100 Red Wigglers + 6 Months = How Many Worms? WOW!!

[@Rahilbhaiiiii]

Wow, I am starting with an new bin❤

[@RockinWorms]

@@Rahilbhaiiiii Hello! Welcome! A new bin set up with fantastic bedding (are you making pre-compost?) and some nice healthy red wigglers with get you going for sure! I look forward to hearing how it goes and what your results are 👍😎🤩🪱

[@leobaltz2057]

Holy moly!! You are livin up to that name because man those worms are rockin! 1715 from 100! Just proves the effectiveness of the precomposted!!

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Leo! I do think the pre-compost plays an important part. Lots of natural food for them in it with all the biota. I’m happy with the progress. I’m solidly in the doing well range 😆. Better than the ‘double every 3 months’ projection and waaaaay less than the mathematical models of like 8,000 worms and 40,000 cocoons 😳🙄. It also shows as I said in the video, it’s ok to start with a modest number of worms and grow the population as you grow your knowledge and experience. It’s doesn’t have to be this large investment of money to get into the worm game! Thanks for your support Leo! ❤️❤️❤️

[@LarryWileyWormFarm-ey8lp]

It's amazing that you have that many in 6 mo. Amazing that you hand counted 1715. That encourages me.

[@RockinWorms]

Hi! It takes some time to count but it’s not hard 😎. I basically count 20 at a time into my hand and as I place them into their new bin I tell the phone (I happen to have Siri) to make a note of 20. I keep doing that until I’m done. Then I simply count up the 20s and boom, I have my total. I used to count to 50 but found I’d lose count too easy 🙄🤣. This way it’s easy to take breaks or do other things as needed. I’m happy to provide encouragement! The Castings Crew encourages me too 🪱❤️❤️

[@LarryWileyWormFarm-ey8lp]

It's been 5 months now. How many now?

[@learnwithlillian8509]

Enjoyed the entire series.. I’m new and learning.

[@RockinWorms]

@@learnwithlillian8509 Hi Lillian! Welcome to the Castings Crew! We are all learning - and it’s more fun (and efficient 😝) when we do it together 😍. I’m glad you’re along for the ride 😎. I hope you’ll be sharing your journey with us 🤩🪱

[@aliciaflegel1374]

New subscriber here! I love your videos! I'm brand new to vermicomposting and am learning a lot! Thank you!!! ❤️

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Alicia! Welcome to the Castings Crew! We’re are thrilled to have you join in and share. Here’s a tip: read the comments. Worm wranglers here are sharing great information that gives additional information and options for how to do things. My way is not the only way or even the best way. It’s all about finding what works for you and your worms 👍🪱😎❤️

[@Vermicompost]

Those are some great reproduction numbers!! You give lots of hope to folks starting out with just a few worms!! I love the way you precompost...the worms must love you for it!! Excellent video Jayne!!🪱🪱🪱

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Patrick! Thanks! I’m happy to let beginners know that it’s ok to start small and build your way up. It happens quicker than you think! The worms do seem to really like the pre-compost. I plan on loading their bins up when I have to travel for a period of time - like you did! So easy 👍❤️. Now to find a way to do something similar with the chickens 😬. Oh! Wanted to ask…. Are you doing a follow up video soon on how your outside bins are faring in the summer heat??

[@Vermicompost]

@@RockinWorms I kinda talk around the summer heat with the Urban Worm Bag as I pull out the frozen water bottles, but I should address it with the Outdoor Worm Bin I have made of fabric pots.

[@evelynknight5627]

I'm no mathematician, nor am I very bright, but I did find an exponential growth calculator that I fiddled with... I got about a rate of growth of 60.587% per month, or 181.761% every three months. IF I was smart enough to at least figure out the calculator, that is! Someone please correct me if that's wrong! 🤣🙈 I figure that whole "worms will double their population in 3 months" figure is under the most IDEAL conditions possible. So if my math is mathin' right (and even if it isn't...), I think that's a pretty darn good rate of growth! 🙌🙌 Keep on rockin'!

[@RockinWorms]

I completely agree with all you said 👍. Some/most worm calculators on the web are more mathematical exercises or under such conditions that the average person couldn’t replicate them. It’s unfortunate because it can make worm wranglers feel like they’re failing when in actuality they’re doing fantastic! I absolutely remember feeling like ‘what am I doing wrong?’ when I first started out and wasn’t hitting any of the projected numbers. I think the double in 3 months is probably the closest to reality but still on the aggressive side. Unless you’re ramping up to sell, does it really matter except as an indicator that all is well within your worm system? Healthy worms that a person can manage as part of their lifestyle is waaaay more important than sheer number growth ❤️🪱🪱 Thanks for your insights Evelyn!

[@johnwright6403]

Would it make sense to include biochar in the bedding?

[@clifffraser5653]

Hi Jayne, I'm in Australia so we do things a little different here. My worm farms are always outside but shaded. I have been farming worms for 30 + years but I will be going through the rest of your vids as we all can learn something new.

