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Vermicomposting on a Erlenmeyer Flask Scale (due in two days)
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Posted by TheInfamousJ NC, USA (My Page) on Wed, Sep 28, 05 at 23:04
| One of my friends, a fellow biology teacher, had a set of McD's fries in a rather large (1L) erlenmeyer flask. I'm not sure what she was trying to prove to her students, but they are now rather covered with mold. She expressed to me that she was sad to have to throw away the experiment and asked if there was anything that could be done with the fries. I suggested tossing some worms in and letting her children observe the carbon cycle.
Now, these fries in question are rather attached to the bottom of the erlenmeyer flask (which does not have air holes or drainage holes, save the neck in the flask).
Is there any reason why tossing some worms in would result in something horrifying? Would this even work?
The backup plan is to build a pop-bottle wormbin and try to scrape as many chunks out of the flask of moldy fries as possible but for the "oh cool, it is all taking place in the same space" of it all, I was wondering about putting the worms in the lab glassware. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Vermicomposting on a Erlenmeyer Flask Scale (due in two days)
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| I observed a similar experiment during the war with the lone exception that the fries were BurgerKing. Because the container was bowl shaped, much like New Orleans, water introduced into the beaker proved disastrous to the worms, not to mention the fries, which, at two days old, weren't that far removed from edibility to that point. Logistics-wise, the experiment would prove worthier of serious consideration were the conditions one and the same, assuming you can keep the worms from drowning. Chuckiebtoo |
RE: Vermicomposting on a Erlenmeyer Flask Scale (due in two days)
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| Since I'm her "go to" worm person, I was thinking of advising her not to add water. Introduce it to the flask only in bedding (what bedding would I use that would enable them to still see the fries? some vermicompost from my home bin?). Thoughts? I want her and her students to have good experience with the worms so that they are willing to consider doing a vermicomposting project on a larger scale. |
RE: Vermicomposting on a Erlenmeyer Flask Scale (due in two days)
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| Lots of salt on those fries (not sure if that's a problem) |
RE: Vermicomposting on a Erlenmeyer Flask Scale (due in two days)
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| Indeed, if the fries were salted the way McD's fries are usually salted then worms in the experiment would not be a good idea. If the worms are to ingest those fries then they almost certainly need to be moistened. She might consider adding water slowly over a few days and 1) watching if/how much is absorbed, and 2) observing with her students any impact the additional moisture might have on the molds (do they decline or increase with the addition of water). Once the fries are moistened worms can be introduced to the flask. In bedding, not in bedding, along with a few leaves, all are reasonable and interesting ideas for introducing worms to the flask. As I've not seen nor heard of this being done before there are no obvious recommendations beyond common sense, which you already display in abundance. If she tries this be sure to let us know the results! Kelly S |
RE: Vermicomposting on a Erlenmeyer Flask Scale (due in two days)
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| I shall pioneer some new ground then. Pictures of the fries and the worms and her classroom shall be forthcoming tomorrow. Stay tuned. |
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