How to Estimate The Number of Mites In Your Worm Bin & What to Do Or Not Do About Them! Vermicompost

[@Vermicompost]

Below are some of the items I use for vermicomposting & my channel's videos. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you if you use these links. Thank you for supporting this channel! Worm Bins I use: Vermihut 5-Tray Worm Compost Bin amzn.to/3Xs1eGe Urban Worm Bag V2 amzn.to/3XE9QsT 20 Gallon Fabric Grow Pots amzn.to/3EBYhdr 3 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck tote amzn.to/3eKDLhO Other Worm Bins: Worm Factory 360 3-Tray Version amzn.to/3AHnjqK Worm Factory 360 5-Tray Version amzn.to/3tYfWY4 Bus bins amzn.to/3fd8AvP Equipment I use: 12 Sheet Cross Cut Micro Shredder (I use it to shred cardboard) amzn.to/3xYZKYu Magic Bullet Small Blender (to pulverize egg shells) amzn.to/3gwEzb4 Indoor Outdoor Wireless Thermometer for worm bin amzn.to/3wIdXbO Additional thermometer sensors 433 MHz amzn.to/41juD7v Please make sure Thermometer & sensor are the same MHz Additional thermometer sensors 915MHz amzn.to/3WTFgua Please make sure Thermometer & sensor are the same MHz Kitchen scale to weigh worms & food: amzn.to/3HnOQjg Blue gloves amzn.to/3XsBg5n Digital handheld Thermometer amzn.to/3EWfC2j Compost Tea Bags amzn.to/3fCb5o1 Solar powered light amzn.to/3nOucAq Reusable Keurig Coffee K-cups amzn.to/3FNXvt6 Other useful equipment for worm farming: 5 stackable sifter with different sized mesh: amzn.to/3S2k184 Cameras & camera equipment I use: GoPro HERO11 amzn.to/3jkRpLa Flexible Tripod amzn.to/3CGTjcF Insta360 GO 2 camera amzn.to/3oxCc80 Insta360 One X2 camera amzn.to/3nqV6hp iPhone 13 Max Pro amzn.to/3nq52aU Canon EOS Rebel T8i amzn.to/3HcBuX6 4 Ocean bracelets I wear Multiple colors to chose from bracelets amzn.to/3HMbHEx Books on worms & worm farming Worms Eat My Garbage amzn.to/3L4FXN2 Where to buy worms: www.TheGardenAndWormLady.com

[@MBHeritageFarms]

Thank you so much for stopping by at our channel, we are here following your Journey as well with a BIG ole Thumbs up

[@Vermicompost]

That is very kind of you! Deep down I'm a wanna be farmer & homesteader always looking to learn more! So glad I found your channel!! Thanks for stopping by to watch & comment!!🪱🪱🪱

[@clivesconundrumgarden]

Crazy amount of mites in a short time !! Bin looks great !! Tomorrow will be our neighbor, Susan 3 month mark. Been super fun and only starting with a couple hundred worms in a big bin. It's doing awesome!! I'm glad we went with a bigger bin. It seems more forgiving. Let's goooooo!! Cheers J&C 🌱🪱🌱😁

[@Vermicompost]

3 months that's awesome!! I'm so glad you went with the bigger bin for her as well...these smaller bins can be temperamental with how fast the go from too dry to too moist!! Tell her I said great job!!🪱🪱🪱

[@clivesconundrumgarden]

@Vermicompost Learn by Doing will do brother 🤜🤛🪱

[@LutzKitchenByLek]

Hello, I am new here. Wow...this is very good video, thank you to the above that I found your channel I really wanted to learn more from you, nice sharing. I really enjoy watching your video. Greetings from Germany. Hope to see you at my home soon.

[@Vermicompost]

Thank you so much!! Welcome from Germany!! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video!! I appreciate you watching and leaving a nice comment!!🪱🪱🪱

[@Greattooltv11]

Everything starts a new with the New Year.. coming. May your new year be filled with the happiest things and your days with the brightest promise..Absolutely beautiful,❤️❤️💕💕👍👍❤️❤️💕💕👍👍,

[@Vermicompost]

Very kind words, Thank you!! I appreciate you stopping by to watch and comment!!!🪱🪱🪱

[@Bowadventures]

Great to know this bed looking great and suit for your worm. So the worm can more produce 👍

[@Vermicompost]

Thank you!! They are doing well and working hard to give me great castings!! Have you started a worm bin yet? I see you are so busy showing us how beautiful Thailand is so you may not have time!! Thanks so much for watching Bow!! I appreciate all your support!!🪱🪱🪱

[@666bruv]

Arthropods and microarthropods are an essential part of the habitat, all part of the poop loop. Only morons consisder microarthrods a burden

[@canadalover7560]

Fantastic job my friend Thanks for sharing 🤝 Keep up the good work 🤝 I’m your new supporter Greetings from 🇨🇦

[@Vermicompost]

Thank you so much for stopping by to watch and leave a nice comment! I have really enjoyed my many visits to Canada and I look forward to checking out your channel!!🪱🪱🪱

[@joesoutdoorplaces]

Blended egg carton. Another great bedding material idea.

