Compost Worm Bin Problems- European Night Crawlers

/ @plantobsessed European Night Crawlers Compost Worms- Moisture problems
Plant Obsessed Merch here h / @plantobsessed
Playlist for the European Night Crawlers Here
• European Night Crawlers
See description below-I purchased 500 Cocoons in 2019 from ETCWL and was given 1 pound of adult ENC from NE worms The bins were started in July 2021
They live in the controlled environment of my basement that ranges from 75 degrees in the summer to 40 in the winter. I added 500 cocoons of enc from Emily the Crazy Worm Lady in 2019 may. I have continued this population separately from the other systems to evaluate if they behave or process differently. I see that the casting are larger, and they do seem to process bedding faster than red and blue worms. August of 2021 sees another 1-pound addition of European Night Crawlers from Northeast Worms. The ENC now have their own room. 2 halves of a 55 gallon food grade barrel is now the ENC worm bins. 1 bin is from the cocoon only bins and the other bin is the 1 pound from Northeast worms. They are sitting on industrial shelves propped up with bricks.I am an Amazon affiliate. The items below are the Amazon affiliate links for the items I use in my wormery. I have read and recommend these books. The cost is the same to you, but the channel will be supported and get a small commission if purchases are made using the links.
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[@myshelby2733]

I don’t know what it is about the way you fluff the material but I find that so relaxing!! It’s the strangest thing because fluffing my own bins drives me NUTS! 😂 My back starts hurting 3 seconds into the process, each section feels like I’m shoveling snow, the hatchlings aka the “hitchhikers” stick to just about any accessible part of my body YET watching you fluff is totally cathartic and makes me miss my bins 🥰 🪱

[@PlantObsessed]

Lol funny, the shelf is at the absolute perfect height for me. If I had to lean over it,I can see that being uncomfortable. 👍🏼🪱😃

[@1huzlives]

I have the same feeling. At work, I watch your videos when I miss my wormies. So relaxing. I am good at fluffing, though I wear gloves coz of dry skin (occupational hazard). I sleep with your video, so relaxing.

[@sandyjoao4489]

Great bins. I wonder if they will enjoy d coconut 🥥 maybe it will take a bit longer. Just hv to wait n c. Thanks Ann for this experiment.

[@PlantObsessed]

I have had one comment from a person that has fed coconut before and it was ok.

[@laurahinrichsen3917]

I've given old shredded unsweetened coconut mixed in with worm chow before and they seemed to eat it at the same rate as usual. I would imagine fresh leftover coconut not in tiny pieces would take them longer to eat.

[@PlantObsessed]

@@laurahinrichsen3917 great to know thanks 👍

[@A-V]

I was almost certain that some of that new coco coir you got a hot deal on would be sprinkled into the 2nd system to help bring the dampness under control - but if it's on the road to being depopulated then it makes sense that you wouldn't want to litter it with fresh bedding materials :)

[@PlantObsessed]

Yes I am super conflicted about adding coir to the muddy bin.

[@A-V]

I totally get it :)

[@marlenen6130]

@@PlantObsessed I keep a little very coco coir dried out to add to a bin if it’s too wet, or put sheets of cardboard under and over it. I just usually put castings 90-95% done in vented buckets anyways and it continues to get worked over until it’s super fine.

[@littlewolfendeavors2132]

How do you collect the worm tea?

[@vistacendhani]

Do you have any uncovered bin? How do you make sure they’re not exploring out of the bin?

[@PlantObsessed]

Most of my bins are uncovered. It has been my experience that the dry bin walls discourage exploring. With the lid on the sides are wet and they explode. Except my African Night Crawlers. They love in a zipped bag because they run amuck. 🪱👍🏼😃

[@vistacendhani]

@@PlantObsessed thank you for this. The worms inside my compost bags are staying put as the walls are dry. But the ones in the covered bin keep on being nosy.