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Cliff! Welcome to the Castings Crew! It’s great to have your experience here 😎. How do you handle the heat with your worms outside? My patio is well shaded where the worms were and 2 out of 3 large totes got cooked 😩. I completely agree - we can all learn new things! 🪱🪱🤩

[@clifffraser5653]

@@RockinWorms Jayne my worm farms are made from old 'feminine hygiene' bins. They are 300mm square and about 900 mm high. (1ft square and 3 ft high). We get up to 45 degrees Celsius 110ish F in summer and occasionally down to -2 C in winter. There are some losses in summer but at both extremes the worms just seem to go as deep as they can.

[@RockinWorms]

@@clifffraser5653 Hi! Are the bins made of wood? I’ve never heard of feminine hygiene bins 😊. I know about dispensers but they would be what you’re referencing - way too small. Having the worm bins on the ground vs on a table like I did, helps? The ground insulates the bottom so cooler and the worms can dive down…? And the bins are pretty much filled to the top of the 3ft height? To be honest I’m a little rattled by my large worm tote losses so not ready to jump back in to outside worm wrangling, but maybe next year of if I find a way that works for me and the worms 🙏. I appreciate you sharing your wisdom very much! 🤗🪱

[@clifffraser5653]

@@RockinWorms No the bins are plastic. They are put into female (mainly public) toilets for tampons etc. (I was trying to be delicate ;-) )Then they are scalded clean and reused. After a set number of uses they are scrapped as the plastic has deteriorated from the scalding. I am sometimes able to source them after they have been cleaned.

[@RockinWorms]

@@clifffraser5653 I’ve seen the disposal containers you mentioned but here in the states they are much smaller inside individual bathroom stalls. Too small for worm use - oh and usually lined with a plastic bag so no hard plastic liner. The differences between how different countries handle the same things is interesting! Thanks for explaining 🤩👍🪱

[@bevkelly2734]

Wow that’s a great result

[@eleanoraddy4683]

Ooh I can smell those potatoes from here!😂

[@RockinWorms]

Haha! I feed the worm some really smelly yucky stuff. Lucky for them they don’t have noses! 😆🪱❤️

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Holy Cow Poop 💩 Jayne, Your guys are Rockin like crazy 🤪 Amazing multiplication ❤

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Peggy! I need to expand into a jack and jill set up soon like you have!👍😆🪱❤️

[@michellesykes5673]

It's good to know that I can start with 100 worms and it's not too few.

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Michelle! Yep! It’s perfectly ok to start with a modest number of worms. Treat them well and they’ll reward you with many offspring 🪱❤️😎

[@funnysods]

That is amazing.

[@RockinWorms]

They are happy worms ❤️🪱🪱

[@fredbristow742]

Hello Jayne how do you manage to keep the worms in the trays do you have to keep the lights on all the time

[@RockinWorms]

@@fredbristow742 Hi Fred! Welcome! My red wiggler worms stay in the bins because the bins are a perfect ecosystem for them. Leaving the bin is certain death for them so they have to really hate a bin to leave it. I do not leave the lights on. In fact it’s dim in that room all the time except when I’m working with the worms. I’ve had worm escapes twice now. Once was when I had way too many worms in a very small holding dish. The 2nd time was when a new bin heated up and the worms had to leave or die in the bin 😱. So most left. Don’t blame them! Both times were my fault. 😩😡. So moral of the story is if you give your red wiggler worms a good environment to live in they’ll stay of their own free will. 💕👍🪱

[@thenodiggardener]

Great increase you got going there 😀

[@RockinWorms]

Hello! They’re doing quite well 🤗. I checked on them least night so see how the mushy yacky potato was working out (they’re all along it munching away) and when in the non feed/working end I saw quite a few cocoons. Easily picked out over 25 that I placed back into the working end of the bin. They definitely need to be split soon! Thanks for stopping by! ❤️🪱🪱

[@Nicole_gardening]

How do you shred your cardboard? Or do you get it pre shredded? I'm new to your channel but learning so much!!

[@RockinWorms]

@@Nicole_gardening Hi Nicole! Welcome! I have a shredder. I have a couple of them actually 😝. Bought used of course 😍. I prefer to micro shred for cardboard but will cross cut regular paper. I haven’t been able to find precut cardboard available. I’m glad your finding useful information 🤩🪱

[@cramersbackyard9634]

Hi Jane. I did a two, yes two, worm bin and recorded all of the observations in a document. It was great fun to do. That bin now has probably a thousand or more worms in it judging by the amount of food they consume in a week.. If you would like to read the "paper" I can post it for you.

[@RockinWorms]

Hi! Yes! I’d love to read your observations on your bin management. I’m always up for learning new ways to do things or getting new data into my brain that might spark a new idea of my own. Do you want to post it here in the comments so anyone interested can read it ? Or email it to me, which would be easier for me to read and digest…? Did you draw any best practices conclusions?

[@cramersbackyard9634]

@@RockinWorms I'll post it here for everyone. I posted it in Patrick's comments (vermiculture, learn by doing) as I was in process so it may not be new to everyone. But many have probably not seen it... I'll post it on a video of yours next time I get a chance. It might look random to some of your viewers but I don't mind being random lol!

[@RockinWorms]

@@cramersbackyard9634 Sounds good! Thanks!

[@snsquotes]

Correct me if I'm wrong, 2nd bin shows your separation process was good, if you need castings for sale or self use.

