Worms

[JazzDuke]

Just got my new wormery set up and the wee ones are settling in. I know what you can and can't put in but i still don't know optimum conditions, e.g.
- between 10 and 30 deg C is OK but do they prefer the hot or cold end
- you can buy worm treats but what is the food group they like best, e.g. sugars, starches, fats etc, how do I make my own worm treats

Any tips to refine my worm hotel would be appreciated.

[Snadger]

Just got my new wormery set up and the wee ones are settling in. I know what you can and can't put in but i still don't know optimum conditions, e.g.
- between 10 and 30 deg C is OK but do they prefer the hot or cold end
- you can buy worm treats but what is the food group they like best, e.g. sugars, starches, fats etc, how do I make my own worm treats

Any tips to refine my worm hotel would be appreciated.

My Son used to have a strange playstation game called worms...all explosions and wheeee's with worms running around with tin hats on!

There's nowt as queer as folk!

[Alison]

What sort of wormery do you have. I have a Can of Worms which I've been running for about 18 months. Don't bother with the treats, I got some with my set up kit but haven't bought any more as the worms are quite happy with tea bags, veg waste and a good supply of torn up newspaper. Don't feed them too much acidic stuff (onions, orange peel etc) as it upsets the balance. Mine are particularly partial to old cabbage leaves (torn up a bit first helps), tea bags, banana skins etc but think they'll eat pretty much anything eventually. One point of advice, make sure you go for feeding very slowly to start with, especially as it's winter and they'll be slower at this time of year anyway. Last winter mine lived outside and petty much ground to a halt, this year I've put it in a cold greenhouse and that, combined with a mild winter, has kept it going OK. In summer it just sits outside in a semi shaded lcoation by the back door.

[GeordieVik]

JD

I've had a wormery for a year now, they prefer it medium temp - too cold and they go very sluggish, and die if it's freezing (so you should either bring wormery inside - not v tempting! - or lag it with bubblewrap & put it somewhere sheltered by the house / shed in winter)

In summer, protect from full sun, make sure it doesn't dry out (but don't add too much water - I did last summer & drowned the poor b*ggers!) and I've seen suggestions of freezing a pop bottle of water, puncturing a couple of small holes in the bottle and burying it in the bedding area for if it gets really hot.

Treats weren't recommended as such, pop a bit of lime in if you're getting too many fruit flies, and apparently the crack-cocaine of the worm-world as a special treat is melon skin!!

If you want me to put any links on to some wormery sites I can, just let me know.

Vik

[smallblueplanet]

We've got a can-o-worms too, they're great! Very easy to seperate the 'poo' from the worms. We do give them some 'worm treats' (I feel guilty about keeping them caged!), but only a handful every so often (I think a 3lt bag lasted about 3yrs!). However do makesure you get the lime balance right.

Do put some links up GV, there's always more to learn. I shall try the melon skins to turn our worms into addicts! LOL! never heard of doing a line of melon before.

[Alison]

I've found that the worm forum on www.recycleworks.co.uk very useful for the various problems I've had, most of it turned out to be totally normal and just me being paranoid.

Re the lime - if you eat a lot of eggs, crushed eggs shells do the trick if you don't want to buy the special lime mix.

[Hazel at the Hill]

The only things that my worms don't seem to like are wine corks, which I was a bit surprised about.

Supplementary question - is there a problem if you have SLUGS in your Can-O-Worms?

[Alison]

Oooh, slugs, never had any of them on my COW, shouldn't have thought it was a good thing but not sure what you'd have to do about it.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Oooh, slugs, never had any of them on my COW, shouldn't have thought it was a good thing but not sure what you'd have to do about it.

Well I'm just hoping that it doesn't involve picking them out!

YUK YUK YUK!

[Sue]

Hi
Re Slugs, I keep finding them in my can of worms, a bit of a puzzle as to how they get in there, perhaps when they are tiny? But they all get hoiked out and put in my Slug Stalag or given to next doors chickens. Use latex gloves for picking them up.

The crack cocaine for my worms is cucumber that's gone soggy, huge knots of them fighting to get at this. And an egg past its best, I also leave some egg shells in halves, they seem to like them to doss down in.
I had some old Earl Gray tea (loose) lurking at the back of the kitchen cupboard and this made it smell very nice!

Sue

[Two_Sheds]

I've got better recyclers than worms - 3 guinea pigs. They eat almost ANYTHING! They are cuddlier than worms, and also mow the large lawn for us.

[welsh veg grower]

I fancy one but they look expensive and difficult to keep. Any suggestions advice and places to buy from!!!!

[GeordieVik]

OK guys, here goes; I agree with Alison, the worm forum on www.recycleworks.co.uk is really helpful

These are various advice and purchasing sites I've come across in the last year or so.

http://www.topline-2000.com/wrmcare.html#refcare
http://www.envocare.co.uk/wormeries_....htm#wormeries
http://www.btinternet.com/~bury_rd/worm.htm
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/DEPUT...Worm/worm5.htm
http://www.jetcompost.com/burrow/1bedding.htm
http://www.vermisell.co.uk/shop/24/12/index.htm
http://vermisell.blogspot.com/

I love greengardener - real personal service, he's happy to give advice, and he sells some groovy stuff (ladybirds & stuff)
http://www.greengardener.co.uk/wormeries.htm

Vik

[GeordieVik]

And re slugs, the advice I've seen is that they won't do any harm in there, they're part of the natural cycle for breaking things down. I'd be nervous they were sleeping in there and then jumping out at night & eating my plants though!! :-)

[Hazel at the Hill]

I'd be nervous they were sleeping in there and then jumping out at night & eating my plants though!! :-)

Ah ha! I'm ahead of you there, GV - COW is at home in courtyard garden - growing things at the Hill about 2 miles away. They'd have to be pretty nippy to get up there and back overnight!