Happy Sunday morning Jayne. I'm sitting, drinking DOSE mushroom coffee and watching you pick worms 🪱 from your grow-out bins. Great tutorial, mesmerizing 🪱☕️🪱 I love seeing all of the Cocoons ❤ Good logic on keeping the Breeders moist, fed and happy. Take care ❤Peggy❤
@@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920 Good morning Peggy! I’ve just refreshed a lot of grow out bins and am ready to have a tea and watch your recycling video 😍. It’s a great way to start the day - learning a few new tips on how to help the earth a little more! 💕🪱
@RockinWorms thanks Jayne. You sure do get a lot done. I feel like my list is getting longer, no matter how quickly I work. I realize you are much younger and full of steam. 👍
@@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920 Not as full of steam as I used to be, that’s for sure! I feel exactly like you most days - too much to do and not enough time 😩. But we do the what we can! And often, close enough is good enough! 🤣
@@ArgIRLLOL That is a very good reminder! And one I don’t keep in mind as much as I should. I often get ‘distracted’ while in my various bins and suddenly I’ve spent more time than I really had to spare 🙄😆🪱. But I will say that taking time to enjoy the process is just as important and being efficient 😍😊🪱. Thanks for watching!!
@@traceybier1128 Hi Tracey! I know I’ve been heavy on the shirts lately. It’s been a challenging month here and I’m doing what I can to get any video released! I’m afraid it’s going to be like this for a while longer as Cameraman and I work thru some big changes here. It’s all good but still major changes. Thanks for sticking with me!! 🥰💕🪱
Here I’d collected so many milk crates I was debating the simplest way I’d be able to cause extraction from my castings and it worked perfectly ‼️💯 ( I put a 1/2 inch of elevation to prevent from being pressed into casting.)❤
Hi Jayne, another timely video for me. We're just back from holidays and first thing on return was to check my worm bins. I now have 6 breeder bins, 2 grow out bins and my large CFT that serves as a bit of both. They've done really well, loads of big fat breeders that will get a new home tomorrow. I need to get my breeder traps to work as well as yours, after several attempts I'm still not up to scratch. I thought my first grow out bin had failed, I never seemed to be getting any worms, but came back and....wow! They've been in since May 4th and there's now hundreds of worms. Thanks again for your help and advice Jayne, it's been invaluable, 👌👌🪱🪱🪱
@@funnysods Hi Bill! Big fat chonky breeders- love that! 🤩. You are obviously treating them well. Sometimes it takes a little while for the bin and worms to settle in - then it’s BOOM! Population explosion 🤩. It’s great to hear. I’m liking the breeder bait trap. It does save me about half the time it takes me to hand pick out all the worms - that’s huge! Of course I’ll end up hand picking them sometimes too - if I want to count them for example. It’s so helpful to have options 👍. It makes me so happy to know that worm wranglers are having success using the tips and tricks I share 💕🪱. Thank you for being a part of the Castings Crew! 🥰
@@RockinWorms hello again Jayne, just a little update. I've been away again for a few days and the last thing I do before I go is check my worms, then check them again as soon as I get back. When I checked and fed them 5 days ago they were doing great, but then......I obviously forgot to close the lid on my big CFT, and that bloody rat got in! This is the second time it's happened and I can't believe how many worms it's ate.All that's left is tunnels through the soil where the rat has just ate his way through. At least now I know which direction I need to take.The CFT must go and I need perhaps another 6 breeding trays.That will serve two purposes, no more worms for mister rat and it'll free up space in my greenhouse for growing lovely tomatoes and cucumbers.Sorry for the long text, but I can only tell you, my family think I'm mad......they could be right!!🤪🤪🥰
@@funnysods Oh Bill! That’s terrible! Blasted rats 😡. Many a worm wrangler has had to battle a rat, or a mouse, or some other critter that likes a worm snack 😡. I’m sorry that happened to you 😩. As you said, you’ve now made a decision to go a different way and hopefully you’ll be not only as successful as the cft but predator free. 👍😎. I appreciate you sharing your story. It helps remind us all that this kind of stuff happens. And we are here to commiserate and comfort each other as well as celebrate our triumphs 😍💕 Will the new 6 bins give you the amount of castings you’ll want for your lovely tomatoes and cucumbers? 🤩
@@RockinWorms Thanks for your reply Jayne, it's very much appreciated. To be honest, I get more castings than I know what to do with, so although 6 trays would suffice, I'll probably double my farm and expand to 12 trays. I went through my depleted cft today and found that there are still thousands of worms in there, although most of my breeders have gone. Onward and upward Jayne.🥰
@@funnysods I am glad your cft wasn’t completely wiped out 🤩. With thousands still left you’ll be back strong in no time! Worm wranglers are resilient people! 😎 And the good thing about younger worms…. they’ll be breeders before you know it 😍. I go thru castings cycles. Have a ton of them and am out of storage options. Then we decide this is the day! And we use them all 🤣. 🪱🪱
I just used my 1/2” sifter today for the first time. I’ve been taking a dishpan sized amount of castings from the bottom of my UWB. Then I put the dishpan in the light so the worms will go to the bottom. I take small amounts from the top to sift into a 5 gallon bucket. As I keep roughing up the top of the dishpan, the worms go deeper. It’s been so much easier to sift doing it this way- less worms to rescue from the sifter. When I got close to the bottom of the dishpan, there are lots of worms. I emptied what was left in the dishpan into the 1/2” sifter that was placed on top of bedding in a mortar tray. I left it alone for a while and most of the worms went into the bedding. Before today, I did this using the next sized smaller sifter. Not as many worms went into the bedding. So- the 1/2” sized sifter works better for me for this purpose. One problem with the UWB is that the worms don’t just feed in the top few inches. They’re in bedding all the way to the bottom. I’m trying to gradually move them to smaller, not deep plastic bins or mortar trays so I can harvest with the wedge method. I’m also moving them so I can get them inside for the winter. I’m loving composting with my worms and seeing my food scraps turn into castings. I’m visiting a friend tomorrow and am bringing her a 5 gallon bucket of castings. 😊🪱This was a great video. Thanks!