[@dnawormcastings]

Nice video

[@cramersbackyard9634]

Here is the two worm bin paper for you and your viewers Jane. I'll cut it into a few parts because it will be too long to post as one comment. 10/21/22 An unscientific experiment began on 10/21/2022 in an effort to prove that, one could conceivably begin vermicomposting with only two adult worms. A small 7 inch wide by 12 inch long by 5 inch high clear plastic container wrapped with light excluding material was prepared using shredded cardboard boxes (corrugated and non corrugated) that were shredded using a 12 page cross cut shredder for use as bedding. A liquid bacterial inoculant was derived from worm castings squeezed through a cloth "tea" bag into non-chlorinated water to introduce microbes. That liquid was then used to dampen the cardboard bedding and the bedding was left to sit for two days at room temperature. Preparing the bedding in this manner would ensure that the carbon material (cardboard) would be charged with microbes without using worm castings that could be "contaminated" with a cocoon or a worm wisp before the two adult worms were added to the bedding. It should be noted that the cardboard clumped together after the two days so a handful of coconut coir was tossed in to provide a means to separate the cardboard shreds. That worked well. Crushed egg shells were added to the mix at the same time to provide grit for the worms digestive systems. Worms use a gizzard much like that of many birds to grind their food. Also added was about 1/4 teaspoon of "chow" made from ground wheat, ground rye grain and cornmeal in equal parts to provide a bit of nutrition for the microbes and eventually the worms. The chow was ground with a coffee grinder. 10/23/22 Two adult eisenia fetida (also known as Red Wigglers, Tiger worms et. al.) were added to the prepared bedding with a small piece of cantaloupe and a small chunk of strawberry. 11/4/22 Fed again, a small chunk of cantaloupe. Only the thin outer skin webbing from the initial feeding of cantaloupe was left. Added bacillus thuringiensis israelensis in the form of "Mosquito Bits" because fungus gnats were observed. 11/12/22 The two adult worms were still present and in addition, a small wisp was also found in the bin with one old cocoon (judging by the dark amber color) that it most likely hatched from. It is probable that one of the adults shed a cocoon shortly after introduction to the bin because of the short time elapsed between introduction and the finding of the first wisp.

[@cramersbackyard9634]

11/26/22 The bin was searched. Present were the two original worms, a juvenile worm (the wisp in the previous entry), and another wisp (newly hatched judging by it's tiny size) and two cocoons. The new wisp, likely hatched from the same cocoon as the first. The new cocoons were light yellow in color so were more recent than the first cocoon observed in the bin when the first wisp was found. The dark cocoon was not observed. Feeding at this time consisted of another small chunk of melon rind (cantaloupe) and some small paces of Swiss chard leaves. 12/03/22 Method for searching through the small shoe box sized bin in search of worms and cocoons entails searching from the end of the box that does not get fed to the end of the box that does get fed. A bit of bedding is placed in hand, spread out to a one to two particle thickness then searched visually for worms and cocoons. The material is then sandwiched between hands, turned over into the empty hand then that side is visually searched. Result on this day was observed as having the same number of worms in the bin. One wisp (slightly larger than last week), One juvenile (which was difficult to discern from the two adults in size but there was no clitellum present), and the two original adult worms. The difference between this week and last was the number of cocoons found, which totaled nine. It is probable that some cocoons were missed while going through the bin last week as two adult worms should not be able to produce seven cocoons in a period of one week. 12/10/22 A slight increase in the population of fungus gnats was observed and monitored using yellow sticky traps which were employed two weeks previous to this date. The topmost layer of the bedding was allowed to dry over the previous week so that a solution of bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) could be added to the bin. Bti is a naturally occurring soil bacteria that, when ingested by the larvae of fungus gnats causes them to stop feeding and prevents them maturing to adult stage thereby controlling the population. The dry top layer of bedding was wetted by misting with a solution of Bti and incorporated into the rest of the material in the bin so as not to over wet the material. The solution was made by soaking ¼ of a “Mosquito Dunk” (commonly used in ponds to control mosquito populations using the same mechanism as previously described here for fungus gnats) in a five gallon bucket of non-chlorinated water. The worm/wisp/juvenile/and cocoon population was not counted this week. 12/17/22 Observed two adult worms, one wisp (leaning toward juvenile) one juvenile worm and twenty-two cocoons in the bin. Approximately half of a teaspoon of the “chow” (previously described) was passed through a 200 mesh screen and incorporated into half of the bin's bedding material as a food source. The other half of the bedding material had no food source added to it. Moisture seemed good after the addition of the Bti solution added the week prior for fungus gnat control. After the addition of the Bti solution the top of the bedding material was left without a cover to dry some for re-wetting with what may have been sodden bedding at the bottom of the bin. Though the very bottom was noticeably more moist there was no standing water in the bottom of the bin.. No moisture was added to the bin. Plastic “packing pillows” are being used as a cover over the bin to retain moisture.

