I Feed My Worms Everything- Except 1 Thing -Never Again- ENC Worm Bin

[@roywarriner8441]

I pre compost everything before it gets to the worms, you can feed your worms anything if it is composted. I use the cft method for the compost and the worm bin. I take castings out one end and replace that volume at the other end with compost. No bedding or drainage necessary. I grind dried bread crusts, eggshells and bones to add to the worm bin as well as rock dust and neem seed meal.

[@PlantObsessed]

Nice plan. I bet that works 👍🏼😃🪱

[@sarzootashoota351]

Pineapple has an enzyme that quickly deteriorates muscle tissue (that is why it is used in a lot of marinades). The tingling sensation you feel in your mouth when you eat pineapple is actually the pineapple dissolving parts of your tongue and mouth. I would imagine it's the same for the earthworms until that enzyme fades.

[@PlantObsessed]

Love it👍🏼 nerding out on the chemistry 👍🏼😃🪱. The worms can wait until it dissipates they have lots more to eat.

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Anne! I always think when it comes to worm food choices it’s a case of ‘just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!’ Such as feeding meats and dairy and such. I’m so glad you did it though for the rest of us ❤

[@PlantObsessed]

Yep, once was enough. I think I still add a little. Like when I make stir fry with a little meat or egg in it. Worms get the leftovers. All meat all the time was bad bad.!!

[@jbc0831]

I started my bin in mid August when the weather was 107 outside. Kept them in the AC until the weather cooled off. They have been in my garage for about 6 weeks and I'm celebrating my first arthropods!!! That just means that my ecosystem is developing. Very exciting! Never thought a rolly polly would get me excited. Love your channel. It is my favorite worm channel. I have watched some episodes several times just to see the worm balls!!

[@PlantObsessed]

I love it. Celebrating arthropods 🥰 you must be a natural to get a worm bin going in the summer like that. Thank you for the kind words. 🪱😁👍🏼

[@mikaellindqvist5599]

I have a small bucket mostly to have something to work with specially during the long winters we have here in Sweden, good to know i shouldnt bother changing or really try anything else. Theese show up in all my composts afer it cooled down to finish the process for me. While if im digging in my garden plots i usually find a grayish not as quick worm. I even have a tumbler on a stand and they find a way toget into that as well. Every year they work hard for me and i do appriciate it. Vert important creatures! Since we have such cold winters i have my bucket of worms in the kitchen close to the stove. Were its nice and cozy and they work even harder. 😂

[@PlantObsessed]

Good, you have happy worms. My worms keep me sane here in our winters.

[@pandabear15214]

Never had an issue with cooked meat. I do have Zevo and i use moscito bits. Maybe that's why I've had success. Good video. Thanks for the info!

[@PlantObsessed]

I wish I knew about the mosquito bits before. They are great.🪱👍🏼😃

[@janniehanagriff]

Thank you. I am learning so much right now. I think I have my outdoor bin set up pretty much. I am waiting on the arrival of my worms that are coming Monday.

[@PlantObsessed]

Be patient. It will take 6 months to get the ecosystem going. They may not eat much until then. If you have any questions let me know.

[@roywarriner8441]

I feed my worms everything from my kitchen, I dry and grind bones and eggshells. It either goes directly into the worm bin or into the compost with everything else. Carbon goes into the compost, I don't put any bedding in the worm bin, I just add fresh compost at one end as I take castings out the other, the compost bin is continual flow as well. No drains needed. Both in my basement, odorless as long as you don't put cotton in, damp or wet cotton stinks. Cover the bins with landscape fabric to keep bugs out.

[@PlantObsessed]

So you put pre-composted stuff in the bin in place of carbon?. I know a lot of people that raise worms do that to make the worms bigger. 🪱👍🏼😃

[@roywarriner8441]

@PlantObsessed I started that because it's the easiest way to deal with the organic waste that I produce between feedings, I don't have room to freeze it, so it was either have it rotting in a bin or balance the carbon right from the start. I lasagna it into a medium rubbermaid bin, turn it every week when I add a new layer of carbon. In takes 3-4 weeks to fill a bin 3/4 full. Even that small mass will cook, once that heating process finishes, it's ready. I monitor the moisture level when I'm turning it and add carbon or sprinkle a bit of water as needed. It's ph balanced and innoculated when done and ready to feed to the worms. Ground bones I'll add to the compost, ground eggshells I sprinkle into the worm bin as well as some rock dust. I tried one larger bin for compost but found it easier to use a few smaller bins.feeding from one while another is cooking and filling a third.