@@marymccusker8133 Isn’t it nice to have a use for that 1/2” sifter?! You’re using a standard light migration method 👍. I’ve heard that a lot from worm wranglers - that works are all throughout the UWB so harvesting castings from the bottom isn’t quite as quick and easy as advertised 😩. You’ve got a good method set up and if it’s working for you then more power to you! 🤩. Thanks from sharing it as others might find your method works well for them too 💕. It’s amazing to me that you have to start thinking about colder weather when I’m literally sweating every minute with temps over 90F for now and the next month. 🥵. You’ve got a lucky friend! What a great gift you’re giving her 😎🪱
I think there's a seasonality to breeding as well as just population density and resource availability. I haven't figured it out - but I'm sure you will, Jayne! ~ Sandra
@@NanasWorms Hi Sandra! I wouldn’t be surprised at all that was true. I do wonder though if our keeping the worms on more stable controlled environments counteract the potential seasonality of their natural rhythms. With chickens for example, they lay less in the winter, not because it’s cold, but because there’s less sunlight! They need a minimum number of light hours to trigger egg production. Commercial farms will use artificial lights to mimic long summer days in the dead of winter in order to keep hens laying. Worms would perhaps go thru a natural decrease in cocoon production during cold months. Or maybe they’re triggered by sunlight too? 🤷♂️. Anyway, since many worm wranglers like myself have worm environments that don’t vary much the worms make cocoons at a stable rate all the time. You’re the research queen! Maybe there’s a study on this? *special note to everyone: Sandra is close to making her view hours this month! Please go visit her channel and help a great contributor to our collective worm knowledge make her goal! @Nanasworms. Sandra - please post a link to your channel to make it easier for everyone 💕🪱
Oh and I’m sorry for asking so much but final thought as I observe the cocoons. If done in a shallow basin I wonder if you could use an angle and sift them out that way. Almost like seed saving. I’m going to try and if successfully done I’ll post a short. Thanks for everything you do!🤙
@@DoItYourselfGardening You keep asking away! You guys spark so much thought and ideas! I benefit from it too, you know 😊. I don’t really know what you’re referring to with the seed saving analogy. I’d love to see a short on that! Any tips and tricks that help me collect cocoons better and faster I’m up for! I’ve been given some tips in the past but I either didn’t understand the method (and when I asked for clarification I didn’t get any) or the tip simply didn’t work. If you get something to work please do post a link here to your video! 🤩🪱
@@RockinWorms thanks I’ll let you know for sure! I see so many cocoons and it’s hard to pick out one by one but atleast having them is better than not haha thanks and have a great day! 🤙
Thank you for the update! Love seeing the systems being created!🤙also I’ll research now as I’m thinking but is there nay foods you have personally noticed attract or bait out worms quicker than others?
@@DoItYourselfGardening You are very welcome! Fast foods (high in water content) are a fan favorite of the worms. Otherwise I honestly think any decent food will work if it’s very moist and the worms are at least a little bit hungry. The more hungry the better though, within reason. I’m going to work on a different trap I think. I love using the sifter but I think it would work better for the after dumping into the new bin part if the sifter area was smaller. I am also thinking that if I stick with the sifter I can quickly pile the dumped bait material up into a smaller, taller mound and work it that way. I’m trying this first as it’s a quick tweak 🤩🪱
Did you get a new camera? Seems like the picture is much sharper. When i bait out bins, i just use melon rines and spread them over entire surface. Another very good video. Thank you for all your hard work.
@@rickjay4639 We have had to switch over to using my iPhone to record the videos whereas it was Cameraman’s iPhone previously. But that switch was maybe 6-10 videos ago. I don’t recall exactly when. Maybe he just remembered to clean the lens 🤣. With the melon rinds, do you scoop up the area or do the worms cling to the rinds? 🪱
Thank you I have learned so much watching your vedeos. I am just starting with worms maby you cold do a review of the verious supplies you use tubs and etc. Than you so much
@@DougH-k2e Hi Doug! I’m happy to be helping you and others worm wrangle in better ways 😊. I’ll put your idea of a review of my everyday worm supplies on my topic list - good idea! Thanks 🤩🪱
Jayne, I set up a migration so I could harvest some castings to add in my fall vegetable raised beds. I gave them some yummy pineapple and after 2 days they havent touched it. Have you ever had that issue with pineapple? I took it out and gave it to the bsfl. I know they arent complainers!
