I just ordered some compost worms

[kellyt]

Anyone have these?  Gail?  I got a book called "Eat My Garbage", a container for the worms and a Starter Kit that includes 500 worms.  I supposed I'll just need to wear good gloves and a mask when messing with the worms, right?  Any thoughts?

[jbeany]

You, dear, have strange taste in pets! 

I can't see where it would really be any more dangerous for the immunosuppressed than regular gardening.  The mask for stray mold spores, and then go for it!

[okarol]

That's a pretty funny subject line, I believe that's a first!
A friend had some worms, in a three tiered worm house, and she used the resulting compost in a cloth bag to make worm tea for her plants. She fed the worms household garbage, says it worked great.
How many worms will you get? Just use gloves I suppose.

[kellyt]

500 red worms, I think is what they are called.  I didn't get the three tiered bin, but I saw it.  I got the bin that looks like the recycle bins you get from the city, but with a lid w/holes.    I also got a little cooler looking thing to keep in the kitchen to put all the food waste in.  I think it holds about three days worth and then you put it in with the worms.     Charles and I are doing this "Jorge Cruise 3 Hour Diet" and we are eating so much fruit and veggies we have lots of "food" for the worms.  I'm super excited!  Hey, maybe this can be my photo for the contest?  I think I'll get them in three days.  I wonder if I should count the worms?  lol  I think it said they duplicate quite fast (double in 3 months time).  We'll see.  I'll post some photos.   

[kellyt]

500 red worms, I think is what they are called.  I didn't get the three tiered bin, but I saw it.  I got the bin that looks like the recycle bins you get from the city, but with a lid w/holes.    I also got a little cooler looking thing to keep in the kitchen to put all the food waste in.  I think it holds about three days worth and then you put it in with the worms.     Charles and I are doing this "Jorge Cruise 3 Hour Diet" and we are eating so much fruit and veggies we have lots of "food" for the worms.  I'm super excited!  Hey, maybe this can be my photo for the contest?  I think I'll get them in three days.  I wonder if I should count the worms?  lol  I think it said they duplicate quite fast (double in 3 months time).  We'll see.  I'll post some photos.   

They're called Red Wigglers.   

[monrein]

I don't have any red wrigglers Kelly although I do have lots of worms in my garden where they work hard at aerating the soil.  I have a composter in my garden but use it very little since our garbage system takes away yard waste for composting and also kitchen waste for composting.  If I want compost I can pick it up for free from the city.

Good idea though and if they multiply so you have too many, then you could put them in the garden I suppose.  Good luck with both the veggie eating and the worms.

[galvo]

I had worms a long time ago, but the doc got rid of 'em.

[kellyt]

@Galvo - Why?  I hope this is something I can do using gloves and a mask...

@Gail - I think when we started getting more worms we will probably start another bin, but we will definitely put some in the yard, too.  Our yard could use the help.  I'm glad I ordered the book cause I don't know how, when, where, etc.  I pulled up some videos on You Tube last night and it all looks very interesting.  Although, I wish I had done that first cause I spent a pretty penny on the bin and apparently I could have used Rubber Maid tubs.    I started my kitchen compost (feed) this morning, putting in my husbands coffee grounds and filter.  After breakfast I added a banana peel.     I don't know why, but I'm really excited.

My husband will probably do most, if not all, of the turning of the soil and such.  I will just assist.

[paris]

Kelly, this thread has made me laugh.    Isn't it odd what makes us happy as life goes on?    It use to be bright lights and the theater, now it is Red Wigglers!   Beth wants to start composting, so I will watch and learn from you.   

Galvo, glad the doctor took care of the worms.        

[kellyt]

Galvo's post was a joke?!?!?!?!?        I took the bait!!!  So to speak...

You are sooooo right Paris.  I get excited about anything I can do at home these days.  Parties, theater, or a day a Sea World just don't excite me like they used to.

[cariad]

Hi Kelly,

We have been vermicomposting for over a year. I never wore a mask - that never, ever would have occurred to me. In fairness, I don't handle them, nor did I ever plan on it. This is Gwyn's project, mostly. I had the worms FedExed over, and he built two bins for them out of about $15 worth of office supply goods. I have occasionally thrown a few veg scraps in there, but nothing else. Gwyn does the change-out every month or so.

