I spoiled Irene in CA. Hope she posts. - Jim

Not a word from starlady either.
So this is cheap (I paid shipping next day USPS) but not so friendly.
Count me out.

steamyb,

It's a really nice thing you (and the others) are doing. Don't let one bad experience ruin it. You are acting in a very generous way towards fellow gardeners.

I received a wonderful gift of worms from antoniab, and will gladly vouch for the extremely friendly gesture that this truly is, and I will also say that as a recipient of such generosity, it was truly AWESOME! I am preparing to send some pepper seeds back to antoniab in a few days. I finally have the proper envelope to send them out.

So allow me to say thank you for all the recipients of this generous act! It is appreciated.

I love to even just see anothers garden. The weedier the better. So you all's getting to share worms is way great. No doubt pictures of the grandkids would be great.

Just a quick note to anyone thinking of sending worms instead of cocoons. African nightcrawlers need to be packed differently than red wigglers. I don't know how differently just yet...I'm working on it. The problem is their wandering tendencies don't stop just because they're wrapped up in a box.

Here's what worked for red wigglers:
 line box with a few sheets of newspaper
 throw in some dry coir
 add the worms with some of their bedding
 cover with more dry coir
 wrap up the newspaper & seal the box

I did this once in late June and the EFs made it safely from CA to IL in 4 days. By contrast, 95% of the EEs died going from CA to FL even though it only took 2 days. Here's the method I used (including photos). Scroll about halfway down.
http://www.magicwiggler.com/Buy.html

One last thing: If the person receiving the shipment is not sure they can be there to accept the worms, request the post office to hold the package for pickup.

Andrew

I started this whole thread as a way to get people started with a minimum of cash outlay. Personally, I would have been thrilled if somebody had offered me cocoons when I got started. I'm still looking to expand my worm variety.

I could have bought a pound or so from a vendor, but I also get alot of personal satisfaction from starting with very little and building from there. I also think it somebody has to work for what they have they appreciate it more.

I intend to help others get started for a while. Don't expect an immediate start. A hundred cocoons does not take up that much space and it looks like very little when you open that little packet. But if only 1/2 hatch the person has a decent beginning.

Just a quick update on the EH cocoons pjames sent me. Several days ago I moved the cocoons into a quart-sized mason jar and added a few rabbit pellets as food stock for the babies when they hatch. I put the jar in a dark place and left them alone. I checked today and here's what I saw.

Andrew..Any idea what those flowery looking growths are? They look fungal. It doesn't look like any of the cocoons are in a hurry to hatch....

Pat, I don't know what those are. There's a mushroomy look to them. I actually thought some of the cocoons look quite a bit darker than before. I was encouraged at the change in color since that shows they're progressing towards hatching.

Andrew

Hi everyone,

Update: there are quite a few worms in my bin. I'm surprised at how quickly they have hatched and begun feeding. Interestingly, they are clumped in several places throughout the bin, despite the fact I put all the cocoons in one area. Good to see that they are moving throughout the habitat.

Thanks again and I'll let you know how my bin progresses.

@JerseyJim - Not only will I post I added the video... I hope you like! BTW I was trying to sign up so that I could post on this forum before but kept getting error messages... It wasn't until now that I could finally post... YAY!! For those of you who wish to see the cocoons that JerseyJim had sent me please visit www.vermicomposting.ning.com and click on videos... It should be the first video there... ENJOY!!

P.S. If there's anyone else who's willing to share their cocoons/worms I would love to be the recipient of those... My offer in turn would be that I help other newbie's along just as you guys have helped me one day... And as I did for JerseyJim, I will capture it on video and post it for all to see as these worms progress.... =)

Thanks

A quick intro. My husband, Larry, and son, Anthony, have caught 'worm fever'.I am their 'hand on the keyboard'.We have read most of this forum and lots of others. They have each set up worm bins, but have used different methods. We are thrilled with the cocoons pjames shipped. They arrived 9/11 in perfect condition, even tho it is very hot and dry here in SW MS right now. We will share pics when I get that figured out. We are very grateful for the info you have all shared. MemePats

Pat, it took just over 3 weeks, but the babies are here! I can't get a good photo from the side, but there are several worms visible against the glass. Note the collapsed cocoons. Moisture content is very high in this jar, so I don't think those dried out. They're just empty. ~Andrew

Glad to hear it Andrew. I just got back from vacation and have not messed with my worms for almost 10 days.

