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Re: REd worms
> Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 22:25:45 -0500
> From: "Ray Ravary, Jr." <rravary at provide_net>
>
> Hello out there,
>
> I've been raising red worms in a Rubbermaid 18 gal tub. They tend to climb up the
> sides and escape between the lid. Anybody have any tips for me?
They tend to do this if there is something wrong in the bin, e.g. too acid,
too wet, not enough oxygen, etc. Suggest you be sure the tub is well
ventilated and not soggy. I feed my worms on kitchen garbage, coffee
grounds in particular, and add eggshells to keep the pH up. I use a large
plastic bin, too, and just keep a few sheets of newspaper on top of the
medium instead of a lid.
A more elaborate dodge is to keep a light bulb on over the tub at all times,
since the worms avoid light.
Btw, re getting whiteworms out of their medium in quantity - I keep my
whiteworm cultures in small (~3 liter) plastic tubs that have solid tops.
Occasionally I accidentally close the tops completely, and within 12-24
hours the worms are on the surface and streaming up the sides in thick
ropes and blobs. I assume that CO2 is building up in the enclosed space,
which drives the worms to try to escape, since if I leave the lid open
they all go back into the medium quite peacefully.