A few tips we've picked up along the way: do not ever overfeed them. If you're anything like us, you will have more fruit and veg material than they can handle, so pick and choose what you give them. Lots of acid is bad, so watch the tomatoes and citrus. They don't like everything they are supposed to like. We were told plain bread and rice were fine but ours don't seem to touch those. Every once in a while, Gwyn gives them a crushed egg shell, but it must be cooked, so he throws it in the micro for 30 seconds first. You must watch moisture levels - we have lost quite a few to too much moisture, but too little is also deadly. We take out the tea to water the plants when it begins to build up too much. They reproduce quickly, but this is good since they normally need to rest 6 months out of the year (no food during this time). We don't rest ours, but we do stop feeding them the moment we see too much food in there. It should smell like a rainforest - rich, earthy smell. If it smells like rotting food, back off the scraps.

I love the compost. This stuff is so powerful. Seeds that were not removed from the fruit and veg scraps started growing from the compost a year later. We even had watermelon trying to grow in the compost bin, despite the total lack of sunlight. I feel better about neglecting to eat all of our fruit and veg when I know it will at least go to the worms to make soil. I hope you'll update on your vermicomposting, I would love to hear how you get on with it and if you have learnt any special tricks. Have fun. They are truly a low-maintenance house guest once you get them up and running.

[kellyt]

Cariad, that is amazing information!  Thanks so much.  I'm hoping the book I ordered is as good as I have heard/read about.  I got my UPS delivery email yesterday and they are scheduled for delivery on Monday.  I excited and nervous!        I may need your personal email!!!

[cariad]

Oh, I'm so glad you found it helpful! Yes, worms are definitely bizarrely exciting in their humble little way!

Feel free to drop me a message if you have any questions. If Gwyn or I do happen to know the answer, I would be happy to pass it along to you. That book is considered an essential work on vermicomposting, though, so I suspect you will know much more than I do in short order!

Good luck!

[kitkatz]

Some women and their hobbies.

[BigSky]

Worked in a bait shop and we had tens of thousands of worms in wooden boxes.  Due to have so many we didnt feed them scraps but we fed them a mixture of aged sawdust, shredded paper, peat moss.  It served as bedding and food.  The boxes were roughly a foot wide by two feet in length by a foot deep.  Usually gave them a coffee can of the mix wetted down every ten days or so.  Every couple of months we would change out their bedding with new sawdust,shredded paper, peat moss mixture.

[paris]

Some women and their hobbies.

               

[kitkatz]

Did your wormies arrive? Are you going to name them all?

[thegrammalady]

i'm sure worms make an interesting project. but i really don't think they are necessary. my sister has had a compost heap in her garden for years. a garden in every house they've ever lived in. and they've never had worms. now one year they had a phantom pumpkin growing in the compost heap. she decided it might not have been a good idea to throw the haloween pumpkin seeds there. but it did grow a rather large pumpkin for the next halloween. best of luck with the worms and the compost.

[glitter]

here are a few suggestions..

Max
Buddy
Jake
Bailey
Rocky
Charlie
JACK
Toby
CODY
Buster
DUKE
COOPER
HARLEY
RILEY
BEAR
MURPHY
LUCKY
TUCKER
SAM
Oliver
MOLLY
Bella
Lucy
MAGGIE
Daisy
SADIE
Chloe
SOPHIE
BAILEY
ZOE
LOLA
ABBY
Ginger
ROXY
Gracie
COCO
SASHA
ANGEL
LILY
PRINCESS WACKY WADDLES WAG-A-LOT WAGS WALDO WALLFLOWER WALRUS WANDA WARHOL WARLOCK WARRIOR WARTHOG WASABE WEB WELLINGTON WHIRLWIND WHISKEY WHISPER or WHISPERWIND WHOOPIE WIGGLES WILBUR WILD THING WILDWOOD WILFRED WILHELMINA WILLOUGHBY WILLOW WILSON WIMPY WINDJAMMER WINDSOR WINDY WINK WINSTON WINTHROP WISEGUY WITCH WIZARD WIZKID WOLFGANG WONDERDOG WONTON WOODSTOCK WOODWIND WOODY WOOF WOOKIE WOOLY MAMMOTH WRANGLER WRIGLEY