[@A-V]

So cool watching you go through all those wormies 👍🏻 Good worms!!

[@PlantObsessed]

Thank you 👍🏼🪱😃

[@clivesconundrumgarden]

The immune system analogy is bang on imo. Humsns want linear, nature is simply not designed that way. Material looks fantastic, Excellent Ann !! Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🪱👍

[@PlantObsessed]

Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. Happy worming!👍🏼🪱😄

[@timnic3850]

My meat bred maggots. I think I'll either bury the meat in deep pits in the garden or I'll pulverise it in the blender to a liquid form and then pour it into the worm bin. I do that with bones. Cook the bones in a pressure cooker that makes them crumble between fingers and then blend them to a fine meal size and feed them to the worms.

[@PlantObsessed]

That sounds like a good idea.

[@zedbaby72]

If people know how bugs are on the fruit and vegetables we buy, they will never buy anything.

[@PlantObsessed]

Lol that is why we wash it. Is it ever good enough? Maybe not. Lol. Better living through chemistry 🧪😉

[@brianseybert2189]

I use natural bedding, shredded leaves and compost in my bins. When I start new bins in the fall and bring the worms in for the winter I have an initial bloom of different small flies, but within a few weeks it subsides. Under the microscope, I find a greater diversity of soil life with the natural bedding. Did a paper bin over the winter I need to separate out. My plan is to send in a sample of the natural vs paper castings to see if their are and significant differences nutrient wise. When I get the results will be posting a video. Springtails are very common in basements, I am sure they just find their way into the bin. Springtails feed on organic materials, they just aid in breaking things down, never had mites, knock on wood. Lettuce disappears very quickly also. Enjoy your videos! Stay Well!!!

[@PlantObsessed]

That will be cool. I look forward to seeing the results.

[@SueKnigge]

How do you "bring them in" for the winter? I've got an 8x4 raised bed in an old chicken pen that has absolutely no worms in there...if I put any in that bed, I'd swear I'd not find any to bring inside again 😢😢😢

[@brianseybert2189]

@@SueKnigge In the summer I keep the worms in 20 gallon grow bags. In the winter I put them in 27 gallon totes. I usually separate the worms from the castings and start new bins in the fall.

[@SueKnigge]

@@brianseybert2189 oh, I see! That makes more sense than what I had playing through my head 🤭

[@PlantObsessed]

@@SueKnigge burry some food scraps about 8 inches deep then come back 3 days later. I imagine if there are any left they will show up.

[@gabolema]

nice! I'd argue that banana's peel are the first thing they eat in my case...like, I've never seen one in my compost bin, and I throw at least 5 per week

[@PlantObsessed]

You have a healthy worm population. Good worms👍🏼🪱😃

[@CedarTrailsLiving]

Agreed. Bananas and melons go quick in my bin.

[@hannahsteele1270]

Just thinking out loud... adding a handful of leaves from the forest floor, and a few sprigs of plants from a chemical free place as bedding and food should increase the likelihood of a more diverse ecosystem more quickly. Food from the grocery store has usually been sprayed and wash multiple times and there is not much life left on them.

[@PlantObsessed]

Good thoughts. I actually just added a few gallons of leaves to my bin. I hope it gets a diversity boost.🙂🪱👍🏼

[@NanasWorms]

I bring leaves into my bins, so the fact that I get pill bugs isn't a surprise. I've always wondered where pot worms originate. I started a cocoon nursery once, for instance, with shredded egg cartons and I got little tiny pot worms. Yes, it was a nice moist bin for the cocoons, but I don't believe in spontaneous generation of life! ~ Sandra

[@PlantObsessed]

Patrick had the idea that it comes from garden items we put in the bin. Dormant eggs on leaves and such.

