Ok equinox, I'll pop in and drop this post down, ... just like I dropped those dead and weak worms I got from UNCLE JIM'S into my compost bin outside today, ... wishing them the best.

Now to hijack your post, why does Uncle Jim's send squawney little worms in extremely dry bedding in a bag with netting that the worms get entangled with? I'd call it inferior packaging.

Now, what were you saying about watermelons?

Thank you bluelake :-)

I guess because while we here try to bring scientific method, rocket science, spiritualism, grandmas tried and true advice, new materials and methods, exotic foods and bedding and mix it with extensive research and communicating with people around the world, worm sellers do not need to be nearly as sophisticated about it. Plus most people do not know they just bought desicated worms in a poke... which they may have hundreds of in their own compost heap to put in to a Taj Mahal $ bin when for the first year a bucket found on the side of the road would of surficed. Tell me you don't see a bucket on the side of the road all the time now.

Is mailing worms all that difficult? Worms survive on the celar floor for 6? hours. People mail baby chicks.

~ Time to buy another watermellon

Maybe if Uncle Jims put a bit o slow melting watermellon into each bag the worms would get an even supply of moisture and cruelty to worms would be less.

bluelake, your only consolation is that Uncle Jim's didn't actually kill a pound of worms. They only sent you about a half pound to begin with.
They are amazingly stingy with their poorly packaged worms.

Have you gotten your new worms yet?

And EQ, is your FTB still leaking watermelon juice? Has the charcoal absorbed any of it yet?

After dumping the half gallon of water back on top daily for a week I collected it in a container and tossed in half a soccer balls worth of charcoal to soak. It floats and repels water for a while so I weighed it down. After a week of that the hardwood charcoal still seemed very light. I can not say it absorbed much. I dumped it and the water into the bin. I added a tiny bit of difficult (really compressed) compostable salad bar container cardboard. I have maybe a shot glass worth a day now. Somewhere in there I threw in maybe 6 torn egg cartons. Just went through the curing bin I had stashed rinds. It is evenly all very wet. No worms found as I had taken them all out a few times. Vermicompost holds lots of water. That is a good thing.