DA VINCI DAGWOOD DAIQUIRI DAISY DAKOTA DALAI LAMA DALI DALLAS DAMAGE DAMSEL DANCER DANDELION DANK DANTE DANU DANUBE DAPHNE DAREDEVIL DARTH VADER DASH DASHER DAWN DAZZLER DEBUTANTE DEEOGEE DEGAS DÉJÀ VU DELILAH DELTA DERBY DESDEMONA DESIREE DESOTO DESPERADO DETONATOR DETOUR DEUCE DEVIL DEW DEXEDRINE DIABLO DIAMOND DICE DICKENS DIDDLEY DIDI DIGBY DIGGER DIM SUM DINGO DINO DIVA DIVOT DIXIE DIZZY DOC DODGER DODO DOGLET DOGZILLA DOHENY DOLCE or DULCE DOLLY DOMINO DON DONNER DOODLE DOOGIE DOOLITTLE DOONESBURY DOTS DOUBLE-O-SEVEN DOUGH-BOY DOZER DR. WHO DRACO DRAGON DRAMBUIE DREADNOUGHT DREAMER DREAMWEAVER DROOPY DRUMMER DUBONNET DUCHESS DUDE DUDETTE DUDLEY DUFFY DUGONG DUKE DUMPLING DUN DUNCAN DUNK DURANGO DUSTMOP DUSTY DWEEB DYLAN DYNAMITE MAC MAC-ATTACK MACBETH MACHETE MACHIAVELLI MACHO MACINTOSH MACKEREL MACMILLAN MAD MAX MADAME BUTTERFLY MADURO MAESTRO MAFIOSO MAGGIE MAGIC MAGNA MAGNET MAGNOLIA MAGNUM MAGPIE MAHIMAHI MAHOGANY MAI TAI MAILMAN MAJESTIC MAJOR MAKO MALCOLM MAMACITA MAMBA MAMBO MAMIE MANCHU MANDY MANHATTAN MANNERS MAPLE SYRUP MARASCHINO MARAUDER MARBLE MARDI GRAS MARIACHI MARIE ANTOINETTE MARIGOLD MARILYN MARLBORO MARLEY MARMADUKE MARMALADE MARQUEE MARSHMALLOW MARTIAN MARTINI MATADOR MATILDA MATISSE MATOK MATTIE MATZO MAUI MAVERICK MAX MAY MAYA MAYHEM MAYNARD MAZEL TOV McCOY ME TOO MEADOW MEATLOAF MEDEA MEDUSA MEE-KROB MELANGE MELLOW MELODY MELON-HEAD MELVIN MENAGE MERCEDES MERLIN MESQUITE METIS METRO MIATA MICKEY MIDAS


and dont forget wormette, wormy watilda wonder worm

I have too much time on my hands I think!!!

[okarol]

  WOW!

  Great suggestions!

[kellyt]

Whoa!  Thanks for the name suggestions!  You all know me too well!!   lol

Well, yes, the worms arrived  -  and they are all dead.     They are sending me a new batch.  I hope to intercept them at the post office before the stupid postal person squishes the box in their car and then crams into a 100+ degree mailbox in direct sunlight....again!!  Idiot!  The box was marked "Live Perishables".

I'll post a photo when I get it going.  k

[okarol]

WHAT?? OMG!! When is the funeral? 

[paris]

Oh Kelly, I am holding my hand over my heart and having a moment of silence!!   

No wonder you couldn't find them!   Good luck on the second batch.   

[kellyt]

Thank you Ladies.     I've been wearing all black since Wednesday.  I suppose one hour of mourning for each of the 500 worms???

[natnnnat]

That sounds appropriately respectful, though it will be hard to mourn them properly when you had no chance to get to know them as individuals....