worm newbie questions

17 years ago

Hi everyone!

I'm new to worms and vermicomposting. Got my bins set up and worms arrived back in December. So far, everything seems to be going fine... had one ant invasion back in January, but that was the worst.

I've researched a lot and done the "search" here but I have a few questions that hopefully you more experienced wormers can help with.

My worms are definitely reproducing. I started with 1000 (although that bag seemed AWFULLY small!) :-) Now my bedding/castings are full of worms... a BAZILLION litte tiny worms! So that is good. But how do I spot the "eggs"? Photos I've seen online look like cream colored discs, but I have no idea how small they are. Should I be able to actually see them? I'm still a ways from separating the worms and castings, so it's not a big issue, I'm just curious what to look for.

If I pull out a handful of "dirt", there are a ton of little white mites scattered through the mix. I've read these are part of the ecosystem and apparently nothing to worry about, but is it a sign of something out of whack? Seems like a LOT of them.

How frisky should the worms be? The bigger worms seem to be pretty lethargic when they are taken out. The tiny worms are pretty fast to wriggle around and head for the hills when the light hits them, but the bigger ones just kinda lay there. Is it possible the mix is too cold? I don't have any way to measure the temperature, but it stays in my office and doesn't get THAT cold. Just curious.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice you can offer. ;-)

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Comments (5)

beebiz1960
17 years ago
Hey GT,

As for what the cocoons look like, there are a couple of pictures and good information about them located here. There is also a link to a good composting manual that is in PDF format. It's well worth the download and the time to read it.

As for the size of them, I am having a hard time coming up with something to compare them to. I guess the closest thing I could compare them to is the size of an okra seed.... maybe. And, I've seen some that were smaller than that. Since the castings and bedding have a tendency to stick to them, they are not always easy to find and see.

As for the mites, from what I have read, they could be a sign of the bin being too damp. But, someone else will have to give you a more definative answer.

From what I have read on the internet, the larger adult worms tend to be a bit more lethargic than the younger worms. The older, fatter worms tend to eat less, breed less, lay less cocoons, and move around less. That's why the younger adults are the preferred worms for breeding. I even read one place where the person recommended using the older, fatter worms for fishing or some other purpose that would get them out of the bin.

I hope this has helped!

Robert
cathd66
17 years ago
In general, I'd guess the egg cocoon is about half to one third the size of the adult worm's clitellum (that's the thick band, about one third the way along the body which indicates maturity).
If you have alot of small worms, are they pink like the adults or cream/ white? They may be potworms which are also an indication that your bin may be a little damp or acidic.
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briansttt
17 years ago
Hopefully this will help to give you an idea of the size. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Worm eggs
green_thumbz
Original Author
17 years ago
great! thanks to everyone for the info.

beebiz, that's a great site w/ good info... thanks!

cathd66, the little worms are reddish/pink like the larger worms. the overall mix is definitely damp to the touch, but I'm not sure how to "measure" if it's too damp.

Cheers
beebiz1960
17 years ago
You are quite welcome, GT! The "rule of thumb" moisture test is to take a handful of bedding and squeeze it. If the moisture is correct, you will only have a couple of drops of water come from it. If there is more than a couple of drops, the bedding is too wet. If that is the case, you can mix some dry shredded paper in. It will absorb the excess moisture.

Robert