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organicpanik

A question about composting bananas

organicpanik
11 years ago

Can worms eat a whole banana? Not just the banana peel I mean the whole banana.

Comments (10)

  • wrcaz
    11 years ago

    All of my over ripe bananas go into the bin, the peels are the last to break down. Sometimes I will slice them up but typically I just peel a couple strips off and put in bin.

  • mr_yan
    11 years ago

    Sure.

    I've tossed in the remains from bananas after my toddler is done with them. This is usually half a banana at most plus the peel.

    I think the whole banana has more value for things like baking (muffins or bread) than feeding to worms so we freeze over ripe whole bananas until baking time rather than compost them.

  • organicpanik
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks. By the way I just noticed I have a pretty crazy mite problem and lots of mite eggs in my tray. Is there any way to get rif of that problem?

  • mr_yan
    11 years ago

    organicpanick pretty crazy mite problem and lots of mite eggs in my tray. Is there any way to get rif of that problem?

    I mentioned this in my bin in another thread - Some Observations On My Flow Thru System. That will give some more detailed reading but the short answers are: More bedding and hold off feeding for a while
    Roast them with a torch
    Don't care about them

    I have a rather large mite population in both of my bins and am doing nothing special about them.

  • organicpanik
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks Mr Yan. The problen is that I live in central california and I have to keep my worm factory inside the house for my worms not to freeze. Can the mites come of the the tray and cause problems inside the house?

  • mr_yan
    11 years ago

    I live in northern Illinois and keep my bins in the basement. I have only had one problem with the mites and that was when I touched something in the bin and mites got on my hand and arm. They're not easy to wash off.

    My guess is the mites don't like the dryness of our houses so they tend to stay in the wet compost bins.

  • organicpanik
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks. I added like 1 lb of coconut coir into the infested tray. Hopefully that will dry things up and the mites die or at least stop reproducing. From now ob I'm going to freeze everything for about 1 week before putting into the worm factory.

  • JerilynnC
    11 years ago

    Mites are normal harmless citizens of healthy worm bins.

  • Shaul
    11 years ago

    Another solution for mites is to put in a piece of Melon rind. The mites will congregate on the rind. Wash it off and repeat. This won't kill them but it will reduce the quantity.

    Shaul