Vermiculture

[doofy]

Ok, since yall get me on the topic of wormy things...

I've got a stacked worm bin. Two rubbermaid bins with holes in the bottom.

I've finally gotten around to switching the bins. I also bought some coir to use. Just wondering, is coir the only thing I need to use to keep the fly level down, or do I have to shred paper over the coir?

Damn, I forgot to add the eggshells. That's the thing about the coir as opposed to the paper. The paper is easier to pick up to put something underneath it.

I've also heard that with the stacked bins, some worms never make it up to the next bin. I wonder what percentage that is. I pushed the contents in the lower bin over to one side, so that it would bunch up and be touching the bottom of the upper bin.

Just gotta go put the eggshells in.

Segmentedly yours, doofy.

[Omelet]

They just live in my yard. Everywhere. I could probably make money harvesting the worm castings I see on top the soil during spring and fall weather. ;-)

When I want to harvest any for fishing bait, I just put down a piece of old carpet and wet it down... They come to the surface and are right under it.

Hm. I wonder if topping your vermiculture bins with some carpeting might help with your fly problem??? Seriously?

[doofy]

It would have to be an exactly fitting piece of carpet. Otherwise they'd crawl in around the edges.

I think the coir makes a much more impervious barrier, but its also hard to move around to put new stuff into.

[Omelet]

So?

That is why I suggested it. Carpet would be easier. :-)

You'd just have to make sure tho' that it caused no suffocation problems.

The worms around here never crawl on top of the carpet. Might not really have to be form fit?

But, I've never maintained worm bins. Just to be totally honest. Just mealworm bins for pet and wildlife feed.

Those are easier.

[doofy]

The flies.

[Omelet]

Ah.

I'm just curious... Why are your vermiculture bins attracting flies? Fresh compost?

[doofy]

Yes, I guess. They're after the decomposing stuff too.

[Omelet]

Fresh compost vs. aged compost = decomposition...

Have you tried composting separately, then feeding that to the worms?

[doofy]

The worms are DOING the composting. Instead of putting the stuff in a pile somewhere, you feed it to the worms. They digest it, and it becomes compost.

[Omelet]

I see.

I'm not really sure how to solve a fly problem then, short of covering the stuff, which we've already discussed. :-)

How about pine shavings?

[doofy]

That limits me to post-adolescent pines.

[Omelet]

Too acidic?

[doofy]

No, young pines don't shave.

[Omelet]

Sorry, missed the pun. ;-)

[doofy]

You should bough to me now, you sap.

[Omelet]

You are barking up the wrong tree...

[Billy]

Maybe you should make like a tree, and leaf.

[doofy]

You must be Limb-bough fan.

[Billy]

Ahh, the party is over:-(

[Omelet]

That's awfully hard on the back. ;-) But it generally has a nice beat. One can only bend back so far.

Are you as supple as a Willow switch?