@@katiem9644 I have fed my worms pineapple before BUT I cook everything now in the instant pot (electric pressure cooker) and that breaks all the food down quite a bit. As well as gets rid of the vast majority of insect/pest eggs. Your worms may have had enough food already and weren’t very hungry yet for the pineapple..? I’m sure the BSFL will eat it up fast! 😊🪱
Hi Jayne. I'm a newbie and I'm learning a lot from your videos. But, I do have a question. You've probably explained it in one of your videos...I just haven't found it in any of them at this point. I know what a worm ball is but I don't understand if it is a good thing or a bad thing? On Vermiculture videos people get excited when they find a worm ball like it is a good thing but, when I research it, it sounds like a bad thing. Please explain. Thank you.
If you’re harvesting the castings from the entire bin using light separation method you’ll get a worm ball. If you put some water melon or some sweet fruit in the bin that might get you a worm ball. If you get a worm ball any other time then the worms are unhappy with something in the worm bin.
@@lindafreeman1687 Hi Linda! I’ve never addressed worm balls 😝. Hmm that doesn’t sound so good when phrased that way 🤣. Like most things, it’s the circumstances that matter when determining if something is good or bad. A $10 price on an item is good if it’s normally $100 but bad if it’s normally $1. You need to know the circumstances in order to know what’s going on. Worm balls are the same. If the worms balls because they’re attacking a favorite food with gusto then it’s good! That’s what we normally see on videos and seeing all those worms together is fun and interesting 🤩. However if the worm ball is because the bin is too hot and the worms are trying to escape the heat, then the worm ball is signifying a big problem. What have you read that says worm balls are a problem? I’m very interested in hearing more on that! 🪱
@@RockinWorms AI Overview Learn more … Here are a few of the things I found on different sites. Worm balls can have different meanings in vermiculture, depending on the context: Lack of moisture Worms may ball together if the compost is too dry. Bedding issues Worms may clump together in corners and around the edges of the worm farm if the bedding is too hot, too wet, too dry, or too acidic. This indicates that the worms are unhappy with the bedding and are trying to get away from it. Defense mechanism In nature, worms may tangle up as a defensive mechanism to protect themselves. For example, a large knot of worms can prevent the worms from drying out during a drought. Communication Some studies suggest that worms may ball up to communicate with each other by moving in synchronized patterns. Harvesting During harvesting, you can dump the bin into small piles on a plastic sheet in full sunlight or under a bright light. Worms dislike light and will retreat to the center of the pile. After a few minutes, you can brush the compost off the top of the pile, and within 30 minutes, you should be left with small balls of worms. If your worms are balling up that means that they are trying to find safety among themselves because the conditions around them are not favorable. I'm thinking your worms are being overfed and can't keep up with the food you are putting in as these are high in nitrogen and will turn sour. Another article mentioned pests and one mentioned maggots could be the issue of balling up. Stress or threat: Worms may ball together when they feel stressed or threatened. Dry compost: Worms may ball up if the compost is too dry Worms are sensitive to the weather and may clump and climb if a low-pressure system or thunderstorm is moving in. Bedding issues: Worms may clump together in corners and around edges of the worm farm if the bedding is too hot, too wet, too dry, or too acidic They shouldn't cling altogether. This is normally an indication that they are not feeling comfortable in their home.
@@lindafreeman1687 Thanks Linda! What you found does give more circumstances where the worms may be grouping in order to protect themselves from various situations, many of them bedding/environment related. The context is very important. It’s always important to stop and think about the WHY behind what we see and do in our worm bins. If the worms have just been fed in a zone and they’ve moved from other places in the bin to the zone, which is what I see happening in my bins most often, then I don’t think their grouping together is a bad thing. They have found the food and are eating. Of they are grouping together and it’s not obviously due to food then I would be searching for a reason. 👍. We need to be aware that the opposite - worms all spread out - can also signal that food is low and they are foraging for every tiny particle they can find. 😊 Once again, it’s worm action in relation to their environment that we need to understand 🤩. Thanks so much for the compilation of worm bin issues we need to be thinking about whenever we go into a worm bin 👍😎🪱
What did you put in the sifter that was more attractive to the breeders since you didn’t force them to forage first. How long did you keep the screen bowl in the breeder bin before moving the breeders.
