[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Mites Investing My Red Worms (Wigglers)



> Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 20:15:28 -0800
> From: Howard Broman <Howard at rosejewelry_com>
> 
> It started with just a few small Mites on the surface now there are
> thousands.
> 
> My reasoning is they occurred in the initial starter worm supply or the
> Coconut husks brick.
> 
> Where do these Mites come from?  

Probably with your starter worms.

> Are  they harmful to the worm colony?

They've never done any visible harm that I've seen, and from a web site
about worms that I've seen, they don't seem to be a problem for more
experienced worm keepers either.

> If so, how do I  kill  them -  without killing the worms?

Well, if you flood the colony, the mites will float and you can skim them
off, but then you'll have to dry it out again and the mites will multiply
back up to the former level.

> By the way, the Red Wigglers are fat and happy with alot of little happy
> babies.

See, no mite problem! :-)

Worms are kind of fun to raise, aren't they?  I've had a tub of them in 
in the basement for about 5 years now.  I feed them kitchen garbage, and
leach the culture every year to get 'compost tea' for fertilizing my 
garden plants.  I use newspaper for bedding.