[@GraceEngineering]

I'm not an assuming man, but I might guess that pot worms come from the Marijuana plant. Lol

[@NanasWorms]

@@GraceEngineering 🤣🤣🤣

[@PlantObsessed]

Me neither 👍🏼🪱😁

[@trishoconnor2169]

Hey, Ann, looks like Blue is doing great! Please wish me luck with the Worm Factory 360 my brother just got me as a gift! (I can just imagine him telling his friends, "Your sister may want jewelry. Trust me, my sister would rather have a worm bin.") It will be my first "vertical migration" system. Horizontal is somehow more intuitive to me. I think of my current bin as a "treadmill," because the worms migrate one direction while the bedding moves the other direction, keeping the whole bin at basically a steady state overall even as all the contents move in opposite directions. But I'll be interested over the coming months to see how well I do with a stacked system where the worms are supposed to migrate upward.

[@PlantObsessed]

Nice brother!! My worms don't seem to do the vertical thing on my stacked system. Maybe someday I'll get a proper one like you. Good luck.

[@debbiegarrett2035]

I have been a worm farmer for over 20 years. My husband says I am a rancher not a farmer since farming is with vegetation and ranchers are with animals. Anyway, I have composting, red wiggler worms. My bins for the past 10 years have been the Worm Factory 360. I started my worm journey with blue plastic bin’s from Wal Mart. The Worm Factory seems to me to be the easiest. I don’t feed bread, meat, protein or oils and I freeze everything before I put it in my bins. I keep my gathering pail in the fridge because of flies and fruit flies. I keep a gallon size baggie in my metal pail and as I add my organic waste I add paper towel and toilet paper centers, torn apart to the pail as well. I then can put the gallon bag (gallon size because it fits my pail) in the freezer. I put one in the freezer and take one out and feed it to the worms. I let it thaw but they don’t seem to mind if it’s not completely thawed. I add chopped up cardboard and other things like paper sacks, brown paper I get from boxes in an order, paper egg cartons, etc. to my bins as needed. I also give them ground up egg shells. I grind them in a coffee grinder I got at the thrift store. I didn’t always grind them up so fine until while I was separating the castings an egg shell stuck my hand and it was sore for a while. It was almost like a egg shell splinter. Anyway grinding them finer is better. I like making compost tea with some of the worm castings. I add the castings to my herb, flower and vegetable gardens as well. Be sure and work it in your soil or when it is dry it gets as hard as lava rock. Your blue bin looks great! My casting are very moist. I could never run my hands through my bins like you do. I add a lot of extra paper material to my bins and they still stay really moist, plus the bin drains out liquid all the time. I have to watch it or it will fill up fast and leak out. When we travel for a long period of time my grandkids will check it out for me or I will come home to a mess. Maybe it’s the different kind of worm that makes the difference in the moisture of the bins. I really haven’t had very many problems with my bins that more carbon and less food at a time didn’t fix. Your doing a great job!

[@8oclocktomatotalk]

Great looking bin there Anne! We’ve been making compost and leaf mold like crazy and the worms are starting to show up! This video is inspiring me to start the worm bins my daughter and I have been talking about!

[@PlantObsessed]

It's a good time to start. You have free worms.

[@8oclocktomatotalk]

@@PlantObsessed right 😀

[@cowboyblacksmith]

I made six weeks ago my first worm bin in a large tote with holes drilled on the bottom, all around near top edge, and lid. I used leaf mold, homemade finished compost and some sawdust. Man those red wigglers are LOVING it!

[@gregbutler9873]

Those bins are so healthy and productive for being the newest bins you have started . Great job and keep doing what you love too do. 🍻

[@PlantObsessed]

Thank you that is very kind.

[@morekare57]

wow! learning so much after watching your video - thanks for sharing! I've recently sat thru many other worm farmers also - so many "new" ideas.... Our acres of worms must be depressed - we never 'spoil' them with special feed - they eat animal manure and kitchen scraps - always have, always will - just can't buy feeds for them but we do enjoy picking up other folks 'compost' items from their commerical kitchens. Keep up the great work and have fun!

[@PlantObsessed]

Thank you for the kind words. Lol I'm sure they love the manure more than bananas.😃👍🏼🪱

[@dennisfrench8225]

I leave the staples in my castings because I think it’s a small form of iron for my plants when I use them just my take on it

[@PlantObsessed]

Lol I don't pick them out either 😂

[@sandyjoao4489]

Great vid Ann loved d worm ball at the end of d bin.

