I'm running an experiment on some cocoons I found in some very dry potting mix this summer. I have faith that the cocoons will come back to life! ~ Sandra
I did forget to mention about cocoons and there could be some in the system as they can survive a lot longer. After this feeding we could see an increase in the worm population and not just from those I recently added to the system.
I checked through my notes and I think when I checked on another African nightcrawler system I marked that I had checked on this one. I'm going to need to consolidate some systems and redo my tracking sheet so this doesn't happen again.
My suggestion is that you make yourself a reminder to - at least - check on and maintain the system's moisture levels. And keepin' your fingers crossed might help a little too :)
Man, it's been less than two weeks since I posted that and I think all my red worms have died in my bag. I tried feeding them alternating layers of cardboard and the fine output from my Reencle aerobic digester up to half the bag depth. But maybe I over-watered the system because it started turning anaerobic and producing a lot of leachate out the bottom of the bag such that I had to add a tray underneath to catch it all. Then the bag started hot composting and I think that cooked them all. Before that, I tried adding as much cardboard and activated charcoal as I could to soak up the excess moisture, but by then it was too late. Now the texture of the mixture is about where I want it, but I don't see any of my wriggly little friends. I think I'm going to monitor the temperature of the bag for the next few days with a compost thermometer and wait for the temps to die down to a reasonable level before I re-inoculate it with more worms. I see that some worm farms even pre-inoculate their bins with thermophilic bacteria and let them cook prior to introducing the worms. Maybe that's not a bad idea.
Sorry to hear this but just know you are not alone. I've had bins die in multiple ways and it can be hard to get it right at times. Just know there could be some cocoons in the system that survived and you might still get some reds in the system later. I had a large system at my parents house outside that froze solid and when it warmed back up we still found worms. Cocoons are able to survive some harsh conditions. Here is a playlist of the system we built th-cam.com/play/PLLEZ5krxcR7Y7_7VmcbTSFvIy-q2ZBOQI.html
Good idea, I was at one point just spraying down the tops when I couldn't get to them but I thought after adding a lot of moisture last time they would still be good. Didn't realize I had the wrong date written in my notes until I went to record the update.
It really depends on where you live and the temps. They really like those high temps in the 75+ Fahrenheit range which I don't tend to have my house. If I lived in the south these would be better than Euros which seem to prefer cooler temps. Reds just seem to work everywhere but I know some prefer larger worms for fishing or to feed pets.
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I'm running an experiment on some cocoons I found in some very dry potting mix this summer. I have faith that the cocoons will come back to life!
~ Sandra
Cocoons can stay dormant for a long time even in freezing temps so I'm hopeful! Good luck with your experiment!
I did forget to mention about cocoons and there could be some in the system as they can survive a lot longer. After this feeding we could see an increase in the worm population and not just from those I recently added to the system.
So sorry about your worms. Thanks for helping the worm community with this video.
~ Sandra
Thanks, it happens to the best of us! I'll have to be more diligent in my notes about which bin/bags I've checked!
Sad to hear worms gone, s this system unattended
I checked through my notes and I think when I checked on another African nightcrawler system I marked that I had checked on this one. I'm going to need to consolidate some systems and redo my tracking sheet so this doesn't happen again.
@@WorldComposting ok 👍
I wonder how much time it'll take for this system to bounce back.....
I wonder this as well. Hopefully some cocoons are still in the system and they will bounce back quickly as new worms start to grow.
My suggestion is that you make yourself a reminder to - at least - check on and maintain the system's moisture levels. And keepin' your fingers crossed might help a little too :)
You should really install some kind of soil moisture monitoring system. Maybe then you could be alerted before your worm bag becomes catastrophic.
Man, it's been less than two weeks since I posted that and I think all my red worms have died in my bag. I tried feeding them alternating layers of cardboard and the fine output from my Reencle aerobic digester up to half the bag depth. But maybe I over-watered the system because it started turning anaerobic and producing a lot of leachate out the bottom of the bag such that I had to add a tray underneath to catch it all. Then the bag started hot composting and I think that cooked them all. Before that, I tried adding as much cardboard and activated charcoal as I could to soak up the excess moisture, but by then it was too late. Now the texture of the mixture is about where I want it, but I don't see any of my wriggly little friends. I think I'm going to monitor the temperature of the bag for the next few days with a compost thermometer and wait for the temps to die down to a reasonable level before I re-inoculate it with more worms. I see that some worm farms even pre-inoculate their bins with thermophilic bacteria and let them cook prior to introducing the worms. Maybe that's not a bad idea.
Sorry to hear this but just know you are not alone. I've had bins die in multiple ways and it can be hard to get it right at times. Just know there could be some cocoons in the system that survived and you might still get some reds in the system later.
I had a large system at my parents house outside that froze solid and when it warmed back up we still found worms. Cocoons are able to survive some harsh conditions.
Here is a playlist of the system we built th-cam.com/play/PLLEZ5krxcR7Y7_7VmcbTSFvIy-q2ZBOQI.html
With you being busy and all, may try to check in once every two weeks if it looks dry just add some ice and maybe some frozen water bottles
Good idea, I was at one point just spraying down the tops when I couldn't get to them but I thought after adding a lot of moisture last time they would still be good. Didn't realize I had the wrong date written in my notes until I went to record the update.
I don't think African Nightcrawlers are a good composting worm.
I think I'll stick with Redworms or Euros. 😊
It really depends on where you live and the temps. They really like those high temps in the 75+ Fahrenheit range which I don't tend to have my house. If I lived in the south these would be better than Euros which seem to prefer cooler temps. Reds just seem to work everywhere but I know some prefer larger worms for fishing or to feed pets.
Sometimes you can find some cocoons that are dormant into you add more moisture and bring them back so they can hatch 🇳🇿🪱
I do hope for some cocoons I was looking when turning but didn't see any. Granted ANC cocoons are different than reds which are pretty easy to find.