:39 pm

Yes. They are coming together. Thanks for the suggestion.

**Kelejan** 1/10/2013, 11:55 pm

Thomas wrote:Yes. They are coming together. Thanks for the suggestion.

Have you prepared the bedding for your worms new home, Thomas?

GWN 1/11/2013, 11:42 am

The companies that ship the worms are usually pretty cautious about this and don't ship in very cold weather.
Hopefully they will be wrapped in a warm package. I left my worms outside a few days ago (in my attempts to get rid of flies (didn't work) and they did well in just slightly sub freezing weather for a few hours, but they are also in pretty large containers . How is your weather this week?

GWN 1/11/2013, 11:44 am

I wanted to thank everyone for all the advice, I seem to have gotten rid of a majority of the flies with just cleaning out the bins and adding dampened cardboard to the tops of them. Worms very happy and I have decided not to feed them for several days... LET THEM EAT PAPER! $BB\'s happy face$

**llama momma** 1/11/2013, 12:02 pm

Thomas,

Can you put a hold on your UPS shipment and pick it up yourself? This way you will know it's being held indoors.

GWN 1/11/2013, 12:28 pm

OH and one more thought.... in this area... (somewhat rural) we can call ups and ask them to deliver things to a local store that might hold an item for us. ??

Lemonie 1/11/2013, 2:47 pm

Kelejan wrote:
Thomas wrote:Just went a little bit crazy and ordered a worm factory and 1000 worms. I am a little bit worried if the worms can handle the cold if the UPS(?) guy leaves them in front of the front door and I am not home for a number of hours. But I am looking forward to getting this set up (probably in my basement) and generating some quality compost.
Why not try leaving a cardboard box containing shredded paper ot polystyene packaging and a message, "PLEASE LEAVE WORMS IN THIS BOX". It may help.
Is the worm factory coming together with the worms?

When we purchased our baby pet tarantulas (yes, I'm an odd duck! affraid

) we left a box w/ warm blankets and a heating pad on the porch w/ a note: "Please place UPS box in here- pkg contains live animals." Also, if you have a tracking #, you can usually go online and have it automatically email/txt you a notice when the pkg is delivered so you can hurry home if possible.

**Kelejan** 1/12/2013, 10:20 am

The temperature outside this morning is -11C (12F) and I tested the aluminum tent pole inserted into my large 4x4x4 leaf pile where I place two large worm tubes to see if the worms would survive the winter. The tent poles felt neutral to me, not warm or cold so worms should be surviving.

**llama momma** 1/12/2013, 10:40 am

That sounds very promising. I am watching your results very closely.
If you are successful then I would consider putting worms in the middle of my leaf corrals next winter. The 2 corrals are around 6ft. x 8ft. x 4ft. tall. If I located the worms in the center and at the bottom in a nice size worm box....maybe all the leaves would be good enough insulation and they could survive and maybe even thrive nicely. What do you think?

GWN 1/12/2013, 11:00 am

Interesting kelejan

**Kelejan** 1/12/2013, 11:56 am

llama momma wrote:That sounds very promising. I am watching your results very closely.
If you are successful then I would consider putting worms in the middle of my leaf corrals next winter. The 2 corrals are around 6ft. x 8ft. x 4ft. tall. If I located the worms in the center and at the bottom in a nice size worm box....maybe all the leaves would be good enough insulation and they could survive and maybe even thrive nicely. What do you think?

Some of the leaves have been interspersed with some grass and kichen waste but halfway through I ran out of everthing except the fall leaves, but the worm tubes themselves were well stocked with worm food and bedding. I am very hopeful that many of the worms will survive and will have made inroads to some of the leaves. Looking forward to when the top of the pile thaws from all the snow on top, about 2 & 1/2 feet at the moment.
I am accruing a large pile of frozen kitchen waste, eggshells, and now I have a regular supply of coffee grounds, all to add to the pile when I turn it. When I add that I expect the pile to warm up so I will have to move the worms elswhere in case they get cooked.

GWN 1/12/2013, 12:29 pm

if the pile is open to the ground underneath the worms will not cook, they will just dig a little deeper down.

**llama momma** 1/17/2013, 11:45 am

Yesterday, Jan 16th.
Progress Notes - fed worms after ignoring 2 bins for about a month. Pulled up at least 10 inches of shredded paper/cardboard bedding, turned over vermicompost. Still moist and covered with worms. First time added a little crushed aged llama manure, crushed autumn leaves, a little starbucks coffee grounds, some garage-stored aged compost from outdoor heap. Added usual frozen and warmed veg and fruit plus a sprinking of crush egg shells. First time adding a sprinkling of azomite.
Vermicompost in both bins maybe 2" thick or so.
Started bin #1 March 2012. 1st harvest August 2012 and split into 2 bins. Go worms go Wink

GWN 1/17/2013, 4:01 pm

fed worms after ignoring 2 bins for about a month

WOW I am impressed that you could ignore them for a month, I struggle with ignoring them for a few days...
Sounds like you might be dividing them again soon.

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