Speed Up Worm Egg Hatchings

11 years ago

I think I found a way to hatch worm eggs faster. I dumped some unfinished vermicompost that was full of worm eggs in an old rubber stock tank. I sprayed it with water and put a plastic bag over it so it wouldn't dry out. Very similar to starting seeds. I left a light shining on the plastic bag. A few days later when I lifted up the plastic, I found a pile of newly hatched worms. I think the heat from the light got-em thinking it was summer time!

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Comments (4)

duaroger
11 years ago
That's s clever. You didnt measure the compost temperature by chance did you?
User
Original Author
11 years ago
No I didn't. The bin is in a basement that's only around 55 degrees. I think the light heated up the rubber bin and the soil quite a bit. I just put a damp piece of cardboard under the plastic and when I lifted up the cardboard, their was a pile of little worms under it. I'll have to take some temp readings and see how much the light actually heated up the soil.
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chuckiebtoo
11 years ago
Over the years, I've done lots of little tests on various "what-ifs" about lots of different situations with worms just because I'm kinda totally a tinkerer always wondering "what-ifs".

One of those was an experiment about conditions affecting worm activity (including what you're talking about here).

I separated worms and worm activities into vastly different environments...including temps, and humidity, and corresponding worm activities.

With regard to increased cocoon development differences, I found none with regard to what you describe.

My conclusions: It's neither nice, nor worth it, to mess with Mother Nature.

chuckiebtoo

Moderation, Diversity, PATIENCE
User
Original Author
11 years ago
It's possible all the newly hatched worms were already there and just happened to migrate to the heat. When it's only 55 degrees, naturally they're going to go where it's warm and wet.

I know one things for sure, anytime you have a good rain followed by warmer weather, a compost pile will come alive. Especially in Wisconsin where it stays cold for so long.

When you have 29 degrees at night and 70 during the day I don't think I'm messing with Mother Nature too much when I'm using a 40 watt bulb!

I do take your advice as I recall being on this forum (garden web) some 8 years ago and recall reading some of your experiments.

If cocoons hatch at the same rate why is it that I can start with the same amount of worms in each of my bins and end up with varying difference of population growth. The bins are located in the same place, temps are the same, feeding the same amounts.

I tell you It's a gosh-darn mystery? Fun to experiment though!