[@Vermicompost]

Thanks, first time I'm using it in this bin. I think it is a good compromise for bulk when my bin is this full. it should get devoured pretty quickly! Thanks so much for stopping by & leaving a comment!!🪱🪱🪱

[@walkingwithtamson]

I see, didn't realise the mites covered a number of different kinds of Arachnia! Just had a rather interesting conversation with my daughter about the parasitic varieties 😊 The burlap doesn't seem to go down very well at all. Love to see the comparisons, it's amazing just how they degrade 😃 Nice one!

[@Vermicompost]

I really wish the common word mite had two different names for what we see in bins and the parasitic kind which are completely different! I bet that conversation with your daughter made this video look pretty scary😂. I love learning all kinds of things from her on your walks!! I’m afraid you are right…that burlap is gonna be in there a while!! Thanks so much for watching & commenting!!🪱🪱🪱

[@MelurthHowtogrow]

Great job Vermicompost!

[@Vermicompost]

Thank you very much!! I appreciate the kind words!!🪱🪱🪱

[@A-V]

Good demo on how much time is optimal for gathering mites. When I've tried it in the past I always left it to go for days - not knowing that so little time is needed for them to gather 👍🏻 I look forward to hearing what kind of beginner suggestion you make for someone who has no budget limitations $ $ $ :) :) 360° access seems so 2-dimensional.. I wonder what the expression is for something that's accessible from all directions..... X, Y & Z :)

[@Vermicompost]

I could not believe how many gathered so fast, especially underneath the bread, within the first couple of hours!! I think a beginner with no $$ limitations buys the whole company & gets others to farm the worms for them😂🤣😂 Based on my pregnant pause (which I may have edited out) I knew I got myself in a hole when I started to say 360🤣 Maybe 3-dimensional or spherical access would have been a better way to describe it…I love when I can’t think of the right word in the middle of filming!😂🤣😂 Thanks so much for stopping by🪱🪱🪱

[@A-V]

I got it... the material is now _globally accessible_ - what do ya think?! 👍🏻

[@Vermicompost]

I like it!! First one to use it in a video without chuckling wins!! : D

[@A-V]

Oh man... I've already for Tuesday's & Wednesday's videos completed & up on YT waiting to be published. That means the earliest I can get it into a video on my channel will be Thursday :)

[@Vermicompost]

You may still have me beat...I don't dig in on my Wednesday release and my next video after that is Friday!😂

[@paulsgreenspace]

Love the video mate 👍

[@Vermicompost]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your support and I'm loving your videos as your garden flourishes in Australia!!🪱🪱🪱

[@anthonyrafferty8594]

I actually learned that the worms dont just eat the food you put in the bin they also eat the bugs in the bin, which i thought was pretty cool and something that i didnt know

[@Vermicompost]

Worms are pretty amazing! And the worm bin itself is its own ecosystem, where the bugs and other critters work together to break down all the food and dispose of each other's waste to include deceased worms and critters! And it all goes back to feed the garden. I love it! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱

[@PopoPursuits]

Excellent video my friend!❤❤❤❤

[@Vermicompost]

Thank you so much!! I appreciate your time spent watching my videos!!🪱🪱🪱

[@13thDiscipleU]

So pot worms are from over feeding oh my so much to learn I think I. Just going to buy the castings it’s easier

[@Vermicompost]

😀This little bin is the hardest to get just right. All these little creatures are in there in small numbers but when things get out of wack they can multiply!! My other 2 normal size bins rarely have issues! I hope I didn’t make it sound too difficult!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱

[@shainh70]

I'm still farely new to vermicomposting and have been fighting an infestation. How much is too much?? I mean I'll pick up a hand full of material and it looks like it's all moving about there are so many! And should i be conserned about a mite infestation killing my house plants if i were to use the compost after it ages?