I posted in the original thread but then saw that there is a second series to that thread so Im going to duplicate my message here.

I was just getting ready to start a worm bin after researching meticulously for the last four months or so. I cant believe how high priced the worms are!!

Ild be greatful to anyone willing to send a starter colony my way whether it be worms or cocoons! I have quite a few tomato strains I could share in reciprocation...

This is a great gesture and myself, as Im sure the other newbies here really appreciate! If anyone wants to be so generous, just let me know how to proceed and ill get right on it.

This is a very generous gesture!!

I'm in Hamilton, ON.

If anyone in the area wants a starter set of worms/cocoons Just ask.

Sorry ozzz. I think you are in the US and I don't think I can ship worms over the border. Might need some kind of licence or something, I think they'd be considered animals or something.

Ozzzz...I never got the email you said you sent. Resend it and I'll pull some cocoons for you. That, of course, goes for anybody else who wants a small starter colony. Over the next few days I a going to try to harvest as much sifted vermicompost and castings as I can for a fall garden. We are in a drought here and the little seedlings need all the help they can get.

Sounds good pjames.... Ill resend now :)

Thanks again and please let me know when they are heading out!

My kids and I would love to be the beneficiary of this movement. Nothing much to trade, save some worm karma. Is anyone still interested in sending eggs/worms?

I'm a California patio gardener, trying to teach kids about recycling and nature. Our first try with our worm farm didn't go too well, but I've done a lot of homework since then.

Cheers!

My kids and I would love to be the beneficiary of this movement. Nothing much to trade, save some worm karma. Is anyone still interested in sending eggs/worms?

I'm a California patio gardener, trying to teach kids about recycling and nature. Our first try with our worm farm didn't go too well, but I've done a lot of homework since then.

Cheers!

campbellute.... send me an email with your address and I will collect some cocoons and send them to you. What I ask is that you participate here on the forum. You will find my email link on my page. It may be a few days but I tend to harvest small amounts from my FT's frequently.

Quick update: still waiting for cocoons to hatch.

I wanted to thank pjames for making contact and offering to send some cocoons. I'll let y'all know when they arrive, and how they did in transit.

Campbellute, I'm a California patio gardener too. Are you in Campbell? Close enough to Mountain View, I'd be willing to show you my worm bins and send you home with a bunch of red wigglers.

My system, which I'd like to popularize, involves large unglazed flower pots (3 of them currently) with cloth stretched over the top and held on by bungee cords to keep gnats from swarming around them. Easy to remove when adding food or bedding, most days all I do is sprinkle them with water.

I find that the pots work well at insulating the worms from the hot sun. Even though they are in a narrow paved area between two townhouses, they still get direct sun part of the day.

My plan is to cycle the bins by moving the mass of worms into a new pot, then adding regular compost to what remains behind and planting something over the top. Once I reach steady state, I will have the patio filled with pots growing flowers.

I've done this once already, I grew basil and while it was growing the soil level went WAY down. The end of the cycle involves emptying out the loose soil and worms, what's left is a great deal of worm castings stuck to the sides and bottom of the pot. Really easy to harvest, no sifting involved. Distribute the castings to the growing pots and put the soil and worms back in with new bedding to start a new worm bin.

colesvilleed; Thank you for your response. I'm actually in Southern Cal. (The Campbell comes from my name, not the town up by you). However, I do travel to San Jose about once a month for work, and I'd like to see your system. Can I email you next time I have travel plans?

Does anyone know if transporting worms in carry-on luggage is acceptable?