[@Vermicompost]

A worm snowball!! I love it!! I've never tried coconut in a worm bin...but if they like coco coir, why not the flesh, right!??!? Wow good demo of how thick & muddy the castings can get even with out adding water!! Amazing amount of worms in there!!! Great worm bin ecosystem discussion! Awesome video!!

[@PlantObsessed]

Thank you. I do expect the mites to ramp up due to the oil in the coconut like what happens in the avocado.

[@Vermicompost]

@@PlantObsessed Very interesting!!

[@marcusnguyen3185]

How often do you have to agitate the bin?

[@PlantObsessed]

About once a month for a complete side to side fluff. 🙂🪱👍🏼

[@sanjaydwivedi4003]

To make a paper bedding , do you use paper shredder for making or there there is some technique for shredding.

[@PlantObsessed]

I use a paper shredder. I have one linked in the Amazon links. The trick to a long life is keeping the head vacuumed out weekly so it doesn't over heat.💙👍🏼😊

[@waynetadlock9719]

I have to frequently explain the difference(s) between compost worms and other varieties. That's kind of a pain but it's fun to teach and see thier expressions when they actually :get it." 😎😎

[@PlantObsessed]

In my reading I can't believe how many types of surface dwelling worms there are. Depending on the country there are 10 types in one place.

[@brucemoffatt]

Hi and thanks for the videos. Do you know if adult Euros will eat juveniles? Enquiring minds etc.

[@PlantObsessed]

I have never read about cannibalism in worms. Thank you for watching 😃

[@thorn9862]

This is very helpful.👍

[@PlantObsessed]

Thank you!! 😁

[@paulsoutbackgardenaustrali7674]

Hey Ann....I wanted to ask u about how to get big fat bait worms...I was told there shouldn't be too many worms in a bin plus give them good protein food...is that right...I want to try growing some...I have 2 foot square bins...will use those with lids on and holes...some people say to keep a light on where they are....any advice also how many worms can I keep in a bin that size..thanks again..

[@PlantObsessed]

I would get some ENC and put no more than 75 in that bin. Feed them composted manure and worm chow. It will take a month or 2 to get them bulked up. I have a video for my worm chow. Easy stuff you can get at the store.

[@paulsoutbackgardenaustrali7674]

@@PlantObsessed ok I have that but no chow so will look for that video.thnx

[@Dee.C]

The only way I have found to keep the Africans in the bin is salt water . I dissolve salt in water, take a paper towel and dip in the salty water , squeeze out real well and just dampen the top 1/4 inch of the bin and over the top edge . They come up and hit that salt , even after it dries and turn right around and go back where they belong.

[@PlantObsessed]

Good thing most of my species behave with the light trick. With 24 different bins I would be applying salt water to bins all day. Lol

[@Dee.C]

@@PlantObsessed I usually only have to apply it when I ser up a bin or sometimes after thunder storms . Since have no rain no need to reapply. I would love some rain for the gardens. ❤️

[@Willi3_Mach]

I'm new to all of this. Just starting out with about 4lbs of ANCs (African Night Crawlers). I had read somewhere that folks put a band of metal tape? around their bin twoards the top and said it kept escape artists at bay. They would climb to the tape and would turn back. I didn't have any so I thought aluminum foil might work. I lined the top edges of my bins with foil crumpling the back half under the outer edge of the bin (where you would pick it up with your hands. I then use some shipping tape on inside corners or places that pieces come together. Originally I thought it would work like the tape creating a metal slippery surface they couldn't climb but what happened was even better. They climb up underneath the foil and reach the top edge of the bin where the foil is crumpled against the handle/edge and they don't find a way out of the bin and give up and go back down to the bedding!

[@PlantObsessed]

@@Willi3_Mach nice 👍 there is always a way. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@augustineschaefer5522]

The worms ATE this summer! I’m going to have to do a full harvest to make room for winter. I’m concerned that any sifted escapees will suffer but my bins are to the top.