[@cramersbackyard9634]

12/24/22 Fed bin with about ¼ tsp of green juice pulp. No inventory taken. 12/31/2 Inventory of the “two worm” bin was taken. Noted twenty-nine cocoons, 10 wisps, one juvenile, and three adult worms. Castings are becoming noticeable in the bedding now and the bin is retaining more moisture than it has since the beginning of the project. In order to mitigate what seems to be extra, held moisture, when the bin was rebuilt about a half a cup (by volume) of dry shredded corrugated cardboard was layered in and a dry feeding was provided. The feeding consisted of about a half of a teaspoon of “chow” layered in by alternating the original contents of the bin, then a light sprinkling of the “chow,” then a very light layer of dry cardboard shreds repeated in three layers and topped with “chow” and about a quarter of a teaspoon of spent coffee grounds. Over the past two weeks it is interesting that one of the two juvenile worms has formed a clitellum. The other should mature into an adult within the next three to four weeks. 01/14.23 Observed three adult worms, nineteen wisps, two juvenile worms, and 20 cocoons at various stages of maturity judging by the coloration from light yellow to a darker amber color. A drop in the number of cocoons was unexpected as there are three adult worms in the container now to breed with one another. An increase in the number of cocoons was expected. The reasons for the decrease in production of cocoons might be attributable to the amount of moisture in the medium, it was observed to be considerably lacking, the worms might have required more moisture to affect an increase in production of cocoons. Another explanation for the decrease in the number of cocoons might be that there was a lack of nitrogenous material for the adults to feed on to affect an increase in production. Temperature has remained constant at about 70 to 75 degrees. According to a North Carolina State University publication entitled: Raising Earthworms (Eisenia fetida) for a Commercial Enterprise, written by: Rhonda Sherman, Extension Solid Waste Specialist (vermicomposting, composting, recycling) Horticultural Science. “Eisenia fetida earthworms live and breed at temperatures between 55°F and 85°F. For commercial earthworm production, bed temperatures should be between 60°F and 80°F to facilitate intensive cocoon production and hatching.” Another possible reason for the decrease may be that the cocoons were not as evident to the eye because of the lower moisture content when the bin inventory was taken and were simply not seen well enough to be counted (not probable but possible.) The reason may also be a combination of the reasons given for the decrease. A feeding, consisting of approximately two tablespoons of frozen and then thawed juice pulp containing apple, pear, beet, red cabbage, lettuce, Swiss chard, cucumber, grapes, and lime, orange, and grapefruit (sans peels) and coffee grounds in roughly equal volume to each of the other components. Then about a teaspoon of the “chow” mixture was applied as a top feeding. According to: Reinecke, A.J., Venter, J.M. In a paper titled: Moisture preferences, growth and reproduction of the compost worm Eisenia fetida (Oligochaeta). Biol Fert Soils. 3, 135-141 (1987). “The clitellate worms showed a wider preference range than the juveniles but deposited most of their cocoons within the narrow range of 65%-70% moisture,” so water was also added to bring the moisture level back up to about a 70% level. 01/21/23 All of the food from the feeding on 01/14/23 was consumed over the last week. Inventory was not performed but a moisture check (at an estimated 70% moisture content) was done and a very small amount of water was added to maintain that level and to provide some fresh Bti solution in an attempt to prevent any fungus gnat population increase (this has not been problematic since the first application of Bti was done.) The population is very small as evidenced by the few adults caught by the yellow sticky traps being used to monitor the numbers. Fed the bin with about three tablespoons of the juice pulp previously mentioned.

[@cramersbackyard9634]

01/28/23 Inventory of the bin was taken. The results were: Four adult worms (so one of the juveniles had formed a clitellum over the past two weeks since the last counting.) Twenty juvenile worms, (an increase of 18) twenty one wisps, (an increase of two) and thirty cocoons, (an increase of 10) were counted. The number of wisps versus juvenile worms is rather subjective but combining the two from the count fourteen days ago yields an increase of twenty non-adult worms (an average of a little more than one per day.) As ten cocoons were apparently produced my hypothesis is that the worms were happy with the moisture level and just didn't come across each other often enough to have produced more than ten during the fourteen day period. (Academic literature suggests an average production of one to two cocoons per week.) Now that there are four adults in the bin, confidence is high that the cocoon production will increase, providing the moisture level and temperature remain favorable. About fifty percent of the material used to feed the bin seven days ago was consumed. Approximately a half teaspoon of juice pulp was used to supplement what was left from that feeding along with about a tablespoon of “chow” sifted through a 200 mesh screen which was spread over the surface and worked into the top half inch of bedding material after the inventory was taken. 01/05/23 No inventory of the bin was taken but none of the food from the feeding on 01/28/23 was evident so about a tablespoon of juice pulp/coffee grounds mixture was added to the bin as a feeding. 02/11/23 Inventory of the bin was performed and the following observations were made: Adult worms - 10 (an increase of six over last 13 days). Non adult worms: 42 (an increase of only two). The slight increase may be attributed to the time between 12/31/22 and 1/14/23 when there was a lull in cocoon production hypothesized to have happened because of a lower than optimum moisture level for cocoon production. Thus, there were 45 total worms on 01/28/23 and 52 on this day so an increase of only 7 (for an average of only one new worm for every two days) Cocoons: 45 (an increase of 15 i.e. about one a day since last count). There is a strong possibility there were a number of cocoons that were not observed because they are difficult to see without magnification as the amount of castings has increased and, as the bedding decays it congeals a bit more and those aggregations may have hidden cocoons within them. A very small population of red mites was observed on a few particles of not yet completely decayed food from the last feeding. So when the contents of the bin were replaced after counting, in layers, the layers were dusted with a fine coating of crushed egg shells as a buffer to control any acidity that may have been building up in the bin. Approximately 2 tablespoons of juice pulp was added for a feeding. 02-18-23 No inventory was taken of the bin. About a teaspoon of juice pulp and an a small amount of water was added to the bin to provide food and to bring the contents of the bin up to 75 to 80% moisture level. I estimate it was around 70% moisture level before the addition of water. None of the last feeding was evident when checked. 02/25/23 Inventory of the bin was done. The results were: 16 Adult worms (increase of 6 since last counting) 61 non adult worms (there were 42 during last count, an increase of 19 or 1.35 worms per day crawled out of the mature cocoons in the last 14 days) 92 cocoons were observed (an increase of 47 so on average sightly more than 3.3 cocoons per day from the 10 adult worms and the worms [6] that became adults over the last 14 days. A feeding of about one tablespoon of juice pulp was provided. There was very little recognizable food left in the bin from the last feeding 7 days ago. The mite population was greatly reduced as there were no noticeable colonies of them anywhere in the bin. Maybe 9 or 10 were observed singly during the counting process. One wisp was in the process of emerging from a cocoon during the count it was not counted as a non adult worm as it had not completely emerged from the cocoon. A very light misting of water was added to the top of the contents of the bin when it was rebuilt to maintain about 75 to 80% moisture until the next check in and feeding.