Hi all -- sorry I haven't checked in. My cat got very sick not long after I got the worms from steamyb and I've spent the last few weeks trying to get her better and, ultimately, mourning her, so I haven't been online very much.

steamyb, I do appreciate the worms and, having been to my parents' and back, now have the lemon trees to send back, but I threw out the envelope and don't have your address anymore. Sending you an email separately to get that.

My worm experiment, unfortunately, failed. I suspect the temperatures on my back porch were too much for them, but when I brought them indoors some sort of flies in the compost hatched and infested my house, so I had to put the bin back outdoors. The next time I checked in, I couldn't find any worms, so I think the heat did them in. :(

Campbellute, you should be able to send email from the My Page link in this message. We are conveniently located across the street from the San Antonio Caltrain station. As far as carrying worms through airport security, you can't even bring toothpaste over a certain size. But, I'm game if you are.

starlady- I replied to your other email first, which explains all the questions about your worms. Sorry for your losses.
steamyb

First worm sighting today!!! He was a cute little guy. Not real big, very narrow in the body, but fairly active. He moved away from the side fairly quickly as the light hit him.

He's got access to part of an old squashed banana (over 4 weeks old) that was placed in the bin when the cocoons arrived. He also has access to some of the stringy part of a pumpkin from a pumpkin I cooked up for soup and roasted the seeds. The strings are still fairly in tact from the look of them (I put them on the side, so that I could see when they are eaten).

Things are going fairly well so far. Still waiting for the rest of the cocoons to hatch. Patience is a virtue...I keep telling myself. It is exciting though.

What advice can any one give to a newbie at this stage. I guess the biggest concern is me getting crazy and over feeding. The pumpkin strings were about 3 or 4 tablespoons worth, and the part of the banana from earlier wasn't much more than that. I figure I shouldn't have to worry about feeding again for a while. Maybe Christmas, but certainly not before Thanksgiving. Any help is appreciated.

Oh and thanks again to pjames!!!

I've moved my worms to a larger bin (a big RM bin, with side ventilation holes about 2 or 3 inches from the bottom. These holes are meshed over, and there are PVC tubes to allow airflow through the entire bin. There is also a vent on the lid, although, currently I am running with the lid off, and damp paper towels over the top. I'm curious how long it will take for the paper towels to dry out. Anyway, no new worm sightings when I moved them, but I did see a bunch of cocoons still unhatched. I'm guessing that first worm sighting was just an early riser. The rest should be along eventually. I'm going to try not messing with the bin now for quite some time. We'll see how long I can last.

Hi everyone, I just found your site. As soon as I learn about Vermicomposting I will be asking for donations of worm varities. But that is premature at this point, I just found out what vermicomposting is (almost said what its all about, not so). I'll keep in touch. I am a container gardener, could I raise my worms in the same containers as my plants? Sounds like everyone keeps them seperate. Maybe at some time I could send plant cuttings in exchange.
Dan

Hi. This is my first time at this forum. I have to say I was a bad worm mommy my first try. I did a lot of reading, watched video's on how to make the bin out of a rubbermaid container. But after reading here for about an hour, I now know what I did wrong. I overfed those poor things. So I promise to be a better mommy if someone would be so kind to share with me. I post all the time on the Florida forum and am on here frequently. So I'll surely post my findings, etc. I also hope to get some at an Organic Gardeners Meeting I'm going to on Wednesday. My first time there and it's their seed swap so I'm excited!

Thank you

Julia

Jim sent me some worms. Thank you so much! I can't wait to get these started

I have lots of free wigglers to share if you're in the Baltimore/Washington area.

I have three bins and they are reproducing like crazy since the weather's warmed up. I'm not even playing Barry White!

Seriously, I set up two new composters this week from our freecycle group. The more worms I give away, the more I seem to have next week. I think its better to get started with a nice assortment of granpappies, teenagers, babies and coccoons and a little extra microbe filled compost. And the price is right too!

not even Barry White...! hahaha

I am very excited about starting my bin. If anyone has any worms they would like to share, I'd be very happy. I don't have anything to offer but I promise to post about my journey. Thanks so much!!!

Also I'm located in south central Kentucky, if that helps :o)