[@PlantObsessed]

I agree the worms do so much better in the warm weather. Worms are tough they will be ok

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Wow! That's a great tip about the Castings drawing in moisture from the air 👩‍🌾👍💩🪱💩 Great info Ann🪱💓🪱

[@PlantObsessed]

Thank you

[@jameskemp1963]

Can a complete novice get his first experience with a food grade 55 gallon drum cut in half? I have watched lots of videos and read up on different methods and I think I would like to try the wedge method in a barrel cut in half. Thank you for your videos. Most informative I’ve seen

[@PlantObsessed]

I hope you get a barrel they are great. The big thing is supporting the weight and keeping it from rolling off the sand. I have bricks that keep it from rolling. The rack is rated at 2,000 lbs.

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

Anaerobics This is one of the main reasons I grow my worms in towers. Any extra moisture finds its way down to the swimming pool at the bottom, where I have a spigot and can draw off "worm tea" when the time comes. Problem worms, those who just can't stay put and want to crawl up the walls are introduced to my chickens. 🤣 Whenever I use paper bedding, I make sure it is just newsprint with black ink, no color and no shiny paper. I put the bedding down, then I spray it lightly with water, then I use a seasoning shaker that has pretty large holes in it and I shake playground sand over the top and then I wet it again and then I cover it with coconut choir. This makes better soil, when the worms are finished with it and it doesn't clump together (as much). The majority of my worm towers are the green ones off amazon. I also buy the coconut coir there in 1 lb bricks, because one brick, when properly moistened, is just enough bedding to house a new batch of worms. When it's time to harvest the little rascals, there is approximately the equivalent of three bricks of moist choir, but I also use paper and sand, as mentioned earlier. One last thing. My worms love oatmeal, but not just dry oatmeal. I cook up a cup of old fashioned oatmeal, the big oats and not that chopped up stuff and then let it cool till it's just one big giant hard glob and that's what they get. Doing it this way allows me to sequester the "dining room" into one corner of my bin, so I know where to look for how much is left and keep up with the feeding, while not allowing so much to be in there that it rots.

[@PlantObsessed]

It's funny in a few months I'll be complaining about it being dry.

[@gregbutler9873]

Ginger too spicy? and we need someone to take over check in on third shift . Your worms told all their friends and I’m tired of working 18 hour days checking them in.🤣🤣🤣😉

[@PlantObsessed]

They are just waiting for it to soften up. You should hire an assistant.

[@sardar5150]

I'm new here, howdy from Eastern Iowa. I am enjoying your channel. Ive been keeping worms for about 7 years, I just have a small tiered system in my office. I only have red wigglers, but looking to bump up production with other types. I like to use my castings for co.post extracts for my gardens and seed starting...and the satisfaction of completing the circle.

[@PlantObsessed]

I feel bad I only got into this so late in life. I could have been making my own compost for free. Worms rule 👍🏼🪱😃

[@drisxxx5761]

we need to put more beneficial microbes as bedding... i am expirimenting and try not to use bedding without microbial live. I advice every1 to start adding dried leaves and soil from the wood (the decomposed leaves of last year). This helps my worms to thrive and grow and also helps with ogyxen.

[@PlantObsessed]

Good.advise.

[@flintstone19713]

I have a 55gal tub and my new worms would be all over the sides and on the lid. Now I leave the lid off and my red wigler's stay under the peats and soil. And I do keep my other food at one end..... I've learned a lot from you. Thank you for the knowledge

[@PlantObsessed]

I am glad that I have been able to be helpful. Happy worming 👍🏼🪱😃

[@emilyfleischmann]

The coconut has probably gone rancid. It doesn't necessarily smell bad, but the oils will go off as it oxidizes.

[@PlantObsessed]

Interesting. Thank you for the advice.🪱😀👍🏼

[@lindap9079]

I love your channel Ann, but I want to amend your statement about collecting worm in the back yard. I collected all my original worms from my yard. I learned to recognize Red Wigglers and looked for worms in my compost bin and under rocks or logs around the property. So, you don't have to buy worms, but you do have to be able to identify them.

