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equinoxequinox

Vermicomposting on the Edge

equinoxequinox
13 years ago

I so want to try a bin, tray, or flow through of worms totally fed with BSLF castings augmented with a tiny bit of dry cardboard. Except I am still afraid of the worms so BSFL are a bit beyond my realm. I already use an 18 inch stick to work the worms. The BSFL would probably give me nightmares.

I am convinced a single multi creature bin can best meet the needs of the seasonal ebbs and flows. With enough BSFL one could hang out a Zuchinni Wanted sign at the end of August and with enough dry bedding keep the worms evenly fed until March. By then the BSFL would be gone.

Comments (3)

  • steamyb
    13 years ago

    Happy B'Day on the 21! Mine is the 29th. I was looking for your zone to suggest an outside in the ground worm bed (if appropriate). If worms are tough for you to handle, maggots will turn your stomach. I do have a multi-box with worms (at least 4 types) and BSFL. The maggots eat the food before the micro-herd can get started, so then the worms have nothing to eat. Try not to have BSFL in with worms by always burying or covering the food if top feeding. This will discourage flies in general, but one BSF can lay 500 eggs near (not in) the worm box and the little maggots will find the food. Just my experience and I know other folks want BSFL, but I hate those maggots from hell!

  • 11otis
    13 years ago

    I haven't seen any BSF this year but so far, I have found 4 BSFL. Maybe from dormant eggs.
    I can handle worms with my bare hands, but not always BSFL. If I am very upset about them then I will just grab them, twist them and throw them back in the bin as wormfood.

    equinoxequinox: you might want to get a box of those disposable gloves, they're not expensive. I often use gloves lately, getting tired of scrubbing under my nails X times per day. I'm not sure if this is true but somebody mentioned in a forum that worms can get sterile from oil and whatever else we have on our hands(skin). I was thinking, I use antibacterial hand soap, maybe if there is residue of it on my hands, it might harm the worms. And another thing, it is gentler to handle them with hands than with a stick, something similar kind of feeling being poked by a finger versus by a stick, lol.
    I know, I am being picky and silly. I do not fish so my worms will never be used as bait and I have started to consider them more as pets than just worms.

  • dowbright
    11 years ago

    BSF *are* the things of nightmares, Equinox, with their segmented armor and their evil gleam. I once abandoned a bin that had them. I couldn't bear it.

    Genius, Otis! That's how I harvested my worms several years ago when I had them. Those gloves! I've been wondering and wondering how it is that I could stand it then, but can't now, and I just couldn't envision it. They've always felt icky to me from my earliest memories. But I had the gloves! Now I remember why harvesting was so fun and relaxing, on a nice day in the sunshine. With no worm slime on me.

    Damn, am I in an extended senior moment or what? Sheesh. And now comes the long decline...