[@Vermicompost]

Luckily, you don't have to worry about these kinds of mites with your house plants. They only eat dead, or decaying material. They won't attack living material. How many miles is too much I guess is relative. I don't particularly like having so many that it looks like the whole material is moving like that so you might want to try and get rid of some of them using the wet bread method where you just put it on the top surface, and then four hours later check on it, and, throw it away and replace the bread. You can continue doing this until you see very few mites on the bread. But the bigger question is why are there so many mites and why is their population exploding? This usually occurs when a bin is too moist or overfed so what you can do is skip a feeding or two and add more dry bedding. All new bins go through some kind of critter population adjustments as the ecosystem tries to balance out so I wouldn't be too worried about it. Eventually you're bin is gonna be running super smooth and you won't be worrying about the mites at all. I hope this helps! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱

[@annsalty5615]

I noticed a mite bloom after fed my bin some corn meal. I may not do that again? But I wonder if mites are a bad thing or not. Worms eat bacteria, not the food directly, so mites may just be part of the break down process. I do know though I was over feeding and over watering, so hoping as I pull back the mites will be far less. This is my second try at worms. My first time I do not remember mites showing up like this. I am thinking they came with the worms.

[@Vermicompost]

I think you are correct, the mites most likely came with the worms. Overfeeding and too much moisture definitely contribute to mite population blooms, so if there were any to begin with they can multiply pretty quickly in those conditions. I experienced that both in this bin and when I first started my VermiHut worm tower. Mites are not a bad thing in a worm bin and, like you said, help the break down process. Population blooms are more of an indicator that the worm bin conditions are off a little. All of my bins have been through mite blooms but all went back to normal numbers (few mites) after holding back on feedings and letting the bin dry out a bit. Thanks so much for watching and letting us know about the corn meal/mite bloom!! We all learn a lot from hearing about other folks experiences with their bins!!🪱🪱🪱

[@annsalty5615]

@@Vermicompost Thanks. I have already seen a quick reduction in mites by drying it out. Its a real balancing act!

[@Vermicompost]

Fantastic!! I agree, it is a real balancing act especially early on in a bins life!!

[@bhsbass]

So are mites good or bad to have in worm bin?

[@Vermicompost]

Mites are actually helpful for a worm bin! They help dispose of dead worms and other decaying matter, but explosive populations of mites can be an indicator of things taking a bad turn in a worm bin...and too big of a population can out compete the worms for food! Mites favor a slightly different pH than worms, a condition that could indicate pockets of fermenting or anaerobic conditions, both of which the worms try to get away from and can cause your worm bin to fail (ie dead/fleeing worms.) So a few mites are part of a healthy worm bin but going from some, to massive amounts indicates an issue. Once they over populate, correcting the conditions, usually over feeding, should bring the populations down to natural levels, but sometimes I like to help it along by baiting them out after I fixed the problem that led to the mite issue!! Hope this helps!! Thanks so much for the great question I'm sure a lot of other people have!!! And thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱

[@anthonyhall162]

@@Vermicompost What about the mealworm eggs? Do the mites eat them?

[@Vermicompost]

@@anthonyhall162 Unfortunately I don't know the exact answer to that question because I have never tested it out, but I do know that their food source is dead or decaying matter. I have never seen a mite on a compost worm cocoon nor heard of them eating the worm cocoons if that helps to give any indication...but unless I have evidence one way or the other I can't say for sure about meal worm eggs! Thanks so much for stopping by to watch!! Sorry I don't have a firm answer!🪱🪱🪱

[@anthonyhall162]

@@Vermicompost Thank you for the response!

[@carlafawcett3851]

The mites make me crazy!! I turned over an avocado yesterday and it was full of mites!! Into the garbage it went yuck! I made sure no worms got chucked first : )

[@Vermicompost]

They are pretty creepy especially when I speed up the video to a time lapse!! Chucking the mite covered avocado is a good strategy!!! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!!🪱🪱🪱

[@سلكالغسالة]

The spider mites doesn't harm the worms But it do harm the plants so how can the finshed worm casting can be beneficial to the plants if it contains mites! How I can get red of it of the finished product? Do I have to use pesticide!

