little critters in your worm bin part 2

Mites?

Mites can be among the most numerous inhabitants in the worm bin, with many different species feeding on decaying organic matter and such. Don't worry, they are not like lice or other mites. they won't harm your worms, they actually help. They are generally found on the surface of the bin, though some predatory species will venture deeper if the material is loose and there is a food source. Mite populations can be controlled by placing melon wedges, fleshy side down on the worm bedding. This is a favorite mite food, and they will soon collect on the melon, which can then be removed from the worm bin. . Leaving the bin lid open and exposing the bedding surface to drying and UV light will also control mite populations. The vast majority of mite species in the bin are beneficial organisms which make up a significant part of the bin ecosystem. Mite species which damage living plants are not found in the worm bin. To take control of mite populations should only be considered if the worms are demonstrating stress behaviors like refusal to come to the surface, huddling in a ball, low reproduction or mass exodus. Remember what worms consider to be infestation levels of mites is often very different from the human view. Many species of mite found in the worm bin pose no threat to garden plants or people.

Pumpkin seeds in our compost?

I looked in one of our large worm compost bins last week and found some rather large sprouts. Looking closer found out they are pumpkin seeds. Jeremy reminded me that worms wont touch a sprout, plant or food until it starts to break down. God's design are so cool! So they benefit a garden not destroy it. Brilliant!

Another successful worm farm in Cape Cod talks about the benefits of worm composting.

Worm Hive stackable worm bin

Introducing the Worm Hive
Now available on our site for several prices depending on the number of layers
This is a multi layered design. Each layer consists of four solid wood sides with an open top and a bottom covered in ¼ inch hardware screen. They are designed to stack and interlock to avoid being knocked off one another.

The top layer is covered with a simple flat wood lid with a few air holes and a handle. The bottom layer rests in a four legged frame which has a fine aluminum mesh on its bottom and suspends the stack overtop of a plastic catch-bin. The bottom layer is filled with some worms, bedding and food scraps then topped with dry shredded paper to help keep away unwanted flies. Continue feeding in this layer until full then place new bedding and food scraps in next layer up, the worms will naturally migrate towards the food leaving a layer of harvestable castings. The open bottom and air holes in the lid help maintain air flow to reduce odor and increase oxygen to worms and beneficial bacteria. Any excess moisture that builds should pass through the box to the catch-bin at the bottom where it can be removed and used to feed plants. Any loose castings will also fall through to the catch-bin for easy harvest. As the worms migrate upwards, the lower level is removed and the castings can be sifted by shaking the layer and allowing them to pass through the screen, this may also help you find any wayward worms that didn’t move upwards. After the layer is emptied, any worms and unprocessed biomass can then be returned to the full layer and the empty one becomes the top. Maintaining this constant cycling of layers also helps extend the life of the box since each layer will be allowed a resting period at the top where it can dry out.