[@cramersbackyard9634]

03/11/23 Today concludes the two worm bin project. The final inventory of the bin was done the results of the counting were: Adult worms: 28, an increase of 12 from last counting Non-adult worms : 82, an increase of 21 from last counting Cocoons: 135, an increase of 43 from last counting Conclusion: This project was undertaken in an effort to prove that it is possible to create a thriving colony of worms (eisenia fetida) beginning with only two adult worms. The project is proof that it can be done. In 141 days (not including the concluding day of the project) two worms have increased in population to 110 worms and beginning from zero cocoons have increased to 135 cocoons. From this point on the growth in numbers of both worms and cocoons is projected to increase to the number which would be worm appropriate (since they are self regulating in number according to the volume of the bedding and the amount of food available to them) until the capacity of the bin is reached.

[@RockinWorms]

@@cramersbackyard9634 Hi! This is such great information!! I love it 🥰. It highlights how someone can really start very small - even smaller than I did - and raise themselves a very respectable number of worms within a reasonable amount of time. Your feeding amounts and schedule also gives some great guidelines and guidance for dealing with a very small bin. No overfeeding allowed 👍😎😊. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your findings. I hope lots of people see your comments and find the info as helpful as I do! ❤️🪱🪱🪱❤️

[@jimraelee]

100 to 1700 worms... wow... I just cant wait 6mo... I WANT THEM KNOW... takes all my restraint to not buy more... have my breeding bin started, i just need to be patient. Great vid

[@RockinWorms]

@@jimraelee Hello! I feel you on that one! I’m not exactly a patient person either 🙄🤣. What I suggest is that you start playing with making pre-compost while you wait for your worm population to grow. That way you’ll be prepared with great bedding for your big clew! 🪱🪱

[@rickjay4639]

You could use the castings from the second bin just the way they are without sifting.

[@RockinWorms]

Hi RickJay! You know, I thought about doing just that the next morning after watching Sandra from @nanasworms video where she said she wasn’t going to sift one of her castings hauls. I did add in about 20 big worms to break it up for sifting right after shooting the video but they’re easy to pull back out. With your endorsement I think that’s exactly what I’ll do - pull the big worms back out, get any of the small fry I see out and add them to an ongoing nursery bin, and then into the garden that bin full of beautiful castings goes! Perfect! ❤️👍🪱

[@lisestewart4285]

Dear Lady, write a book with lots of pictures, WOW! Your knowledge deserves to be read. I see a lot of bins behind you...are they full of worms as well. lol

[@RockinWorms]

@@lisestewart4285 Hello Lise! Welcome 🤗. That’s very y sweet of you to say 😊. O have learned a lot along the way and am thrilled to be able to share my knowledge. I’m also happy to learn from so many other worm wranglers as well 🤩. Yes! This bins are full of worms and I have more bins than what you see from that camera angle 😝. If you’d like to see more of that I’ve got going on, this video may interest you : Wormery Tour - How I’ve Set Up My Worm Work Space kzbin.info/www/bejne/iabCln9mecaXlZI Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope we hear about your worm journey! 👍😍🪱

[@said.skopal]

Sifter is awesome idea.But how to separate cocons easier?

[@RockinWorms]

Hello! That my friend is the question! The person who discovers the sorting cocoons secret will be a hero ❤️. I’ve tried a few things - which I’m sure have been tried before - but to no great success or leap forward. Yet!! What ideas do you have? 🪱🪱🪱

[@malingoodwin7867]

Great result, your feeding regimen and your special bedding is working fantastic giving great results. I was just doing an inventory myself this week of my first very small nursery bin that I created mid summer with about 610 cocoons produced by 110 of my wigglers. I counted 1170 hatched worms, some very small and thin, the largest maybe 3/4". While counting the hatchlings I also found multiple unhatched cocoons, (but I did not think to count them at the time, I will next time) I was curious about the cocoon to worm ratio. Assuming there were 100 unhatched cocoons, the worm-count per cocoon would be around 2.3 worms. Have you ever looked into the worm to cocoon ratio? I wonder if and how the feed in the breeding bin could contribute to increase the # of hatchlings per cocoons. During my next breeding cycle I will take more detailed notes, will also count the cocoons when I do a hatchling inventory. Interested to hear your thoughts on this topic.