[@Vermicompost]

Luckily these are not spider mites! There are over 48,000 species of mites and the kinds that inhabit a worm bin are decomposers feeding on dead or decaying organic matter. They are not the kind that suck sap out of plants, so no worries for the garden!! As your bin gets closer to finished castings you can let it dry out a bit which will greatly reduce any mite population you have in there. The mites will also decrease drastically as they run out of food. I would not use pesticides as the mites are not a worry for the garden at all!! I hope this helps!! Thanks so much for stopping by to watch!!🪱🪱🪱

[@BaliFoodTreePlanter]

I'm looking for 10 breeders and composters who have mite problem as they irritate earthworms and thereby affect feeding and mating. I have a mite solution that I consult on once I have 10 customers, with the idea of someone that will want to manufacture the tool for broader market.

[@Vermicompost]

Thanks for watching!!🪱🪱🪱

[@BaliFoodTreePlanter]

Are you still having trouble with mites???? Or is this a robot?

[@Vermicompost]

@@BaliFoodTreePlanter Nope, Not a robot😂I wasn't sure if your comment was a robot, sorry about that!! I'm not having any mite problems right now, but appreciate you reaching out. I have an e-mail address in the about section of my channel page if you want to pass on any information!🪱🪱🪱

[@BaliFoodTreePlanter]

Thanks.

[@WDWormsnGarden]

That is a lot of red mites. It certainly didn't take them long to take over the bread.

[@Vermicompost]

My guess is their population is about to implode since they were so eager to jump on the bread. They are probably starving. Thanks so much for stopping by to watch & comment!!🪱🪱🪱

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Hi Patrick, I'm curious about your outside worms 🪱 and the drop in temperature tonight. Rick and I carried in the 2 Oblong Planters where I have several worms. I'm worried 40° outside would do them in. Arr you covering the worms or your Plumeria? Check Out My latest video on cutting down the Papaya 👩‍🌾👍

[@Vermicompost]

Hello Peggy!! My worm bin made it through a couple of freezes/frosts last winter so I’m not too worried about it especially since the highs get up to the 60’s pretty quickly. But…my worm bin sits directly on the ground and this shelters it from the cold a little. With your planters being up in the air, the temperature probably gets colder than my bin so that was a good call bringing them in. We actually got my plumeria on our Honeymoon to Hawaii almost 24 years ago and it has survived some 30 degree temps without us covering it up in a pot before we finally planted it in the ground! Now what I am worried about are all my wonderful tomatoes and my banana plants!! I’m heading over to watch your papaya video now!!! Hopefully it’s not too sad…🪱🪱🪱

[@cookie761]

Guess what! I accidentally found out that those yellow sticky traps are great for mites! When I was done catching all of the a fungus gnats, I just left the sticky traps in there right on top of the bedding. Pretty soon it was covered with little mites Yaaay!!

[@Vermicompost]

Whoa!! That’s incredible!! I’ve never heard anyone using those for catching mites so you may be a pioneer here!! Time to make some videos!! I love how you try all kinds of things and let us know what works!! Thanks so much for mentioning it here, I’ll be sure to mention & try it next time I have an explosion of mites. I have a bunch of those yellow sticky traps. Thanks so much for watching and for passing on your tips & tricks!!🪱🪱🪱

[@cookie761]

@@Vermicompost It's my pleasure! You've done a lot for me with your videos. I found that this works kind of accidentally anyway just by leaving the sticky trap in my bin. I've got so many mites that I swear there are thousands. One day I didn't have my gloves on and they started up my hands and I was trying to get rid of them. They went up my arms and I ended up with them in my hair and crawling on my face. It wasn't nice! They don't do that if you wear the gloves, at least they didn't with me. I hope you get control over your mites!

[@Vermicompost]

Oh my!!

[@raphayah4933]

Isn’t there a good chance that the worms might get stuck on the sticky tape when it’s left on top of the bedding?

[@Vermicompost]

@@raphayah4933 That's a great question! If she doesn't see this comment I'll ask her next time she comments on one of my videos and report back to you. I'm assuming she didn't see and worms stuck. Thanks for watching!!🪱🪱🪱

[@AdrepKeith]

Your not supposed to feed your worms carbohydrates such as bread, according to the VermiHut instructions.

[@Vermicompost]

I try to feed them carbs in moderation (just like I try to eat them in moderation : ) My VermiHut came with a refrigerator magnet and it had bread in the "limit" category. In this tiny bin I usually only use it to bait out worms but in my other 2 bins with populations of 3000-5000 worms I feed bread and past occasionally. I do have to be careful though because it can heat up the bin! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment!!🪱🪱🪱

[@nemesiocolon3846]

Evedenly they don't want that bag!!!

[@Vermicompost]

That's what I'm thinking too!! But they're gonna keep getting it with more & more goodies in it 😂 Thanks so much for watching & commenting!!!🪱🪱🪱