[@PlantObsessed]

Totally true. There are red wigglers in compost piles and in your yard generally where I live. What you're going to find in the yard is lumbercus with the flat tail and that will not play nice in a compound post bin.👍🏼🪱😃

[@ontherocksinthesoilmichael6739]

My worms love coconut meat.

[@PlantObsessed]

Good to know. Thanks 👍

[@debmattosky3021]

What is the best worm for a beginner worm tender in South west Florida zone 10b?

[@PlantObsessed]

I would get red wigglers. They are the best place no matter where you live. 👍🏼🪱🪱😁

[@iwonalasak-hughes5814]

I do the same metod as you but i dont syf my casting i move my casting with small worms and eggs becouse wor.s also needed in the raise beds .

[@PlantObsessed]

Even though I sift there are still lots of worms in the raised beds. 🪱👍🏼😃

[@HomeStudioBasics]

This is a question I've had for quite awhile: Is colored or glossy paper/boxes okay to throw in for composting/worm bins? I've seen differing answers on this. Some say keep the chemicals out while others don't really care.

[@PlantObsessed]

As long as it's not plastic, I try not to. Food boxes are generally waxed not plastic. Anything for the freezer likely has plastic in it. 🪱😀👍🏼

[@Gerald_Tighe]

Funny enough my african nightcrawlers have never crawled the walls in any of my bins. (Besides one small incident when I put them in some coco coir that smelled like chemicals they HATED immediately) The European nightrawlers are the only ones that crawl out of my experimental breeding bins (finely sifted compost + 0%/ 15% / 30% coco coir for bedding + worm chow) The Red wigglers (supposed to be pure but Im pretty sure I spotted a few blues... oh well) dont crawl the walls of my breeding bins but some regularly crawl the walls of my growout bins (coursely sifted compost bedding + a little coco coir) Im changing up the bedding in all of my bins though to allow more airflow and make it more sustainable (using a wild oat straw + some other stuff that grows wild + compost) Using so much compost is making things too compacted. (Ive started making my bins more shallow to also help with this) The reds/ANCs are surviving and breeding perfectly in it, but the ENCs die regularly (about 1 death every day or two per pound, it's not too bad, but it kills me inside lol) so im trying to solve that. The ENCs are breeding great though so... could be worse :P All of this typing reminded me how much I love these wormys lol I do not use lights. But all of them are indoors in about 65-75 degree temps. I have been trying to keep them wetter than most people suggest because they seem to always be hanging out wherever it is wettest. Up to 13 bins now (5 ANC/ 5 ENC/ 3 Reds)

[@PlantObsessed]

That is a bunch of worms. Sorry about your ENC. I live near a heavy equipment warehouse. I think the vibrations freak them out.

[@Gerald_Tighe]

@@PlantObsessed we are out in the middle of nowhere but I do have a window AC unit I run that is right next to the bins. Doesn't seem to bother them at all.

[@amyleader5147]

Did they eat the coconut?

[@PlantObsessed]

Yes, it was crazy. It was gone in a month.🪱👍🏼😀

[@mrsrajininathan1990]

Method to protect worm bin from ants and rats.pls share

[@PlantObsessed]

I have not had an ant problem but rats are so smart. I had to put weighted lids on everything. I wish I had better advice. 👍🏼😃🪱

[@mrsrajininathan1990]

@@PlantObsessed Thanks for sharing.

[@RosWigglers]

Love this! I was wondering about ginger, since I know it's sort of "burny" when I eat it. Thanks for sharing!

[@PlantObsessed]

It is pretty resistant to breaking down it does eventually. 🪱😁👍🏼

[@ontherocksinthesoilmichael6739]

I don't know about anyone else but I have no sound on this.

[@wormweirdo340]

I keep getting ‘no stream, tap to retry.’

[@PlantObsessed]

I am watching me right now and it seems ok

[@PlantObsessed]

i hope you come back and try again.

[@wormweirdo340]

@@PlantObsessed it happened before, usually resolves after a while.

[@ontherocksinthesoilmichael6739]

I have sound now must have been KZbin issues.