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Mal! I’m quite happy with how that worm bin is doing 👍. I haven’t counted out any of the other grow out bins and don’t really plan to 😳🙄😆. I’ll take this one as indicative of the others although I have no basis to do so 😊. Your worm to cocoons ratio is right on target from all the info I’ve read. 2-4 worms per cocoon is the consensus. Good job! I’ve counted cocoons per worm a few times for my breeder bins but not hatches per cocoon. To be able to calculate babies per cocoon given my 100 growing into 1,725 we’d have to know or make assumptions about die off rate and I have no idea on that beyond the general statement that worms live on average 1-3 years in captivity. So at this point I’m willing to take your number which comports with what I’ve read 😊. I appreciate your verification of that! If I ever get the chance to count hatchlings per cocoon in a nursery bin (don’t hold your breath!) I’ll definitely report back. As for increasing the number of hatchlings per cocoon, that’s a great question. Although the science says up to about 20 eggs per cocoon I don’t recall if that was fertilized eggs or just eggs that potentially could be fertilized. And of fertilized eggs, how many successfully hatch? And then survive? 🤷‍♂️. The animal kingdom has shown that reproduction during times of plentiful food and favorable conditions increases significantly. There’s no reason to not think that if we give our worms fantastic conditions that they too won’t reproduce more than in average conditions. But there’s also an upper limit. Even in optimal conditions the maturation process still takes a minimum amount of time - either for embryonic development or sexual maturity to occur. All of this is a long way to say I don’t know but I am leaning toward thinking that optimal conditions perhaps can increase the number of viable hatchlings and survivors, even if it doesn’t increase the actual number of fertilized eggs inside a cocoon. Haha! There’s my thoughts 😳🙄😆😊❤️🪱

[@malgood9624]

Thanks for feedback!! Very interesting to hear about the egg per cocoon stats, I know a few things I can change/improve during next breeding (also moisture level and food in the hatching bin). My end goal is to increase and maximize casting production during the next 8 months or so to build up a good supply to have on hand next season for use in my garden. It will be sorely needed. Can't thank you enough for all the valuable advice you provide, it has made a world of difference to me, and hopefully will also help to rebuild the soil and give my garden a chance survive.

[@mikehansbrough8909]

So, I never got my pre-compost to heat cycle at all, so I have transferred all of the buckets into a plastic mesh ring on the ground. It is about 3 feet in diameter, and 2 feet deep. We will see how that does, although, we are getting a little deeper into fall and the temperatures outside are cooling.

[@RockinWorms]

@@mikehansbrough8909 Hey Mike. The piling up of the mixture in the kiddie pool didn’t work, eh? Drats. Your new pile has better mass but I’d still recommend you go taller and less wide of you can get it to hold shape. Maybe put some mesh fencing around it? I’d also add a bit more moisture on a regular basis, especially as you have it draining out into the ground now. Did you try adding the activated yeast? It’s a few dollars at a grocery store for the 3 pack. Cooler temps won’t stop the composting action in the center of a pile. Around the edges it will but that’s where periodic mixing comes in. I have my fingers crossed for you! 🤞🙏🤩🪱

[@mikehansbrough8909]

Update; Turned pre-compost (shredded cardboard, coffee grounds, and hardwood ash moistened with used aquarium water) Added more of the above with about a gallon of powdery chicken coop cleanout. First time I did this, I reached 115 degrees F. A week later, I turned/added, and got even higher. Question: how far should I take the pre-composting process? Side note: white fungus? Is appearing on the shred (bonus). Thanks for sharing your experience/information 🙂

[@RockinWorms]

@ Hi Mike! 115F is very respectable 🤩. Excellent job 👍. And if you got a bit more heat on the 2nd cycle even better. Remember to let it cool down below 90F (at least) before using it in the worm bins. Also if you can set some aside to use in the next batch that’ll speed things along nicely. Thanks so much for the update. I hope it’ll inspire others to give pre-compost a try too 😍🪱

[@RockinWorms]

@ Oh and the white fungus and/or bacteria is just what you want to see. If you eventually get the temperature higher you’ll see other colors appear. I get a lot of bronze colored biota 😍🪱

[@rico99586]

VERY impressive Jane! Do you add any sweetners? I raise both ENC and crickets, (Of course not in the same bins)🤪, and I saw a you tube where for the crickets they added sugar in the food to one batch of crickets, and regular food to the control batch. They started with 2 different bins but both had same amount of crickets. The ones fed the sweet food, produced more babies than the regular fed ones. Don't know if this has any bearing on the worms, but just an anecdote for you. Thanks for the video.

[@RockinWorms]

Hi! How have you been? I don’t add any sweet additives specifically. If I happen to have the dregs from a bottle of honey or maple syrup or similar I’ll use hot water to rinse the bottle out and put the cooled liquid into a sprayer. I’ll spritz it over random bins until I use it up. I’ve used unsulfered molasses deliberately in the past but didn’t see any difference in the worms. But I didn’t really track it or do a controlled bin or anything like that. I probably didn’t even stick with doing it for very long either. It would make an awesome experiment though! 👍❤️🪱😎

[@johnwright6403]

When you do your pre composting, why do you keep the temperature under 120 degrees? If I let it get to 130-140 it will kill weed seeds so I’m leaning toward the latter. Are there problems with this idea?