[@PlantObsessed]

They are good worms looking cute for the camera 😄🪱👍🏼

[@GardeningwithBarchuckin]

Good to see the worms are doing well Ann! Great feeding, the worms love the sweet potato’s flesh but the skin does stick around for a while. I have started messing around with bokashi and you can put a lot of forbidden foods in there but for now it just gets put out in the compost pile.

[@PlantObsessed]

Interesting.. not quite to bokashi yet. I have seen the channel where the guy does road kill.

[@robclower9606]

This is so strangely satisfying.

[@gregbutler9873]

This is my wife’s decompression hobby and she never thinks that her worm composting as work . 👍🏻

[@PlantObsessed]

Yep then I go back to my day job and get all compressed again 😭

[@PlantObsessed]

Right? Like having someone get you a drink tastes better than getting it yourself 😉

[@PlantObsessed]

It is 👍🏼🪱😄

[@beverlybarham6930]

It's mid summer in SE USA. I am starting to trim up plants to improve sun/photosynthesis as well as removing the drought stricken crispy leaves. It's sort of an afterthought, but I just fed a gallon or so of green veggie leaves and stems (mostly fresh) to my worm bin. I am a bit concerned it may heat up my bin (We are already in the mid 90s so temperature management is a challenge). I think you've fed garden scraps as well. Do you suggest pre-composting yard waste or any other pre-treatment before feeding the bin? It's all chemical free. Thanks for sharing your vast experience managing your bins. I have learned so much.

[@PlantObsessed]

I do but usually keep it in one area so the worms have someplace to go if it heats up.👍🏼🪱😃

[@nimlhug138]

I don't remember if I already thanked you in any other video... but thanks for converting everything to the metric system

[@PlantObsessed]

You are welcome. I can do some of it in my head from working in scientific fields mostly volume and mass. I admit I break out Google for the lengths part. Thank you for watching 😃🪱👍🏼

[@elizabethfindlay5752]

I seriously wonder about where the insects come from. I believe the eggs are in food and such and when the right conditions occur they are able to hatch

[@PlantObsessed]

I don't know. But they show up in every bin I have. Lol 😁👍🏼🪱

[@lisakruger5289]

I agree with you on the eggs being in the food - which is probably something we are better off not knowing! ;)

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Hi Ann, Sorry I missed your Live. Nice review ❤

[@PlantObsessed]

Thank you for watching. Do you have all your garden in?

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

@Plant Obsessed I garden throughout the year, Ann. I'm about to harvest some tomatoes 🍅 and have others to be planted. I put small peppers in the ground last week. I've been harvesting Giant Japanese Red Mustard Greens for a couple months. Kale grows most of the year You would go crazy down here👍

[@PlantObsessed]

@@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920 what do people in Florida complain about with out winter? That is practically a sport up here.

[@TheYeaRdPr0jEcT]

Do you think a metal container would be OK to use for a worm bin? For example, a stock tank a.k.a. cattle trough?

[@PlantObsessed]

I think it would be fine. 🪱👍🏼😃

[@waynepedder2033]

Ya ann i run 2 double big blues with euro nightcrawlers for the last 3yrs I've been feeding frozen watery blended table scraps and chicken nibblets with good success, except i would like to get them bigger

[@PlantObsessed]

I have the same problem. The worms keep breeding but the more worms in the bin the smaller they get. If you can give some away and feed worm chow they will bulk up.

[@waynepedder2033]

Thanks thats the tip I need

[@cherylhowker1792]

@@PlantObsessedI got told they need protist to grow bigger and they used chicken pellets that you feed to chickens. I just been and got some chick crumble that I’m gonna try and mix it with some oats and grains to make a chow and hopefully it will work. Hope you find something in some sorts of mix- maybe add to your bedding mix as that contains the rest for chow really.

[@sing-519]

W about lemons? Sa channels said it's to acidic for them, or garlic?

[@PlantObsessed]

They are both fine in an established bin. Or about 6 months or older. If it is a small bin then only have a small amount. Once you see how long it takes your worms to eat it. You will see it is an acceptable food for them. 🪱😀👍🏼

[@kaybegley9566]

How do you keep your bin so dry but have thriving worms?? I see that you do wedge feeding. do you keep moving with every feed?

