Reply With QuoteHigh temperatures can easily build in a bin and kill the worms.
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Re: Red Wigglers...
Ok...pest are already becoming a problem, even though I bury the food at least four inches under the surface. Also, the worms are in an enclosed closet.
When I open the bin or even the closet holding the worms there are no pest, but there are now random flies in the room that has the closet. My question is would I be able to keep the worms on my patio even though it's summer time. It gets to high 80's here so I'm worried that it may get too hot.
I don't plan on giving them up as the Discus really do love them. I also enjoy watching the discus eat them.
Re: Red Wigglers...
High temperatures can easily build in a bin and kill the worms.
Re: Red Wigglers...
If they're in the shade there should be no problems. Mine are outside (probably why I've noticed no flies) the temps here are in the 90's every day. They are re-producing like crazy.Originally Posted by number1sixerfan
Mama Bear
Re: Red Wigglers...
Best reproduction of the worms is at around 77 degrees. Temperatures above the mid eighties slow things down and threaten the lives of the worms. Placing the bin in the shade at high temps is a must. Also, the moisture in the bin keep the temperature down a bit as a result of the heat energy dissipated by evaporation. Still, constant 90-degree temperatures around the bin are right on the borderline. This is not just my opinion, books on vermicomposting will tell you the same thing.
Re: Red Wigglers...
Thanks for the info, Gilleie. All I know about worms is what I've learned from personal experience with them. Mine ARE slowing down in production here lately. I'd love to know more. Could you recommend a book or two to me?
Can you also answer a question for me? When I feed worms I look for the grey band around them. Those are the breeders, I put then into the next culture. The ones that don't have the band, I feed. This works great, but just now I find myself in the position of having to seperate a whole old bathtubful of worms from their bedding. How would you go about this? Hand picking will take forever.
Mama Bear
Re: Red Wigglers...
The best book on raising the worms is called "Worms Eat My Garbage". The lowest price I could find was at (URL Removed).
Fastest way I have found to separate out worms is to spread out an old bed sheet on the ground and dump the contents of the bin on it. Then separate the contents into a bunch of small piles. Then you simply skim the top material from each pile (you can dump some into a new bin) repeatedly. Just move from pile to pile and back again. The worms do not like the light, so they move down into the pile each time. As you keep taking the top material off, they keep moving down. Finally, they are all together at the very bottom of what remains of the piles. At that point, you simply pull out a bunch of big worms as breeders for any new bins you are starting and keep the rest for feeding your fish. Some of the material you have removed will have the tiny, threadline juveniles in it and, also, the tiny, lemon shaped eggs that new worms will come from. You can add some of these things to your new bin(s) as well to get a jumpstart on production.
Last edited by RandalB; 07-05-2008 at 10:11 PM. Reason: Removal of Non-sponsor URL
Re: Red Wigglers...
Thank you, sir for the good advice and the book recomendation. I will order the book right now, and follow your advice on my project of seperating the worms.
Mama Bear
Re: Red Wigglers...
Gillsie
That book is much cheaper just about everywhere...
seems the site you keep pushing is about the highest.
You must not have looked very hard.....
Re: Red Wigglers...
Liz
European Night Crawlers are a prolific breeder, better then the red wigglers and are much harder then the reds
Can be kept at temp's that would kill a red wiggler high and low.
If you ever have to buy more worms you may want to try the Europeans
My fish like them much better then the red's.
Here is a link to some info on them if your interested
http://www.wormman.com/europeans.cfm
I do not sell worms or freeze dried worms nor am I associated with worm man
Re: Red Wigglers...
Gillsie,
Please refrain from promoting non sponsors in your threads.
Thanks,
The Simplydiscus.com Team
Re: Red Wigglers...
I ordered it used on Amazon for $7.
Bluemarlin, I get nightcrawlers in my red wiggler cultures. God knows how they find their way in, but they do. I agree they are very vigorous but my fish prefer the red wigglers and I prefer not to have to chop worms.
Mama Bear
Re: Red Wigglers...
Liz
Thats cool
but not the same nightcrawlers.
I don't mind chopping them up as I can feed then to my very small fish as well.
My fish would never eat whole reds so I had to chop them up no matter what.
Happy worm farming
Re: Red Wigglers...
Yes, I understand now that my "common nightcrawlers" are not the same.
Funny how different things work for different people. I've been amazed by my small juvies with a big red worm sticking out of their mouths being slowly chewed up and consumed. If I weren't so overrun with the red ones I'd give the Euopean's a try.
Liz
Thats cool
but not the same nightcrawlers.
I don't mind chopping them up as I can feed then to my very small fish as well.
My fish would never eat whole reds so I had to chop them up no matter what.
Happy worm farming
Mama Bear
Re: Red Wigglers...
Well they are outside as I could not tolerate the bugs. I have a spray bottle and have been spraying the surface everyday. They are on my patio under some shade, so hopefully it will all work out.
Re: Red Wigglers...
I have been reading this thread for days and I got loads of helpful information about raising Red Wiggler worms. I'd like to share an article that I read which also helped me solve the problems that I encountered during my first few days of composting with Red Wiggler worms.
Taking Care of Red Wiggler Worms
hope this also helps the others.
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