My worm farm bedding is to wet and my big worms have disappeared?

by B.
(Cape Town)

Hello

I bought my single bucket worm farm from you. I've read the FAQ on your website but have run into a problem and need some advice.

My red worms have disappeared. I think there are lots of babies, these are very small but seem not red but with darker colours at head and end. Sort of brownish. The bin was too wet, and I drained it and put coconut hair bedding, but it still remained too wet. There were lots of fruit flies. I have added dry grass cuttings to help dry it out further,and I will put some hessian?newspaper over it as you suggest. I have redrained it again, but want to know if these little worms are baby red worms and will grow, or must I buy new ones? I live in Kenilworth. Do you have a supplier near me that I can buy more worms from?

thank you

B.


Answer:

Hello B,

nice to hear from you again. In order to know if the small worms that you have found in your worm bin are compost worms I would need to see a picture of them.

Would it be possible for you to send us a picture of the inside of the bin and of the small worms?

Did your worm farm develop a bad odour? Did you notice any big maggots in the worm bin? I think adding some shredded or torn up newspaper to your worm bin should slowly help to reduce the moisture level inside your worm bin.

Please remember that if in doubt a worm bedding should rather be to moist than to dry. Compost worms have no lungs and breath through their skin. A moist environment is therefore essential for them as dry particles would stick easily to their body while they are sliding through the bedding and food and could suffocate and kill them.

We do supply "Stoedels"in Kenilworth with worms but they will most probably charge you more than we do if you come to pick up a batch of worms at our work shop in Goodwood.

I am looking forward to hear from you.

Kind regards

Stephan Kloppert
Author of "How to start a profitable worm business on a shoestring budget"

Editor of "www.worm-composting-help.com

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