@@valeriekushner5003 I got my sifter set from CalRanch online but they no longer offer it for sale 😩. I did recently find a good price for the 3 sifters that are the mesh sizes I use (1/4”, 1/8”, and 1/12”) online at GeneralStoreSpokane.com They are an Ace Hardware affiliate and one of my subscribers says they’ve shopped there so it’s legit. Here’s the link: generalstorespokane.com/search?q=gold+panning They offer free shipping over $50 and the 3 sifters are around $46 so find something good else you need to get over the $50 😊 The bedding at the end of a breeder cycle is pretty used up so simply using fresh bedding/pre-compost with some worm chow in it drew the worms in. The worms come in pretty fast so you can check the bait trap after a day and then reset it as needed to get most of the worms. Works pretty well! 👍🪱
@@sergio29fl Hi Sergio! Welcome to the Castings Crew! Yes, the cocoons I sell ‘retail’ come with a small amount of pre-compost as their bedding. The cocoons I sell bulk come with most or all of their bin bedding, which would be both my basic bedding mix (pre-compost and sifted cow manure plus food and amendments) and castings generated during the breeder bin cycle 👍😎💕. If you have any questions at all please visit my website and send me a contact email and we can further discuss 🤩. The website is: rockinworms.com/products/ols/products 🪱🪱🪱
@@garybartell6018 Hi Gary! I got them online from a store chain located in the west called Cal Ranch. They haven’t had them in stock for many months now 😩. They were 40% cheaper than Amazon’s too 😩. Google them just in case they’ve come back. Otherwise Amazon has a 3 pan set that is the 3 most used sizes - my preferred 1/8” and 1/12” meshes plus hmmm I can’t remember if it’s the 1/4” or the 1/20”! 🙄. There’s also the 5 pan set but that’s probably more than what a worm wrangler needs 😍. Hope this helps! 🪱
@@valeriekushner5003 Hi! I do bake my eggshells to dry them. They blend easier and don’t stick to the jar or blades if completely dry. Air drying works fine as well. I bake them in a cooling oven - aka after I take whatever is in the oven out and I turn off the oven I slide the tray of eggshells in. They stay in the oven until til I need them or the oven 🙄😆🪱
@@RockinWormsthanks that is what I needed to know. I a watching all your videos before I start this new hobby. I have purchased worm castings for years but have decided to start raising some. I am going to make a batch of your compost first before I order worms. I am not sure how happy they will be as I live in Carson City Nevada high desert. Below freezing at night here for winter and dry hot in the summer. No way will my husband allow them in the house, so I am thinking of alternative ideas.
@ You’ve got quite the challenge ahead of you with managing ambient temperatures if you’re not able to use a at least somewhat climate controlled space. Perhaps a garage type space might be able to be adjusted to suit the worms…? Certainly being able to make your own castings would be better for your wallet as well as simply knowing your castings are fresh and alive. And then you’ve got the lessening of your landfill impact too. I hope you can figure out a space for them! 🙏 Good on you for doing a lot of research before taking on worms. It’s the smarter way to do it and of course not how I did it at all! 🙄🤣. I’m glad you’re asking questions and am happy to help you as I can! 🪱🤩😎
@@princeindoorandoutdoorplan3003 Red wigglers. Both red wigglers and euros are in the same species - eisenia. Euros tend to grow quite a bit bigger than red wigglers. None of my worms have gotten euro big. Mine are very good sized for red wigglers though! Chonky little buggers 🤣🤩🪱
I think the bait out is a good idea but the amount of cocoons that are going to be left behind in the bedding may cause you a problem, as you know a few cocoons turns into a lot of babies 🎉🎉🎉
@@Junglistworms I’m pretty experienced with picking out cocoons 🤣. But yes, there’s no way I get them all. The next video coming shows what I do with the bait trap bedding after it’s been picked thru. Stay tuned! 🪱🪱
@@Donetravlin I’ve seen those videos too! Patrick @vermicompostlearnbydoing calls them avocondos 🤩🤣 If I had one handy that would be an excellent bait trap item, you’re so right! Thanks for sharing the great idea 😍🪱🪱
Happy Sunday morning Jayne. I'm sitting, drinking DOSE mushroom coffee and watching you pick worms 🪱 from your grow-out bins.
Great tutorial, mesmerizing 🪱☕️🪱
I love seeing all of the Cocoons ❤
Good logic on keeping the Breeders moist, fed and happy.
Take care
❤Peggy❤
@@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920 Good morning Peggy! I’ve just refreshed a lot of grow out bins and am ready to have a tea and watch your recycling video 😍. It’s a great way to start the day - learning a few new tips on how to help the earth a little more! 💕🪱
@RockinWorms thanks Jayne. You sure do get a lot done. I feel like my list is getting longer, no matter how quickly I work. I realize you are much younger and full of steam. 👍
@@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920 Not as full of steam as I used to be, that’s for sure! I feel exactly like you most days - too much to do and not enough time 😩.
But we do the what we can! And often, close enough is good enough! 🤣
This video reminds me to remind everyone to come up with a process that consumes the amount of time and energy that it should
@@ArgIRLLOL That is a very good reminder! And one I don’t keep in mind as much as I should. I often get ‘distracted’ while in my various bins and suddenly I’ve spent more time than I really had to spare 🙄😆🪱. But I will say that taking time to enjoy the process is just as important and being efficient 😍😊🪱. Thanks for watching!!