[@PlantObsessed]

The part where I feed is pretty wet. I let the end farthest from where I feed dry out. It makes the worms want to move and makes it easier to harvest.

[@michelep4340]

Hi Ann. I have an abundance of potatoes I could feed the worms. Should I freeze, or cook them first? Also, I have a pretty annoying red mite population in addition to the little white mites. I’ve been dusting with diatomaceous earth, but it seems the mites just moved underground out of site. If I disrupt the bin, the mites are everywhere. I’ve been letting the bin dry out a bit, but still no noticeable decline in the mite populations. Any suggestions? Thank you.

[@PlantObsessed]

I would freeze the potatoes. I bet if you have a ton of mites you may have feed something that can't be eaten easily by worms. I see mites on avocado mostly. They are helpers. If they are there the bin needs them. They will die off when the bin has less food on it. I never had any luck at all using DE or Neem to reduce mites. Patience works every time.

[@omeshsingh8091]

I discovered that there were weevils in some flour. How would I add this wheat flour into my worm bin? What would be an ideal component(s) to mix it with and in what ratio?

[@PlantObsessed]

You can make a worm chow with it. 1/3 flour, corn meal and ground oat meal is what I used for years. Top feed sprinkle a little each feeding you will use it up in no time.😀🪱👍🏼

[@benjaminklein9378]

The worms are not exactly eating (digesting more precisly) the waste you are giving them. They eat it and digest the bacterias that are decomposing the waste, then poop out what couldn't be digested the first time and they come back to it once it is ready. I guess that is way it doesn't stink, the balance between worms and bacterias is good, a stinking compost would mean there is a lot more bacterias (it would also be hotter as they produce more CO2). And that is the same thing with cows for example : they are mostly eating bacterias, not plants. That explains why they have a stomac composed of multiple areas as it takes time for bacterias to develop.

[@PlantObsessed]

Yep for the most part but I have seen the worms directly on things like melon or pumpkin eating it directly. 👍🏼🪱😃

[@roundhousekickgirl4512]

How do you not get Black Solider Fly larvae? I would think being in a basement they would find there way in there and lay there eggs in the bins.

[@PlantObsessed]

I have found some in my outside bin but never in the basement. I am actually interested in an bsw system outside some say.

[@mikegentile13]

Hi. Thanks for this video. I'm a newbie. What's the frozen or not frozen have to do with anything? Thanks in advance!

[@PlantObsessed]

Freezing the food, breaks down the fibers and makes it easier to digest by the bacteria, fungi, worms and other critters in the bin. This means they will go through the food faster. Only feed when the previous feeding is gone. That's my best advice. 🪱😀👍🏼

[@shanesimpson8213]

when you remove some of the compost do you add dirt or just food stuff cause I wan to do it to mine but I'm not sure

[@PlantObsessed]

I always leave some castings behind to keep the microbes live in the bin. I also add more paper or leaves bedding and people food too so they don't go hungry.😃👍🏼🪱

[@lisakruger5289]

I also wonder where things like fruit flies come from. Are they on the fruit to start with or do they manage to find their way in somehow when the fruit is overripe? It's one of those mysteries of life I guess! :) And I totally agree with you that a less than 6 month old bins is not the same as an established bin. My worm bins are a couple of years old now and feedings disappear much more quickly now than when I first started out. Vermicomposting really is an amazing process! :)

[@PlantObsessed]

I think the fruit flies are just naturally in the environment and gravitate towards overripe fruit. Vermicomposting has changed my life for sure.😃👍🏼🪱

[@jrobbx]

I am going on vacation for 6 weeks. I am thinking of adding extra cardboard bedding and some slow food. What do you suggest?

[@PlantObsessed]

That is a great idea. Make sure the moisture is good too and you are all set.😁🪱👍🏼

[@chngdbygrace]

I have noticed in watching videos of other worm farmers that availability, size, whether or not the food is processed or broken down (mechanically or from micro-organisms) is a leading factor over whether or not worms like or don't like a food item (if they are capable of that. You can see it in videos that show whether or not worms eat a particular food item whole or pureed and how fast it takes them to work through each. But when you puree different food items and then compare the rate at which they are consumed you are then compare like consistencies, and if one item is consistently being consumed first or several feedings it can be speculated that there is a preference for that one thing... Maybe for a reason other than "liking" it, but a preference none the less... On a different note I had some earth worms I temporarily housed in a glass jar. I had some egg noodles left over one night and put some in with the worms. It was interesting because you could see where the worms had been eating at the noodles, and on one occasion I watched a worm eating the noodles... It was fascinating watching it open its mouth and then see a tiny divot be left in the noodle. Thank you for going over how long the different items take to be consumed...

