bananas moosh up real quick and decompose everything else and the wormies love them! Right Squeeze. . .

I put a mashed banana in my bins earlier this week as a treat.
I didn't see the worms actively in it, but it's disappeared in 2 of the bins. The banana was covered in microscipic white mites? in my 3rd bin, which didn't have mites. The bin is only a week old. I tossed the banana in the garbage, as it seems me and mites are joined at the hip. The sooner I can delay the inevitable of them showing up in my bin the better. Hopefully it didn't "create" the mites.
So the worms will like it, but it can also be used as mite bait, I'm thinking.

Jasdip

Why fear mites? I have read extensively on Vermicomposting, and have three bin systems running,
and have no problem with the mites that show up in them.
They aid in the decomposition of the organic materials.
So, hurray for mites. I have been feeding banana peals to my worms since I began.
They decompose more slowly, but eventually they disappear.
Ron

the bannana flesh will decompose rapidly, but because it's so high in sugar and moisture, it can create a small area so wet and microbially active things like compost gnats, mites, fruit flies can be attracted - just chop it up and mix it in so none is left exposed to the surface

the skins do take longer to decompose, but aside from the stem, will disappear fast enough - worms aren't big on fiber ya know, no teeth :)

and Jasdip, as said above, mites are just one of dozens of small critters that make up the decomposer community - some folks freak when they see mold, but worms eat fungal matter as eagerly as they gobble bacteria, and dead mites decompose too, all part of the cycle - if you're bothered by mites, keep the surface clear of food scraps and drier than the bedding and they'll be less likely to "appear" - their microscopic eggs are no doubt on some of the food waste regularly, you won't avoid them totally, and putting any food waste in "the garbage" isn't a solution

Bill

Thanks Ron and Bill for the advice on the mites. I know they are a beneficial part of the whole system, but I know of people who never get them. I would like to be part of that team.

My bin I just harvested had a lot of mites in, to me, too many mites. I think the worms were disturbed by them. I've been baiting the mites regularly and I think they are finally gone. I seem to have 2 kinds....the regular brown ones which are easily seen, but I also have mites that look like dust. These are new to my system.
And then again yesterday I have white ones on my banana.

Anyway, I try not to fret, but it's hard for me.

Sherry