This mean the little trays I got a while back should work like a charm lol, another great vid👍🏾
@@ThehandygeekGA Yes! Any type of ‘sifter’ should work as long as the mesh size is bigger than your worm girth. 👍😎🪱
@@ThehandygeekGA Yes! Any type of ‘sifter’ should work as long as the mesh size is bigger than your worm girth. 👍😎🪱
Thanks so much for all the great information! I'm so glad to finally see a longer length video. I'm not a fan of shorts.
@@traceybier1128 Hi Tracey! I know I’ve been heavy on the shirts lately. It’s been a challenging month here and I’m doing what I can to get any video released! I’m afraid it’s going to be like this for a while longer as Cameraman and I work thru some big changes here. It’s all good but still major changes. Thanks for sticking with me!! 🥰💕🪱
Here I’d collected so many milk crates I was debating the simplest way I’d be able to cause extraction from my castings and it worked perfectly ‼️💯 ( I put a 1/2 inch of elevation to prevent from being pressed into casting.)❤
@@coachtrain5794 Fantastic! That’s a great idea! And uses what you already have on hand!! Love it! 😍🤩😎🪱🪱
Hi Jayne, another timely video for me. We're just back from holidays and first thing on return was to check my worm bins. I now have 6 breeder bins, 2 grow out bins and my large CFT that serves as a bit of both. They've done really well, loads of big fat breeders that will get a new home tomorrow. I need to get my breeder traps to work as well as yours, after several attempts I'm still not up to scratch. I thought my first grow out bin had failed, I never seemed to be getting any worms, but came back and....wow! They've been in since May 4th and there's now hundreds of worms. Thanks again for your help and advice Jayne, it's been invaluable, 👌👌🪱🪱🪱
@@funnysods Hi Bill! Big fat chonky breeders- love that! 🤩. You are obviously treating them well.
Sometimes it takes a little while for the bin and worms to settle in - then it’s BOOM! Population explosion 🤩. It’s great to hear.
I’m liking the breeder bait trap. It does save me about half the time it takes me to hand pick out all the worms - that’s huge! Of course I’ll end up hand picking them sometimes too - if I want to count them for example. It’s so helpful to have options 👍.
It makes me so happy to know that worm wranglers are having success using the tips and tricks I share 💕🪱. Thank you for being a part of the Castings Crew! 🥰
@@RockinWorms hello again Jayne, just a little update. I've been away again for a few days and the last thing I do before I go is check my worms, then check them again as soon as I get back. When I checked and fed them 5 days ago they were doing great, but then......I obviously forgot to close the lid on my big CFT, and that bloody rat got in! This is the second time it's happened and I can't believe how many worms it's ate.All that's left is tunnels through the soil where the rat has just ate his way through. At least now I know which direction I need to take.The CFT must go and I need perhaps another 6 breeding trays.That will serve two purposes, no more worms for mister rat and it'll free up space in my greenhouse for growing lovely tomatoes and cucumbers.Sorry for the long text, but I can only tell you, my family think I'm mad......they could be right!!🤪🤪🥰
@@funnysods Oh Bill! That’s terrible! Blasted rats 😡. Many a worm wrangler has had to battle a rat, or a mouse, or some other critter that likes a worm snack 😡. I’m sorry that happened to you 😩.
As you said, you’ve now made a decision to go a different way and hopefully you’ll be not only as successful as the cft but predator free. 👍😎.
I appreciate you sharing your story. It helps remind us all that this kind of stuff happens. And we are here to commiserate and comfort each other as well as celebrate our triumphs 😍💕
Will the new 6 bins give you the amount of castings you’ll want for your lovely tomatoes and cucumbers? 🤩
@@RockinWorms Thanks for your reply Jayne, it's very much appreciated. To be honest, I get more castings than I know what to do with, so although 6 trays would suffice, I'll probably double my farm and expand to 12 trays. I went through my depleted cft today and found that there are still thousands of worms in there, although most of my breeders have gone. Onward and upward Jayne.🥰
@@funnysods I am glad your cft wasn’t completely wiped out 🤩. With thousands still left you’ll be back strong in no time! Worm wranglers are resilient people! 😎
And the good thing about younger worms…. they’ll be breeders before you know it 😍.
I go thru castings cycles. Have a ton of them and am out of storage options. Then we decide this is the day! And we use them all 🤣. 🪱🪱
I just used my 1/2” sifter today for the first time. I’ve been taking a dishpan sized amount of castings from the bottom of my UWB. Then I put the dishpan in the light so the worms will go to the bottom. I take small amounts from the top to sift into a 5 gallon bucket. As I keep roughing up the top of the dishpan, the worms go deeper. It’s been so much easier to sift doing it this way- less worms to rescue from the sifter. When I got close to the bottom of the dishpan, there are lots of worms. I emptied what was left in the dishpan into the 1/2” sifter that was placed on top of bedding in a mortar tray. I left it alone for a while and most of the worms went into the bedding. Before today, I did this using the next sized smaller sifter. Not as many worms went into the bedding. So- the 1/2” sized sifter works better for me for this purpose. One problem with the UWB is that the worms don’t just feed in the top few inches. They’re in bedding all the way to the bottom. I’m trying to gradually move them to smaller, not deep plastic bins or mortar trays so I can harvest with the wedge method. I’m also moving them so I can get them inside for the winter. I’m loving composting with my worms and seeing my food scraps turn into castings. I’m visiting a friend tomorrow and am bringing her a 5 gallon bucket of castings. 😊🪱This was a great video. Thanks!