[@PlantObsessed]

Yes exactly, like is not really the correct term. Ps watch my microscope video to see the worms up close in action.👍🏼🪱😊

[@tannerfrancisco8759]

I feed onions, garlic, citrus, and pineapple no problem. Fermented food, rotten foods, moldy foods. The only thing that my worms don't seem to eat is charred hardwood. They will bore through the center of a pine 2x4, but won't break down bigger chunks of charcoal or charred wood.

[@PlantObsessed]

I have never tried that. Interesting. 👍🏼😃🪱

[@tannerfrancisco8759]

There is a Japanese practice of charring wood which will have ground contact to prevent rot, so it makes sense that it would keep critters from munching on it. But charcoal is chemically different and if you crush it fine enough, the worms will eat it as grit. We already charge biochar by mixing it into compost or soaking it in compost teas, can you imagine how nutritionally and microbially boosted some finely ground biochar/charcoal which has been ran through the gut of your worms would be?! Depending on how much you use, it gives the castings a nice, dense black color.

[@davidblakeman913]

I am new to ENC worms. I have an old shelter belt. So I have a huge amount leaves, from new to decomposed. Can I use the dry and shredded leaves in place of the news paper that most people use?

[@PlantObsessed]

Yes definitely! Leaves are better than paper and cardboard. When mine are available I add them to the mix. They make the best castings.

[@matthewvannucci7066]

Hi Anne! Great video, and i love that you choose to value using your worms to process all of your junk because that’s how i think of it too! For meats and dairy, have you tried bokashi composting to pre-ferment it for the worms? I’ve read that the pre-ferment makes it easy for worms to eat, and it might help keep away gnats too

[@PlantObsessed]

I keep hearing about bokashi. I should try it this winter. Thank you for the idea. 🪱😁👍🏼

[@simon1804-x5r]

I fed my worms the dregs from making chicken stock (outside, it attracts bigger pests). I guess gnats is what I got, but they mostly died in front of the basement door(window). I swept them up, and guess where they all went? Anyway, it's spring now and those stock bits will go into the (hot) compost outside. Great videos - thank you.

[@PlantObsessed]

Yes, thank god it is spring. Im starting to understand Florida Snow Birds

[@pedrof3364]

question, what happens if i drop worms in my field? is it a bad idea? will they die if I dont´feed them?

[@PlantObsessed]

They will be ok. They have a lot to eat in nature too 👍🏼🪱😃

[@mistyk.8084]

I thought you had to use the red Wigglers for composting

[@PlantObsessed]

Nope, there are several species of worms that work well. Red wigglers are the most common. 🪱👍🏼😀

[@havespacesuitwilltravel9607]

I had the same experience with potatoes. After observing how the earthworms in the wild cluster around my rooted veggies like radishes and, yes, potatoes, I now think the worms are likely getting some benefit from live tubers. Why kill the chicken for meat when it's producing lots of eggs, right? Just an hypothesis

[@PlantObsessed]

Exactly. Thank you for watching 😃🪱👍🏼

[@nozztheking8138]

More on these mites please or is that just for indoor set up?😮

[@PlantObsessed]

I think the mites are both inside and out. I don't look as closely at my outside bin. Most of the mites are ok and they don't get overpopulated unless the food provided is only available to them. 😁👍🏼🪱

[@williamtaylor2412]

LOVE THIS THANK YOU

[@PlantObsessed]

I'm glad you like it! 👍🏼😀🪱

[@erical9526]

We have mashed potatoes, with butter and cream, leftover from Thanksgiving. Would that be okay to feed the worms?

[@PlantObsessed]

Yes, absolutely I feed leftovers all the time.👍🏼🪱😊

[@mikaellindqvist5599]

Weird. As a swede i havent yrt found a tesbag that dows NOT decompose completely. I have some lipton pyramid bags going right know and im having a feeling they could be it.

[@PlantObsessed]

Yes those are the ones that are not breaking down.

