Max exodus of worms???????????

[WildBill]

I think I figured out what happened. I quite thoroughly broke up and mixed up the root mass, put it in the tote, Added a thin layer of chicken feed and bokashi and I watered in with Boost and Molasses. There was no mat formed when I first saw the escaping worms. I think two days later I checked and there was a HUGE explosion of the mat. I looked like the mycelium I find in my little pine forest digging in the needle mat.......the really white kind.................but this mat was from edge to edge and thick.
Today I checked it and all the worms died on the sides. So I stir things up. I did find two hardy worms. What I didn't find was much of the roots. Even the main stalk that I buried had lots of decay on it.
I guess I added the boost and Molasses too soon and really fired up the microbes that was already there and the ones I added. This changed the environment so drastically that the wormed would rather die than being in the media. I don't think I have anything bad going on. There are no funky smells even with the dead worms......they were almost dissolved fully.

Since my EBs will always have worms, I'll just wait longer before I start to do anything other than busting it up and keeping proper moisture. The other HBSS had over a week after putting it into a tote and it was done at the same time as the other HBSS and two other totes with the top dressings and watering.

Thoughts???????

 

[hecno]

WildBill , is this the type of thing you are seeing .

If so it will not harm your worms , I know how to create this and do a number of times in my soil bins and have never had a problem with the worms

 

[WildBill]

WildBill , is this the type of thing you are seeing .
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If so it will not harm your worms , I know how to create this and do a number of times in my soil bins and have never had a problem with the worms

No, that's good stuff. The mold didn't cause the problem I don't think. This was very clumpy almost like cottage cheese. It was like VERY bright white clumpy colonies had all joined tightly together or just formed so many together. that they just filled in. The mold did have fine 'hairs' also..
The only thing that make sense that the microbes were elevated when I broke up the root mat. Finely broken up root mat and media added lots of oxygen and I just threw more microbes and a bunch more food with the molasses. Maybe that changed the pH enough or lowered the oxygen enough.. There wasn't big temp spike though. That's a little perplexing to me.
I've never seen quite that reaction, but I've always made my compost and stuff out in the open and no containers

 

[simoiget]

No, that's good stuff. The mold didn't cause the problem I don't think. This was very clumpy almost like cottage cheese. It was like VERY bright white clumpy colonies had all joined tightly together or just formed so many together. that they just filled in. The mold did have fine 'hairs' also..
The only thing that make sense that the microbes were elevated when I broke up the root mat. Finely broken up root mat and media added lots of oxygen and I just threw more microbes and a bunch more food with the molasses. Maybe that changed the pH enough or lowered the oxygen enough.. There wasn't big temp spike though. That's a little perplexing to me.
I've never seen quite that reaction, but I've always made my compost and stuff out in the open and no containers

It does sound a little puzzling for sure...the only experience that I can relate to it is when I first started my worm bin in a tote I had it covered out side with holes drilled in the lid.

I live in the PNW and we had a super rainy, cool, humid summer and I would get wicked condensation on the sides of my bin and I would always have a number of "crawlers" on the side and bottom of the lid.It drove me nuts until I removed the lid and moved the bin indoors..when the condensation disappeared so did the side crawlers.

you mentioned the condensation on the sides? maybe that was it? especially if some worms did stay in the media?

 

[hecno]

I tell ya what mate , I'll send you some good hardy Aussie worms Just make sure to keep the feed up or they will eat the sides of ya bin out to get to food .

 

[WildBill]

It does sound a little puzzling for sure...the only experience that I can relate to it is when I first started my worm bin in a tote I had it covered out side with holes drilled in the lid.

I live in the PNW and we had a super rainy, cool, humid summer and I would get wicked condensation on the sides of my bin and I would always have a number of "crawlers" on the side and bottom of the lid.It drove me nuts until I removed the lid and moved the bin indoors..when the condensation disappeared so did the side crawlers.

you mentioned the condensation on the sides? maybe that was it? especially if some worms did stay in the media?

Yeah, I mentioned the condensation. I think I made some mention of the worms could be chasing the moisture. The media was not so dry that they would rather die than go back into the media. Maybe it's just a worm thing, but I've never seen something like it.

 

[WildBill]

I tell ya what mate , I'll send you some good hardy Aussie worms Just make sure to keep the feed up or they will eat the sides of ya bin out to get to food .

I'd have to get a set up with the local grocer to get his bad food that they throw out to feed em!

Gonna do that anyway with some KNF experiments I plan to do the next few months.

 

[AJrexxx]

I have no idea why this occurred! I finally emptied the Earthbox of my biggest HBSS into a tote for re-amending and mixing with other media to dilute the Dolomite. I busted it all up, spread it out, added a little chicken feed, bokashi and wetted it down with some water with Boost.

I checked all the totes this morning to see how well their mats are developing, I added bokashi to all the totes and sprayed with the same water and Boost. Great development in all the totes..............until I came to the tote in question. No mat and the worms were lining the sides and trying to get out the top! They were mostly young worms and only seen a few adults with rings. I MAY have not added the Bokashi with the absence of the mat. All the other totes had WELL developed mats going after less than 48hours. The media was not overwatered and not heated up, but there was a lot of moisture on the sides and top.
I really don't understand why this happened! The ONLY thing I can come up with is they preferred the condensation on the sides of the tote, but the media wasn't that dry............at least I really think so.
There is something going on, but I have no idea!
Good thing I picked up another two totes to make a new smaller worm bin the other day. I got a pretty good size handful of worms to add to it today.............when life gives you Lemons, you make Lemonade!

I'm gonna add some TerraCraft to the tote, mix it up and retry the bokashi again.

I have the same issues in my worm tower sometimes. I think it is a PH/water factor. Sometimes when it is to wet they move to the sides. As long as the soil is not to hot they will move back in once the mediums moisture evens out. I had this happen with about 5 thousand worms. I should of took a picture.

 

[WildBill]

I have the same issues in my worm tower sometimes. I think it is a PH/water factor. Sometimes when it is to wet they move to the sides. As long as the soil is not to hot they will move back in once the mediums moisture evens out. I had this happen with about 5 thousand worms. I should of took a picture.

I'm inclined to think it was a pH change. When I mixed the spent earthbox contents, it could have boosted the bio....but I didn't feel heat....... and used up all the oxy.....I could have not cracked the lid. The die off and/or maybe anaerobic bugs changed the ph. Moisture wasn't an issue.

Never had a problem in the bathtub bins at my old farm.......................other than keeping the Coons outta them!