@@marymccusker8133 Isn’t it nice to have a use for that 1/2” sifter?!
You’re using a standard light migration method 👍.
I’ve heard that a lot from worm wranglers - that works are all throughout the UWB so harvesting castings from the bottom isn’t quite as quick and easy as advertised 😩.
You’ve got a good method set up and if it’s working for you then more power to you! 🤩. Thanks from sharing it as others might find your method works well for them too 💕.
It’s amazing to me that you have to start thinking about colder weather when I’m literally sweating every minute with temps over 90F for now and the next month. 🥵.
You’ve got a lucky friend! What a great gift you’re giving her 😎🪱
I think there's a seasonality to breeding as well as just population density and resource availability. I haven't figured it out - but I'm sure you will, Jayne!
~ Sandra
@@NanasWorms Hi Sandra! I wouldn’t be surprised at all that was true. I do wonder though if our keeping the worms on more stable controlled environments counteract the potential seasonality of their natural rhythms. With chickens for example, they lay less in the winter, not because it’s cold, but because there’s less sunlight! They need a minimum number of light hours to trigger egg production. Commercial farms will use artificial lights to mimic long summer days in the dead of winter in order to keep hens laying.
Worms would perhaps go thru a natural decrease in cocoon production during cold months. Or maybe they’re triggered by sunlight too? 🤷♂️. Anyway, since many worm wranglers like myself have worm environments that don’t vary much the worms make cocoons at a stable rate all the time.
You’re the research queen! Maybe there’s a study on this?
*special note to everyone: Sandra is close to making her view hours this month! Please go visit her channel and help a great contributor to our collective worm knowledge make her goal! @Nanasworms.
Sandra - please post a link to your channel to make it easier for everyone 💕🪱
Thanks Jayne ❤️
youtube.com/@nanasworms?si=ju-NKMsxFJCcSeMg
I made my minimum hours last week, but I welcome any worm wranglers who want to stop by 😉
Oh and I’m sorry for asking so much but final thought as I observe the cocoons. If done in a shallow basin I wonder if you could use an angle and sift them out that way. Almost like seed saving. I’m going to try and if successfully done I’ll post a short. Thanks for everything you do!🤙
@@DoItYourselfGardening You keep asking away! You guys spark so much thought and ideas! I benefit from it too, you know 😊.
I don’t really know what you’re referring to with the seed saving analogy. I’d love to see a short on that! Any tips and tricks that help me collect cocoons better and faster I’m up for! I’ve been given some tips in the past but I either didn’t understand the method (and when I asked for clarification I didn’t get any) or the tip simply didn’t work.
If you get something to work please do post a link here to your video! 🤩🪱
@@RockinWorms thanks I’ll let you know for sure! I see so many cocoons and it’s hard to pick out one by one but atleast having them is better than not haha thanks and have a great day! 🤙
@@DoItYourselfGardening I find having so many cocoons makes them easier to pick out! 😝🪱
Thanks, learned a lot with this video!
@@PatriciaHall-cw2ks Hi Patricia! I’m glad it’ll help you with your worm wrangling! 🤩🪱
Great video again Jayne! Thanks. I sure will use the baiting method for the breederbin.
@@petervanderbrugge7737 It can save a lot of reset time. The trick is remembering to set it up a few days prior to the desired day. 🤣🤩💕
Thank you for the update! Love seeing the systems being created!🤙also I’ll research now as I’m thinking but is there nay foods you have personally noticed attract or bait out worms quicker than others?
@@DoItYourselfGardening You are very welcome! Fast foods (high in water content) are a fan favorite of the worms. Otherwise I honestly think any decent food will work if it’s very moist and the worms are at least a little bit hungry. The more hungry the better though, within reason.
I’m going to work on a different trap I think. I love using the sifter but I think it would work better for the after dumping into the new bin part if the sifter area was smaller. I am also thinking that if I stick with the sifter I can quickly pile the dumped bait material up into a smaller, taller mound and work it that way. I’m trying this first as it’s a quick tweak 🤩🪱
Did you get a new camera? Seems like the picture is much sharper. When i bait out bins, i just use melon rines and spread them over entire surface. Another very good video. Thank you for all your hard work.
@@rickjay4639 We have had to switch over to using my iPhone to record the videos whereas it was Cameraman’s iPhone previously. But that switch was maybe 6-10 videos ago. I don’t recall exactly when. Maybe he just remembered to clean the lens 🤣.
