I can't tell you what happened but just got worms from them myself. I wanted to ask if you felt like you got a full 2lbs of worms? I know that they were bedrun & many of mine were very young, but didn't look like some of the pics people have online for thier weights. Just wondering.

My worms seem fine so far. I have fed them almost daily... skipped Sunday & Tues (don't remember for sure) because they had some to clean up some from the previous days. I do find it hard to tell when to feed them. I've found that the peat that they sent them in sticks to everything making it hard to tell if there is food left or not. I usually disturb them too much trying to check on them. Probably trying to hard!

I hope you find your answer! I will be watching to see what happens too as I want to be sure there's no illnesses to be on the lookout for.

Hi jinaxire! More than likely the worms died of several causes. I'll list them in order. The new environment took a few likely. The cup of cooked oatmeal took lots of them (all the ones that had a chain fo beads look)(--0-0--o-0--) and so on(protein poisoning). Then the addition of too much food. The worms decay and dissapear quickly with mites and microbes feeding on them. They also stink strongly during this short decomposition period. The fresh scraps with only a few microbes on it may have taken a few (srarvation.)

To rectify order new worms. Put in bin and let them go into coir bedding (use a light if needed). When all have gone down remove damaged worms and disguard as you did. Do NOT FEED UNTIL they are settled in (2-3 days). Then feed small chunked kitchen scraps .25 inch size. Remember your bin will have only a few microbes at this time. As the worms excreat their castings the microb population will grow. It will start processing the food making it ready for the worms. Let the microbes from the first bunch of worms stay in the bin. DO NOT CLEAN the bin. If you can start feeding the microbes before the new worms arrive only in very small amounts (jump start food processing for worms.) Worms are not really hard to keep as long as the changes they are exposed to are small and time consuming. Once you have gotten them started you will be more puzzled as to why the first ones died. Once established they are very resilient.

larry

Suziqzer, I admit that I didn't really think that the worms seemed like 2 pounds, but then again, I didn't actually dig through the shipment so I don't know what they all looked like before they scrambled to hide under cover. I'll keep a sharper eye on the next shipment. I'd go with Happy D Ranch, but Acme is in the same state so less stress on the worms.

Thanks for the advice, Lkittle. Unfortunately, I already dumped the bin and washed it out Tuesday. I hadn't known what killed them so didn't want to risk infecting the new batch with any illnesses from the first. Since I'm in an apartment complex I'm not able to fetch what I already put in the dumpster. :(

Sorry about your worms. Very sad to lose them all so quickly. I've had mine a month and except for trying to kill them with too much wet food they've been thriving. I redid my bin to dry it out and can tell you I saw some white mites, a few red ones a few pot worms and lots of cocoons. None of the worms were dead upon arrival. I just wonder about your source? I know you have to expect some other life with the worms but you seem to have alot for a two week old bin.
Best of luck to your with your new herd.

Wow... feed them one wrong thing and lose them all? I wouldn't have thought oatmeal would do it either-too many carbs?

My worms from Acme are still doing ok. Just checked the a little while ago. I didn't get any potworms in mine as far as I could see & haven't seen any yet.

I've had them just over a week with no problems except that I can't leave them alone. I guess I'm in the newness stage and they are so interesting to me.

I hope your next order works out better!! Good luck!

WHOA, y'all!

We are talking about composting with worms; not brain surgery.
I've been at it for decades; probably lost one wriggler along the way, but the little guys all seem happy and reproduce wildly.

They need damp pulp bedding: paper, cardboard, fiber whatever.

They are gourmands of slime mold on rotting vegetation. Fluids from the molding process can be absorbed with more cardboard/paper, and the wrigglers will eat that, too.

A fabulous GREEN EARTH moment goes awry when dollars are thrown at purchasing yuppie digs and deli treats.

Most little varmits that find a way into a maintained vermicomposting environment will not do great harm. They will die off or be evicted when you renovate the bin.

FYI: Sometimes I am away for 2 months at a time. I "bed down" the bins by adding a layer of damp bedding, a layer of food, and another layer of damp bedding. I often soak the middle layer of bedding in sugar water! CARBS.

Please do not become discouraged. And try very hard to get worms from someone locally. I give away "bin starters", but I do not ship.

I have had my worms for a couple of months now and have actually divided them into two bins due to so many worms. I don't do a whole lot more than give them my kitchen scraps.

It is my understanding that worms don't feed on the scraps themselves but rather on the bacteria feeding on the scraps. I add crushed eggshells which I am told adds the bacteria that the worms need.

I had to chuckle about cooking oatmeal for your worms. Sounds like something my mother would have done :)