[@RockinWorms]

@@johnwright6403 Hi John. I keep the pre-compost under 133F. My hottest has reached 128F. The biota that colonizes the pre-compost changes at above 133F and the worms don’t do well with that type of biota. I thinks it’s biota that the worms are not designed to eat as it’s way out of their environmental range. A few of the worm wrangles in my channel have reported that they had mass worm die offs using pre-compost that went into the 140F and higher range. Of course once too hot pre-compost cools and sits for quite a while the types of biota the worms like do come back so it’s not a lost opportunity, it’s a case of not taking longer to be worm ready as the target was overshot and needs to re-establish itself. The higher temps will kill weed seeds. Compost that been heated to 160-170F can be labeled as weed seed free. Weeds are not an issue within worm bins at all anyway. Random seeds that germinate in a worm bin can be plucked and left in the bin to provide food for the worms. So basically heating pre-compost hotter than 133F is kinda a waste of time, doesn’t add anything to the process, and if used to soon can actually be detrimental to the worm bin system. Ok? 😎🪱

[@ianm6309]

What was the amendment you added after the veg powder? I didn't catch what you said. Also, do you recommend adding these things on top of the food, as you did, or should it be added before putting food in? Great video, thank you!

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Ian! Welcome! I added both azomite and dolomite lime after the worm chow and veggie powder. The azomite is a brand name mineral supplement that provides a wide range of both macro and micro minerals. These minerals are good for growing bodies (worms and peoples!) as well as plants - aka your garden! The dolomite lime is the correct lime you can add into a worm bin to provide an extra source of calcium and also grit. Pulverized or powdered eggshells are good to use instead of dolomite lime (also called agricultural lime fyi) if you have eggshells handy. The order you add everything into the feed zone is not important at all. Just get it in there 🤩. So top the feed zone with bedding to lock in moisture and smells 👍. Thanks for watching and asking a question! 😎🪱❤️

[@GeneralRELee]

Does having a larger worm condo benefit the worms and production any, like having a 4 or 5 layer bin system?

[@RockinWorms]

Hi again! A multi tiered system in and of itself does not directly affect breeding results. The benefit you could get is the ability to have more breeders in one connected space that takes up less horizontal space which can benefit you more than them. To maximize cocoon production you want to have: - higher moisture levels - easy to eat foods (worm chow and/or fine particle fruits and veggies - worms meeting and mating. Your bin set up should facilitate achieving these criteria. A single layer system, like my bins, achieves the requirements easily. A multi tray system can as well, especially if you set up each tray initially as it’s own ‘bin’ and the worms freely move between the tiers as they want. You can monitor the worms and see if they tend to stay in their own level (aka spread out more or less evenly between the tiers) or if they tend to all end up in one (or more) concentrated areas. I don’t have a tiered system so I can’t say from personal experience what results you’d get but it sure is an interesting experiment to see what happens! If you do the tiered breeding system please please report back what you learn! 👍🪱🪱

[@johnwood1099]

I started my precompost in a 30 gallon bin 6 days ago and the temperature got up to 127.6 in 3 days , so how long before I recharge the bin? Do you sell Red Wigglers and how long and how much for 1000 worms?

[@RockinWorms]

@@johnwood1099 Hi John! That’s awesome on your pre-compost 👍🤩. That temperature is near the max of 133F we’d want it to get to. So good job! I do sell red wiggler worms and cocoons 🥰. Just cocoons for right now due to the heat. You can go to my website for more information: rockinworms.com/products/ols/products/500-premium-red-wiggler-cocoons Inventory changes a bit depending on where my breeder bins are in their cycle 😎. Thanks for asking! 🪱🪱

[@tjrjcj]

You mentioned 2nd heat cycle. Do you add your mixture to the cardboard and paper a 2nd time?

[@RockinWorms]

I often run a 2nd hearing cycle on my pre-compost. This entails adding more carbon, nitrogen and biota to the original material. Basically it’s repopulating the original material with more food and more biota so the biota can keep working at a high level to break down the carbon and nitrogen faster and to smaller particles. 2 cycle pre-compost is more readily digestible by the worms. I have however learned more benefits of using 1 cycle pre-compost as well! Both are very good for the worms. It’s a matter of how soon you need to use it and how fast you want the worms to eat it and turn it into castings. Ok? 🪱🪱❤️

[@danitajminer3279]

Worm chow😂🐛🍽

[@RockinWorms]

Yep! Worm chow is a very handy food source for worms for many reasons! I’m always thrilled when I come across a heavily discounted bag of something that can become an ingredient 👍🤩🪱

[@philipott6844]

How do you make pre compost??? I really need to know

[@RockinWorms]

Hi! I have a playlist of videos that walk you thru making pre-compost. The first 7 are the step by step instructions. Then I have a couple more in the same playlist that dive deeper into the how and why of pre-compost. in. You can look thru my library and find those easily enough 😊. Here’s the link for making pre-compost: Indoor Table Top Pre-Composting Bin kzbin.info/aero/PLUW0xTNzqrJp2nsLeHt-8OKFqP9XEZ-PE After watching the whole playlist feel free to ask questions 👍🪱🪱

[@GeneralRELee]

Where did you order or get your worms from?