[@debmattosky3021]

Thanks!! My largest concern is the summer heat and humidity. Any ideas on how to deal with 110 degrees and 90 percent humidity?! Thank you very much for helping me!! I’m going through all of your videos!! Love them!! You’re so pleasant and helpful!! I really appreciate you!! I just moved from Connecticut to Naples, Florida. Im now living with my sons family. I just can’t deal with all the wasted food, paper, and large amounts of garbage!! I grew up on a huge farm in NC. We used everything!! Nothing was wasted!! Just trying to keep more out of the landfill!! Thank you very much!! Deb

[@PlantObsessed]

Wow that is hot. Best idea is shade, keep lots of bedding in there for air circulation and make sure the moisture is wetter than usual. I know some Southern people have put frozen water bottles in several place in the bin daily to try and help for extreme situations. My outside bin has holes in the bottom. They go under and go deeper then come back for the food when it cools. They do go a bit dormant when it is that hot no matter what type you have. 👍🏼🪱😁 Good luck.

[@sanjaydwivedi4003]

Making compost in a plastic bucket with holes at bottom and sides also. But has become soggy. Also developed maggots. How to deal with the process.

[@PlantObsessed]

Lots of dry cardboard or leaves in the bottom. Bec it is taller than wide. It is necessary to get in there and stir it before feeding🪱😄👍🏼.

[@lindaspellman2108]

Do you find evidence of bedding materials like the egg shell or coir in the finished castings? I used some sawdust in mine, and find it goes through even with a 1\4" or maybe 1\8" sieve into my finished castings. Is that problematic for houseplants?

[@PlantObsessed]

I do find eggshell but not bedding after a quarter inch screen. My house plants don't seem to mind.

[@kaybegley9566]

Hi. So I kind of have an idea of how you're doing a wedge approach but still have questions. Do you keep feeding at the same spot still it's mostly casting before moving on or you move on with every feed?

[@PlantObsessed]

I move the old feeding area over toward the finished end and make a new spot to feed. Not every time but almost.

[@patriciabroussard5696]

How often are you adding new bedding? Do you wet the top of there food moisten? Do you put a top on you bin?

[@PlantObsessed]

There are no lids on the bins. Sometimes I will put a piece of plastic on top of the food to keep moisture in and bugs out. I add bedding almost every time. The European nightcrawlers are heavy carbon feeders. The bedding is food too. The prepared bedding is moist so normally I don't need to moisten the food. I will sometimes if I am feeding worm chow. Thank you for watching 😃🪱👍🏼

[@AJsGreenTopics]

Great update.

[@PlantObsessed]

Thank you.

[@stevehall1466]

Are you saying regular back yard worms isnt good

[@PlantObsessed]

Normally the back yard worms are deep dwelling solitary worms.They will usually die if you put them in a worm bin. If you find worms in your compost pile or a leaf pile they might be ok.

[@VASI_LIKI]

Nitrogen source. What about starting your own fermented weed liquid?

[@PlantObsessed]

That sounds interesting. Do you do this? Just a normal kind of weeds or the happy kind?

[@VASI_LIKI]

@@PlantObsessed I am only a beginner in worm breeding. However, fermenting weeds is something I do to save money ... it is really easy and their are a few different methods. I have not found anyone in the worm world who has done experiments on worms with weeds. If you look up Korean FPJ either in videos or google you will find many different methods to ferment weeds and use in your yard. As for worms, I truly think the idea should be explored to save money. Weeds are super high in Nitrogen

[@PlantObsessed]

@@VASI_LIKI I feed some most of my yard waste to my outside bin but I do feed plant clippings directly to my worms sometimes. When I am short on people scraps I will forage in the yard for weeds to feed them.

[@kinsjsmggoiktaylor5659]

Juno What You Splitting The Worms Up For 😥😢

[@PlantObsessed]

Sometimes you have to.

[@kinsjsmggoiktaylor5659]

Juno,Now I Understand 👏👏👏♥️♥️