February 13, 2012 | #61 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Eastern Suburb of Sacramento, CA
Posts: 1,313
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The worms will not eat the eggshells, not in my experience at least. I like to save them and grind them up in an old blender. They create a white dust that smells almost like scrambled eggs. Anyway, I just drop the dust into the mix and it gets pretty well integrated with the end result. I expect it makes for a nice Calcium injection.
-naysen |
February 13, 2012 | #62 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
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Eggshells end up kind of chunky in the worm bin, so I usually add them
to the compost pile instead. I do sprinkle an occasional handful of dolomite, gypsum, or greensand into the worm bin to add some grit. (I figure that it will pass through their digestive system and simply add to the nutritional value of the worm castings.)
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February 16, 2012 | #63 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
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I had worms but couldn't get them through the heat of summer here in AZ. I might try again next fall. The compost was amazing and well worth the effort of sifting. It also introduced red wrigglers to my garden.
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February 17, 2012 | #64 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: zone 5
Posts: 821
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Mine live indoors year round in their worm condo. There is no odor or bugs. They are in the laundry room.
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February 17, 2012 | #65 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: WV
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February 27, 2012 | #66 |
Tomatovillian™
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Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
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I wish those BSFs or some other worm would take up residence in my horse manure pile. What kind of worm do I need for that?
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February 27, 2012 | #67 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
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Probably most kinds of earthworm will digest horse manure, but red
wigglers will likely be happiest there. I have found them in piles of aged horse manure that I added to the garden.
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February 28, 2012 | #68 |
Tomatovillian™
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Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
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I have had red wrigglers appear survive in a shady part of my garden where I've used worm compost, so maybe they like southern climes, especially where they have lots of mulch? The spot they are in has lots of wood mulch and some horse manure.
I'm going to try moving some into a pile of horse manure, see what happens. Maybe they just need to be introduced. |
February 28, 2012 | #69 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
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Red wigglers naturally live in the top few inches of soil, right under
a mulch or "last year's weeds" or a layer of leaf litter. I read a report in a vermicomposting thread online where someone added horse manure to his worm bin (all red wigglers). In 2 days all of it was gone except the bits of half-digested hay in it. In 2 more days, the half-digested hay was gone, too.
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February 29, 2012 | #70 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin TX
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Is there anyway I can do this outdoors in Texas? Maybe in the garage? The temps here get into the 100's during the summer and it gets pretty hot in the garage as well. I don't think my wife will allow them inside.
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February 29, 2012 | #71 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
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I just don't have many produce leftovers, since the chicken's eat almost everything. But, if they can work on some manure, I bet I could keep them going in a large barrel, despite summer heat! |
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February 29, 2012 | #72 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
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Although, there is a big worm place in Tuscon. Not sure how they're set up. I think they have outdoor concrete bins, below ground level but really don't know. Maybe just dirt pits? |
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February 29, 2012 | #73 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
Posts: 3,207
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If BSFs are so common in the heat, how do you purposely attract them? Maybe I could use them for a compost bin for Sumer, dump that compost, then start up some worms this fall. Anybody do BSFs on purpose? I've heard they're great to raise for chickens, too.
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March 1, 2012 | #74 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
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This historical document on worm farming has instructions for
a big outdoor box set in the ground in Section 3, Lesson 4, "Housing the Earthworm Stock." Assume that scientists know more about earthworms now than they did then, and that your most economical feedstocks for the worms are not necessarily what they were then. Still, what he recommended worked, which is why he wrote it up as what was probably a lecture series. http://journeytoforever.org/farm_lib...oliverToC.html
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March 5, 2012 | #75 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: NW Tn
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I've been doing a good bit of research on raising worms for compost and fish bait. My main dilemma is feeding them. If I get into raising them, I want to do it on a large enough scale to produce worms to hopefully sell to fishermen on a nearby very large public fishing lake. The only food I can see that I could possibly have enough of would be lawn clippings for green and fallen leaves for brown. What are your opinions on being able to raise them with only these two types of food?
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