[@RockinWorms]

Hi! Welcome! I bought these specific worms from Vee at the garden and worm lady website as I wanted 100% red wigglers. I’m now selling 100% red wigglers too at my website RockinWorms.com 😊. Check it out! 👍❤️🪱

[@johnhiggins9615]

How do you count them?

[@RockinWorms]

@@johnhiggins9615 Hi! When I give a number it’s because I counted them one by one! 😳🤩. It’s crazy but sometimes crazy is what has to be done! 😂😂

[@geoffkburton]

WOW , 1,750 from 100 in 6 months is fantastic .

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Geoff! I’m very happy with how they’re doing! Nothing like giving them what they need to do the trick 😆👍😎❤️🪱. Thanks for watching !

[@geoffkburton]

@@RockinWorms I'm 2 or 3 weeks in to my great worm project and you have been a great source of knowledge and practical demonstration . Thank you

[@RockinWorms]

@@geoffkburton Thank you! That’s a great compliment and I appreciate it greatly ❤️🪱

[@JesusisLord78]

How much you sell a 100 of them?

[@RockinWorms]

@@JesusisLord78 Hi! 100 premium adults are $30 plus shipping. 100 premium sub-adults (teenagers, not wisps) are $25 plus shipping. I also include a full sized multipurpose sandbag and starter packs of both my worm chow and veggie powder 👍. My website is RockinWorms.com where you can see all the products and worms and details ❤️🪱🪱 Thanks for asking!

[@LarryWileyWormFarm-ey8lp]

What do you think is secret of that incredible population.

[@RockinWorms]

I think it is the pre-compost as the foundation. The easy fast biota food for the worms is a natural food for them and is so plentiful in the pre-compost. It also hold moisture well without being too soggy. The bins only move to toward the too wet side as it turns into predominantly castings. I also think leaving them alone most of the time helps too! I found that out with my chickens as well. In the beginning I fussed and interfered way too much. Once I started leaving them to their own devices more and more, the less issues I/they had. That’s of course not the same as neglect. As some of the really experienced worm wranglers have commented I could do probably just as well with only using pre-compost in my bins (not use the cow manure) with a simple worm chow and get as good results. I’m starting to believe them! Of course as easy to implement as that sounds, it’s not quite that easy! I get free veggies, I pay at least something for worm chow. Pre-compost is basically free to make but takes time and space, both of which is limited for me. Cow manure is also free and takes time and space but not as much and I have that already set up for minimal interaction. So I continue to tweak and learn and adjust as I I’ve toward finding the right balance and combination that works for my specific situation. Just like I encourage you castings crew people to do too! ❤️🪱🪱

[@jameshack485]

1,715 worms in 6 months

[@RockinWorms]

@@jameshack485 I know! It’s an amazing result. And I’m able to repeat it regularly. I can now run my breeder bins to get a couple of thousand cocoons out of 850 breeder worms every cycle. The key is the bedding. There’s other things of course but the bedding is the basis for my success. Pre-compost rocks! 🤣😂😎🪱 Do you plan on trying it yourself? 🪱

[@ICheat_ILie_ISteal]

The more food you feed them the more theyll drop eggs. So if you want double the worms... Just triple the feed.

[@RockinWorms]

Hello! I definitely agree that worms do better with a steady supply of food. Don’t we all? 👍😊. It is important to not overfeed though. One can closely monitor food consumption and get a pretty good idea of what is the highest safe amount of worm food to go into a bin. 👍🪱❤️

[@ICheat_ILie_ISteal]

@@RockinWorms worms will reproduce faster the more food are available... Over feeding force them to breed. Worms are like a cleaning crew, the more work there is the longer/harder they'll have to work so it's better to just hire more people for a bigger job. You can go to your back yard and grab 5-10 worms, over feed them and months later you'll have hundreds of worms. That's what I used to do.

[@RockinWorms]

@@ICheat_ILie_ISteal Hi again. I see where you’re coming from but not sure I agree 100%. The worms have some upper limit capacity to eat. It may be a lot and it may be constant but in an enclosed system like a worm bin, even a big one, too much food will cause issues. You lost me in the middle with the ‘they’ll work harder/longer but hire more workers/get more worms’. Not sure how that ties into overfeeding. Backyard worms may or may not be compatible with an enclosed system. If they are then that’s great to get them for free! I’ve read several articles that talk about stressing worm to trigger more breeding - like cyclical dry downs. The worms panic and lay lots of cocoons in order to ensure genetic survival. You’re absolutely right that even a handful of worms, if managed optimally, can beget an amazing number of worms within 6 months. I did that myself! 🤣👍🪱❤️.

[@stonkmark941]

@@ICheat_ILie_ISteal Cool name

[@ghjj-b6j]

They Just poo nitrogen with the carpboard they need bananas and potatoes peels for good npk

[@RockinWorms]

@@ghjj-b6j Hello! Welcome 😍. Bananas and potato peels are great worm foods for sure. There are other foods that will provide a range of nutrients to the worms for good growth and health as well as fantastic castings 👍🤩🪱