Here is a list of some of the Recyclers and Decomposers you may find in your worm bin, helping to break down and soften the food for the worms. These organisms naturally appear in worm bin due to the organic environment.

Beneficial:

White Worms (Pot Worms)

Beetles

Millipedes                                                     

Sowbugs /Pill Bugs/Roly Polys

Spiders

Springtails

Collembola

White Mites

Nuisance:

Ants

Flies

Maggots

White Mites

Slugs/Snails

Carabid Beetle

Bad:

Red Centipedes

Red Mites

Stirring up the worms in their bin is a bit stressful to the wigglers. In my case, I have no choice but to stir them up when filling a worm order. This gentle disruption in their bedding will slow down their mojo but not kill them. Luckily for worm enthusiasts, the worms and the beneficial microorganisms do most of this work. In a healthy bin the multitude of microscopic critters and worms are aerating by creating pockets of air while they move throughout the soil looking for food. This natural mixing of the soil and air allows the beneficial microorganisms to grow and flourish prior to becoming food for the worms, which in turn help the worms make wonderful vermicompost.

If your bin starts to smell bad, it will be necessary for you to gently stir and aerate their soil in order to keep a healthy, active and thriving community of worms and microorganisms.

Microorganisms living on organic waste nourish the worm rather than the original waste we provide for the worms. Think green mold, white powder and soft, smelly rotten stuff.

As the earthworm eats the organic waste and microbes they promote further microbially activity and produce a richer fragmented product than the original waste they consumed. As the waste is consumed, plant nutrients particularly N, P, K and Ca are released and converted into forms more soluble and readily available to plants. This all happens quite rapidly by passing through the gut of the earthworm in just a few hours. Vermicompost is ready to use when you can no longer recognize its original form. Finished vermicompost should have a dark consistency and smell like clean, sweet and wonderful soil. Remember you only need to add 5-10% vermicompost to your new and existing plants.

**information compiled from Vermiculture Technology edited by Clive Edwards, Norman Arancon

and Rhonda Sherman. c2011  (pages 80-81)

It is necessary to use organic substances that will hold moisture, be suitable for the worms to live and function while providing a place to bury garbage. Bedding may include shredded newspaper, shredded office paper, leaf mold, non aromatic sawdust, coconut coir, 2 handfuls of soil and/or compost. This small amount of soil/compost is added to the original bedding, helping to provide grit for the worm gizzard and by adding a diversity of microorganisms, bacteria and fungi necessary for breaking down the food. Be sure to thoroughly moisten the bedding mixture being careful that it is not wringing wet. To be continued--- Earthworm nourishment, plant nutrients…N, P, K and Ca

This is a wonderful site introducing Vermicomposting facts, food, bins, light, moisture etc. The end of the article includes numerous References. This was compiled by Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Hope you enjoy it.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/10-009.htm

DO FEED:

• Coffee Grounds & Filters
• Tea Bags (no staples)
• Egg Shells
• Fruits & Vegetables (fresh or rotten)
• VEGETARIAN Animal Manure
• Natural Fibers (cotton/hemp)
• Cardboard, Shredded paper & Newspaper
• Yard Waste (healthylleaves/clippings)

DON'T FEED:

• Dairy Products
• Meat, Bones
• Oily, Greasy Food
• Glass, Plastic, Metal, Foil, Rubber Bands, Ties
• Glossy Paper, Photographs, Colored Ink
• Diseased Plants, Clippings, Leaves, Ivy

Worms will consume their food more quickly the finer it is chopped up, soft and rotten, covered in microorganisms.

The following species 5 species are most notable for their natural ability to process organic waste, including life cycle, reproductive rates, endurance and tolerance of handling.

1) Eisenia andrei

2) Eisenia fetida

3) Dendrobaena veneta

4) Perionyx excavatus

5) Eudrilus eugenia

There is much more detailed information in VERMICULTURE TECHNOLOGY edited by Clive A. Edwards, Norman Q. Arancon & Rhonda Sherman on pages 29-35.

Remember to keep your Worms  WET & COOL in this weather.  Be extra diligent in the plastic bins as they may absorb the outside heat and cook your worms. Keep these bins in a cool place, elevate for better air circulation and open up the lid for more air circulation. The wood bins and barrels are not as prone to cooking the worms in this heat. Keep the soil as wet as a damp sponge (until you squeeze it and 1-2 drops of water are squeezed out).

This reminder is referring to weather above 75 degrees. Worms prefer temperatures of 55-75 degrees, they are most active in this temperature range.

Let's debunk an old wives tale. Cutting a worm in half does not create 2 worms, instead you now have 1 dead worm. A worm will only survive being cut from it's tale to the 8th segment and then you have a shorter worm with a stunted tail.