[@ianmcburdis353]

Ann can i use fish tank water for my worms

[@PlantObsessed]

Yes, I have used it to make the bedding and to moisten food. Might smell a bit but that will go away when the worms get to it.

[@juntjoonunya9216]

5:13 is this a top or side view or what?

[@PlantObsessed]

Top picture diagram. My layers are less triangle and slices. Thank you for watching 😃🪱👍🏼

[@DanielScheel-m9x]

Speaking of staples.. how do you keep them out of the white paper? Will they hurt our wormies?! Should I be this worried about the staple?😅

[@PlantObsessed]

I have never seen the worms hurt by the tea bag staples. I pull out paper staples before I shred. When I get donations I don't know if they are in there or not. Seems to be ok from the years I have been keeping worms. 😁👍🏼🪱

[@DanielScheel-m9x]

@@PlantObsessed do you ever find them when sifting? Thank you for such a prompt responses, you're an amazing content creator ☺️

[@PlantObsessed]

@@DanielScheel-m9x I do find them when sifting sometimes. They are pretty small I imagine most go through the screen.👍🏼🪱😊

[@metasamsara]

I think for many getting pest in the compost is a bad thing altogether. Do you farm delicate crops like tomatoes and cannabis? especially indoors?

[@PlantObsessed]

I absolutely do. Tropical bonsai and orchids too. The mites in the bin are not the same that eat the plants. The spider mite for example that I see on my orchids is 10 x smaller than the ones in the compost. They are on a different floor than the worms too.

[@danieldipeppe1455]

Are they the same as red wigglers

[@PlantObsessed]

Nope. They are different species. Thank you for watching 😃👍🏼🪱

[@melodylamour6123]

I've been finding black fly larvae.

[@PlantObsessed]

They are great composters but will steal the food from the compost worms. I hope your bin is outside 👍🏼🪱🤔

[@melodylamour6123]

@@PlantObsessed yes it's outside under cover. I've been feeding the larvae to the neighborhood ducks. Think I have them under control right now

[@mllokie9075]

How long till a carrot is good for worms to chew

[@JohnJohn-bc4nh]

freezing them helps break down quicker

[@PlantObsessed]

If it was a whole carrot 🥕 I would give it a month in a bin with a pound or 2 of worms that was mature ( over a year old)

[@ashalee1576]

In one Ytube video, I saw the person had rose branches in his worm feed. I think that's the wrong item to go into the feed.

[@PlantObsessed]

Ouch. Maybe if it was powdered. Not likely very nutritious. Right? 😃👍🏼🪱

[@tinaharvey356]

Are they better than red wiggles?

[@PlantObsessed]

They are about the same except they have the ability to get much larger than the reds. 👍🏼🪱😄

[@helenaragon6539]

another great video thanks!!!

[@PlantObsessed]

Thank you for watching 😃🤞👍🏼

[@glennlewman4186]

Does anyone feed rabbit droppings to their worms?

[@PlantObsessed]

There was a homestead channel that used to keep worm bins under his rabbit hutch. Seemed to work great.🪱😀👍🏼

[@eve66able]

I would leave the meat for the maggots (BSFand other flies).

[@PlantObsessed]

I wish I lived somewhere warmer where I could have a BSF system. That would be cool.

[@eve66able]

@@PlantObsessed remember, being warm in the winter usually means cooking in the summer.

[@I.am.Mumma.Bear.1]

Why are your bins so dry? If I put my hands in my bins they come out filthy. I run my bins at 70 to 80% moisture for my worms. They hate it when it’s dry and I see much less production in castings, reproducing and cocoons if it is. I only dry out that much when sifting cocoons after I’ve removed adults.

[@PlantObsessed]

I am not trying to intentionally breed worms. High moisture helps with that. I also use Coco coir that keeps the particles apart better. My goal is for them to eat stuff. I have almost 60 pounds of worms. I do not sell worms so they self regulate to my bin sizes.

[@CarlosAnselmo-be4nw]

A woman been contaminated with worms have worms in the body she started to be sick get in hospital and have to be operated to her brain have a big worm about 50cm had emergency operation later been send home with antibiotics but still getting infection and be back on hospital again after that's don't know what happened 😢

[@PlantObsessed]

Interesting story.

