Wormery Trouble

[Matt Brown]

I've built the wormery using a full size dustbin with gravel at the bottom and compost almost up to the top.

I introduced 1kg of mixed worms (mainly dendras and reds).

There are holes in the bottom of the bin to allow any fluids to escape and I've been feeding them bits of salad, veg, apples and egg shells (I'm told the latter helps to neutralise the ph level).

The worms are escaping because the lid isn't tight enough. I intended to use some hessian sacking as a breathable seal but Doncaster Market has let me down! The two stores that used to sell such things have closed down so I don't know where to get some sacking from.

And this all leads to the question of why aren't the worms happy in there and why can they only be found at the surface?

 

[sash]

Just not enough love Matt......;o)

I've generally found that Dendras will come to the top when they are hungry. Try feeding them some cold mashed potato.

 

[Fred Bonney]

with no salt in it!

 

[Graham Whatmore]

Bin is a bit too full as well Matt, two thirds full is ample.

 

[Phil Hackett The common Boastful Expert :-)]

Heat in the centre is to hot for them.

May not be what it said on the tin when you bought them.

not enough of the right food.

They just don't like you :0)

Dendras are known to go walk about if the food and conditions arn't just right for them.

Are you adding some water once a month?

Did you add other than compost a worm activator?
Worms have symbiotic relationship with other soil decomposing microbes without them present they can?t breakdown what you put in the bin.
The activator contains these microbes.

Take 2/3 of the compost/food waste out and put a 1/3 back of garden soil, which would contain the microbes and several wet newspapers with it. And mix all the contents of the bin together thoroughly.

Once a month add 2 litres of rainwater or tap water, which has stood for two days to allow all the added chemicals to evaporate from it.
Worms need some moisture to keep them happy and to stop the contents of the bin becoming to dry through the heat generated by the decomposition process.

They also need air circulation and airtight bins make the whole lot go anaerobic, which kills them.

 

[Ian Cloke]

Try using an ols Tshirt for a cover Matt, it should be OK till you get some hessian.

 

[BAZ (Angel of the North)]

Use an old potatoe sack. Not the small orange or paper ones. The kind you used to have sack races in at school. Go to a farm.

 

[Matt Brown]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm now confident I can make it work.

 

[sweetcorn kid]

also remember when watering your wormery don,t use tap water its better to pee on them.dendra and reds have a slightly different food requirements l cover my wormery with bark chippings for the reds they like rougher material like hedge trimmings dendras prefer lighter materials like leaf litter being a woodland worm they both like manure get some in there son it will warm them up keep them in a warm moist and in the dark

 

[sweetcorn kid]

also remember when watering your wormery don,t use tap water its better to pee on them.dendra and reds have a slightly different food requirements l cover my wormery with bark chippings for the reds they like rougher material like hedge trimmings dendras prefer lighter materials like leaf litter being a woodland worm they both like manure get some in there son it will warm them up keep them in a warm moist and in the dark

 

[sweetcorn kid]

woops sorry folks

 

[BAZ (Angel of the North)]

Horse manure is best as it is dryer.
Cow manure is wet and cold.

 

[sweetcorn kid]

thats right Bas forgot to mention that

 

[ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one)]

Best cover for it --(better than hessian in my opinion)is an old piece of carpet --NOT the rubber backed type though

 

[Matt Brown]

I have all sorts of things going through my head as regards to collecting manure. I can't see me going down that road. My excuse is that I live in a large town centre and there aren't any horses or cows for many miles. It's got nothing to do with me not wanting to handle poo!

 

[BAZ (Angel of the North)]

Pig manure is also good. I once fell asleep in a pig miden it was so warm and comfy. Hence the saying, as happy as a pig in s...

 

[sweetcorn kid]

Do you have a inner city farm near you or a alotments if so ask them or while out fishing collect your own from a stable horseriding school or farm on your way home the car may smell a bit but the worms won,t mind

 

[sweetcorn kid]

Baz were did the pig sleep

 

[BAZ (Angel of the North)]

Somebdy once said that I wasn't fit to live with pigs.
Buy my wife stuck up for me and said I was.

 

[sweetcorn kid]

was the pig wormed after