With the melon rinds, do you scoop up the area or do the worms cling to the rinds? 🪱
Your worms are looking great 🇳🇿🪱
@@dnawormcastings Thanks! And thanks for watching 💕🪱
Thank you I have learned so much watching your vedeos. I am just starting with worms maby you cold do a review of the verious supplies you use tubs and etc. Than you so much
@@DougH-k2e Hi Doug! I’m happy to be helping you and others worm wrangle in better ways 😊. I’ll put your idea of a review of my everyday worm supplies on my topic list - good idea! Thanks 🤩🪱
Jayne, I set up a migration so I could harvest some castings to add in my fall vegetable raised beds. I gave them some yummy pineapple and after 2 days they havent touched it. Have you ever had that issue with pineapple? I took it out and gave it to the bsfl. I know they arent complainers!
@@katiem9644 I have fed my worms pineapple before BUT I cook everything now in the instant pot (electric pressure cooker) and that breaks all the food down quite a bit. As well as gets rid of the vast majority of insect/pest eggs.
Your worms may have had enough food already and weren’t very hungry yet for the pineapple..?
I’m sure the BSFL will eat it up fast! 😊🪱
Hi Jayne. I'm a newbie and I'm learning a lot from your videos. But, I do have a question. You've probably explained it in one of your videos...I just haven't found it in any of them at this point. I know what a worm ball is but I don't understand if it is a good thing or a bad thing? On Vermiculture videos people get excited when they find a worm ball like it is a good thing but, when I research it, it sounds like a bad thing. Please explain. Thank you.
If you’re harvesting the castings from the entire bin using light separation method you’ll get a worm ball. If you put some water melon or some sweet fruit in the bin that might get you a worm ball. If you get a worm ball any other time then the worms are unhappy with something in the worm bin.
@@lindafreeman1687 Hi Linda! I’ve never addressed worm balls 😝. Hmm that doesn’t sound so good when phrased that way 🤣.
Like most things, it’s the circumstances that matter when determining if something is good or bad. A $10 price on an item is good if it’s normally $100 but bad if it’s normally $1. You need to know the circumstances in order to know what’s going on. Worm balls are the same.
If the worms balls because they’re attacking a favorite food with gusto then it’s good! That’s what we normally see on videos and seeing all those worms together is fun and interesting 🤩. However if the worm ball is because the bin is too hot and the worms are trying to escape the heat, then the worm ball is signifying a big problem.
What have you read that says worm balls are a problem? I’m very interested in hearing more on that! 🪱
@@RockinWorms AI Overview
Learn more
…
Here are a few of the things I found on different sites.
Worm balls can have different meanings in vermiculture, depending on the context:
Lack of moisture
Worms may ball together if the compost is too dry.
Bedding issues
Worms may clump together in corners and around the edges of the worm farm if the bedding is too hot, too wet, too dry, or too acidic. This indicates that the worms are unhappy with the bedding and are trying to get away from it.
Defense mechanism
In nature, worms may tangle up as a defensive mechanism to protect themselves. For example, a large knot of worms can prevent the worms from drying out during a drought.
Communication
Some studies suggest that worms may ball up to communicate with each other by moving in synchronized patterns.
Harvesting
During harvesting, you can dump the bin into small piles on a plastic sheet in full sunlight or under a bright light. Worms dislike light and will retreat to the center of the pile. After a few minutes, you can brush the compost off the top of the pile, and within 30 minutes, you should be left with small balls of worms.
If your worms are balling up that means that they are trying to find safety among themselves because the conditions around them are not favorable.
I'm thinking your worms are being overfed and can't keep up with the food you are putting in as these are high in nitrogen and will turn sour.
Another article mentioned pests and one mentioned maggots could be the issue of balling up.
Stress or threat: Worms may ball together when they feel stressed or threatened.
Dry compost: Worms may ball up if the compost is too dry
Worms are sensitive to the weather and may clump and climb if a low-pressure system or thunderstorm is moving in.
Bedding issues: Worms may clump together in corners and around edges of the worm farm if the bedding is too hot, too wet, too dry, or too acidic
They shouldn't cling altogether. This is normally an indication that they are not feeling comfortable in their home.
@@lindafreeman1687 Thanks Linda! What you found does give more circumstances where the worms may be grouping in order to protect themselves from various situations, many of them bedding/environment related. The context is very important.
It’s always important to stop and think about the WHY behind what we see and do in our worm bins.
If the worms have just been fed in a zone and they’ve moved from other places in the bin to the zone, which is what I see happening in my bins most often, then I don’t think their grouping together is a bad thing. They have found the food and are eating. Of they are grouping together and it’s not obviously due to food then I would be searching for a reason. 👍.
We need to be aware that the opposite - worms all spread out - can also signal that food is low and they are foraging for every tiny particle they can find. 😊
Once again, it’s worm action in relation to their environment that we need to understand 🤩.
Thanks so much for the compilation of worm bin issues we need to be thinking about whenever we go into a worm bin 👍😎🪱
What did you put in the sifter that was more attractive to the breeders since you didn’t force them to forage first. How long did you keep the screen bowl in the breeder bin before moving the breeders.