[@jenniferjuniper9118]

After over 2 years of worms (and mites in all colours) I now suddenly have lots of tiny moths 😳😳😳 not happy. I know the balance in my bin is off and it’s my own fault ! I’ve neglected it and then threw an entire pumpkin in. Also still recovering from very sticky gluey junk mail. Worms looking happy , it’s just me that’s not 😂😂

[@PlantObsessed]

The little moths can be from corn or grain too. I had a bout of them a few years ago. Glue paper traps work great 👍🏼. Good luck

[@jenniferjuniper9118]

@@PlantObsessed I was dreading the bin in the basement. Mites I’m ok with , flying things no. Just went to check , nothing to see ? Where did they all go 😂😂😂 All started going wrong when I downsized from 3 bins to 1 , it’s true more real estate is easier for having a balanced bin.

[@sandraarmstrong3722]

Can I feed peanut butter

[@PlantObsessed]

I would say yes a small amount but, mix it with some paper. You may see a bloom of mites that will help process the oil before the worms get into it. 😀🪱👍🏼

[@rico99586]

IMPRESSIVE! WoW! Have you an estimate of the amount of worms in that bin? Also I will ask, but don't know if you will answer, or can, since I know you can't play favorites since it's a business, but I cannot find any ANC for sale. I have all ENC and I love them, (and of course they love me too since I'm their source of food), but really want some ANC. I'm 175 years old and can't wait forever to find some. If you can help I would surely appreciate the tip. Thanks for always great videos. I've been a subscriber for awhile, and ALWAYS learn something new.

[@PlantObsessed]

I got my new ANC from the garden and worm lady. She has a channel too. She lives in Indiana and I believe she ships weekly. I think there are about 4 pounds in this bin. So about 8,000 worms give or take😃

[@rico99586]

@@PlantObsessed Thank you very much! I appreciate that you took the time to reply with that information. I know you are bussssssy. God bless.

[@Vermicompost]

Great video Ann!! When I bought my first set of worms I'm pretty sure I saw a few mites...that's my guess for my bins, along with anything I brought in from adding regular compost or leaves. Fantastic worm balls towards the end and excellent info all throughout!!🪱🪱🪱

[@PlantObsessed]

Good call on the yard stuff. I do feed leaves every once in a while.

[@moniquelee3623]

Can you put chicken menure in your bin?

[@PlantObsessed]

I would let it compost for a few months due to the nitrogen content. After it finished the hot compost phase I would try a little. 👍🏼🪱😃

[@mascatrails661]

Hi Anne, been a while since I've been on the wormtube. Did the wormies ever break down the chicken bones?

[@PlantObsessed]

Lol nope but they are looking dark and spongy.

[@tannerfrancisco8759]

Mine will gnaw on fish bones that have already been through my compost pile

[@paulsoutbackgardenaustrali7674]

Don't your worms crawl away...I tried b4 ...having them outside and they disappeared 😔

[@PlantObsessed]

Most of mine are inside worms. My outside bin has holes in the bottom. So they are like outside cats they come into the bin when there is food or the environment is better than my native soil.

[@allenlyon7202]

The mites are mostly introduced by the worms themselves there pooo and mites go hand and hand

[@PlantObsessed]

Exactly

[@allburntoutgas]

All over our Inviornment soil food ect

[@PlantObsessed]

Yep 👍🏼

[@haroldbrown1674]

Should wet down paper first.

[@PlantObsessed]

Yep

[@KennethDupuis-o9d]

red wiggler eat acorns Hi Kenneth

[@PlantObsessed]

I bet they do,😀👍🏼🪱

[@MaciekMazij]

Cover up food using soil

[@PlantObsessed]

😃👍🏼🪱

[@cecilmitchell6510]

You must cover your food and not leave it on top of your. Bedding to keep down the mites

[@PlantObsessed]

Exactly

[@thomas.m.d]

I dont see many food scraps in the ground .plenty of vegitation and leaves and soil.A free worm is helthier than a worm in a plastic bin.worms dont talk english.pity ❤

[@PlantObsessed]

😃🪱👍🏼

[@user-px2sn8pr5t]

wear gloves

[@PlantObsessed]

Sometimes

[@gabolema]

for your videos at least 🙂 @@PlantObsessed