While I hate being party to the torture of another human through the application of ::shudder:: Miller Lite, I believe I do know what that critter is. What you're describing sounds like a pseudoscorpion:

{{gwi:1340882}}

These tiny arthropods are cousins to the larger, more readily recognized scorpion species, but lack the stinger of their larger family members. They are tiny predators in the worm bin, and are common to healthy systems.

Not aliens this time, Chuckie, but don't let that stop you from enjoying a nice cold one... just make it a decent cold one!

Kelly S

Impressive Kelly!

Kelly,

While I enjoy a Fat Tire, I want to make sure you've also tried Shiner Bock. I'm sure Chuckie has tried it. The reason I bring it up is because I really missed it when I left Texas but happily see it every now and again even up here in the PNW.

Mariann

Mariann, I'll have to see if I can find some as I have not tried it.

Thanks for the tip!

Kelly S

eee! we took our first pics of pseudoscorpions today! theyre almost cute.

Nematodes, mites, earwigs, pillbugs, maggots (several flavors!), and WORMS!

I decided to do some sorting today- some of my seedlings say they could use a boost.

and although, for lite beer, I do like miller, I have Widmer Hefewitzen and lemon in the fridge

I've told everyone who ever asked about plunging into the bin to do so. Without inspecting the contents of it, understanding what's being done right, or wrong, seeing the eco-system and all the other critters in there, a wormer is flying a little on the blind side.

On the other hand, lots of folks just leave it alone and the worms maintain.

Go figure.

Chuckiebtoo

Oh, by the way, Kelly, that IS what it is. I am consistently amazed with your responses to our pitifully inadequate questions which you, somehow, supply the correct answer to.

Now, about your distaste for Miller Lite...as a member of the elite class of beer drinkers world-wide, I am wondering what brew you do. Domestic or what?

BTW, I had to change the subject line to comply with some arcane rule.

Chuckiebtoo

I do well with RED HOOK BLONDE. We have a keg always on tap. However, I usually drink wine, cheap variety, but not quite thunderbird, I prefer Meridian. I'm in California, so I try to stay somewhat local

$2 Chuck!

the only thing is its hard to eat snacks while wormin- what with all the castings caked on :-)

Garnetmoth, are you able to share your psuedoscorpion pictures with us?!? I'd love to see them! I admit, I was vermicomposting for probably six years or so before I found my first psuedoscorpion in my own bin. Prior to that I'd only seen them in pictures. Like you, I was SO excited! Now I find them with some regularity. I wonder where they had been hiding for those first six years...

Nearly everyone, regardless of their comfort level with vairous species and kingdoms of wildlife, has at least one critter with which they are uncomfortable. Despite my genuine love of bugs, my nemesis is scorpions. I just can't get comfortable with the things. Now, psuedoscorpions do not bother me at all,rather, like you, Garnetmoth, I think they're kinda cute, but their larger cousins are another matter all together. They just creep me out!

And Chuckie, the quality of an answer to a forum post is often relative to the quality of the question. One of the things I most like about this site is the intelligent questions, and the fact that folks here are critical thinkers rather than blind followers. They question conventional wisdom, regardless of its source, and seem to be more interested in WHY something is done rather than blindly following "rules" for vermicomposting they may have read elsewhere. You, in fact, are chief among those who continually question, not from ego or a contrary nature, but because you seem more interested in knowing the basis for system management recommendations than the recomendations themselves. You and most of those who frequent this site seem more interested in LEARNING and UNDERSTANDING than in regurgitating someone else's facts. I admire that more than you likely know!

And Garnetmoth, my hubby is a wine connoiseur with an educated palet and expensive taste. Me? I'm more a Boone's Farm kinda girl. Educated palet?!? Not in the least! Roy won't hesitate to spend upwards of $150 on a bottle of wine that I can't get past my nose, let alone into my mouth! He has much more sophisticated taste than I. Fortunate that we meet over a good microbrew or a high quality cup of coffee!

Kelly S

I'm covering my wallet in pain over 150 a bottle! I just did my first self made bin! Put on the Paris Hilton eye protection and broke the drill out on a 25 gal roughneck tote. No drainage holes though. Any last words before the worms move out of their Wriggly ranch into the roughneck?

The Mr. says he'll upload the scoprion pics tomorrow.

im not much for wines, at least not enough to care if theyre over $10 a bottle or so ;-)

Finally!

heres the one pic I can make out kinda OK. the scorp is walking with an eggpouch in the center of the picture , above the last line of castings. (Above the pillbug)

mmmm, tiny animals!

Here is a link that might be useful:

I canNOT even look at that first picture above - eeewwww! Are these specific disgusting things in only particular states? I'm scared - here in Texas, everything is bigger here, donuts, people, cukarochas, spiders...everything! So that means - oh man, they're gonna be huge out here!
:)
Tina

I loved getting out of the car in the i40 rest stop (near amarillo?) warning you to stay on the path, poisionous snakes and insects!