@@valeriekushner5003 I got my sifter set from CalRanch online but they no longer offer it for sale 😩. I did recently find a good price for the 3 sifters that are the mesh sizes I use (1/4”, 1/8”, and 1/12”) online at GeneralStoreSpokane.com
They are an Ace Hardware affiliate and one of my subscribers says they’ve shopped there so it’s legit. Here’s the link:
generalstorespokane.com/search?q=gold+panning
They offer free shipping over $50 and the 3 sifters are around $46 so find something good else you need to get over the $50 😊
The bedding at the end of a breeder cycle is pretty used up so simply using fresh bedding/pre-compost with some worm chow in it drew the worms in. The worms come in pretty fast so you can check the bait trap after a day and then reset it as needed to get most of the worms. Works pretty well! 👍🪱
I think buying Cocoons WITH bedding is the best way to begin!
@@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920 I agree! It’s not only easy but the cocoons are in a great environment (moist pre-compost) the whole time 💕🪱
@@RockinWorms
Hi im new suscribe 😊
Are you sale the bedding with cocoons?
@@sergio29fl Hi Sergio! Welcome to the Castings Crew! Yes, the cocoons I sell ‘retail’ come with a small amount of pre-compost as their bedding. The cocoons I sell bulk come with most or all of their bin bedding, which would be both my basic bedding mix (pre-compost and sifted cow manure plus food and amendments) and castings generated during the breeder bin cycle 👍😎💕.
If you have any questions at all please visit my website and send me a contact email and we can further discuss 🤩. The website is:
rockinworms.com/products/ols/products
🪱🪱🪱
Where did you get those sifter trays? thank you!
@@garybartell6018 Hi Gary! I got them online from a store chain located in the west called Cal Ranch. They haven’t had them in stock for many months now 😩. They were 40% cheaper than Amazon’s too 😩. Google them just in case they’ve come back. Otherwise Amazon has a 3 pan set that is the 3 most used sizes - my preferred 1/8” and 1/12” meshes plus hmmm I can’t remember if it’s the 1/4” or the 1/20”! 🙄. There’s also the 5 pan set but that’s probably more than what a worm wrangler needs 😍.
Hope this helps! 🪱
Do you bake your egg shells before put in the blender?
If so, for how long and how hot and why not just dry then and grind up?
@@valeriekushner5003 Hi! I do bake my eggshells to dry them. They blend easier and don’t stick to the jar or blades if completely dry. Air drying works fine as well.
I bake them in a cooling oven - aka after I take whatever is in the oven out and I turn off the oven I slide the tray of eggshells in. They stay in the oven until til I need them or the oven 🙄😆🪱
@@RockinWormsthanks that is what I needed to know. I a watching all your videos before I start this new hobby. I have purchased worm castings for years but have decided to start raising some. I am going to make a batch of your compost first before I order worms. I am not sure how happy they will be as I live in Carson City Nevada high desert. Below freezing at night here for winter and dry hot in the summer. No way will my husband allow them in the house, so I am thinking of alternative ideas.
@ You’ve got quite the challenge ahead of you with managing ambient temperatures if you’re not able to use a at least somewhat climate controlled space. Perhaps a garage type space might be able to be adjusted to suit the worms…?
Certainly being able to make your own castings would be better for your wallet as well as simply knowing your castings are fresh and alive. And then you’ve got the lessening of your landfill impact too. I hope you can figure out a space for them! 🙏
Good on you for doing a lot of research before taking on worms. It’s the smarter way to do it and of course not how I did it at all! 🙄🤣. I’m glad you’re asking questions and am happy to help you as I can! 🪱🤩😎
R these red wigglers or European night crawlers
@@princeindoorandoutdoorplan3003 Red wigglers. Both red wigglers and euros are in the same species - eisenia. Euros tend to grow quite a bit bigger than red wigglers. None of my worms have gotten euro big. Mine are very good sized for red wigglers though! Chonky little buggers 🤣🤩🪱
@@RockinWorms ok thanks for reply👍
I think the bait out is a good idea but the amount of cocoons that are going to be left behind in the bedding may cause you a problem, as you know a few cocoons turns into a lot of babies 🎉🎉🎉
@@Junglistworms I’m pretty experienced with picking out cocoons 🤣. But yes, there’s no way I get them all. The next video coming shows what I do with the bait trap bedding after it’s been picked thru. Stay tuned! 🪱🪱
Are those swamp worms?
@@johnnywheaton5773 Hi Johnny! Welcome 🤩.
No, they are red wigglers. Eisenia species. It’s the only kind of worm I have. 😊🪱
I'd try putting 1/2 avocado in your trap from the other videos. I have seen worms go nut on avocado and move into the skin.
@@Donetravlin I’ve seen those videos too! Patrick @vermicompostlearnbydoing calls them avocondos 🤩🤣
If I had one handy that would be an excellent bait trap item, you’re so right! Thanks for sharing the great idea 😍🪱🪱
Very moist...very demure...😂
@@nnekababy Welcome! The breeders did a great job using the bait sifter trap 😍. Go Worms! 🤩🪱. Thanks for stopping by 🪱🪱
Ann
@@PatriciaHall-cw2ks ???