Setting Up a Small/First Time Breeder Bin

Hi!
Are you ready to start a breeder bin for the first time? Starting small is a good way to get a feel for the process and learn what works best for you and your worms 🤩.
Come learn how to set up a show box sized breeder bin that can get you the way to quickly and easily increasing your worm clew 👍
As always, thanks for watching! Please give the video a thumbs up ❤️.
If you’d rather increase, or start, your worms by buying quality red wigglers, please check out my website at:
rockinworms.com/products
Thanks!
Yours in the dirt,
Jayne

[@RockinWorms]

* I forgot to add eggshell grit into this breeder bin! * I added it the next day when I remembered 😊. * Breeders will be ok without grit for one cycle My apologies for the oversight ❤

[@hala_harb_]

Is the Eggshells you putting after using it directly or there is some steps before

[@RockinWorms]

@@hala_harb_ Hi again 👍. I do dry and powder the eggshells in order for them to be more immediately useful to the worms. My process is pretty simple: I take the eggshells and place on a tray lined with parchment paper (so they don’t stick to the tray). I place the eggshells on the tray into a cooling oven (I took the thing I was baking out, turned off the oven). And I leave the eggshells in the oven until I need them or I need the oven (haha!). Once the eggshells are cooled down I powder them in a blender or food processor to be as fine as I can. If you don’t have a blender or similar you can put the eggshells in any bag, seal it and use a heavy object (rolling pin, canned item, your hands or feet!) to crush them as best you can. That’s it! 👍🪱😎

[@hala_harb_]

@@RockinWorms Thank you so much

[@cherylhowker1792]

Wish I had this about 7months ago, lol I had to have you tell me via message This format is easier for everyone to understand. Very good x

[@RockinWorms]

You inspired me to make the video! 🥰🪱

[@cherylhowker1792]

@@RockinWorms wow really???

[@RockinWorms]

@@cherylhowker1792 Yes really! You ask good questions, you share what you’re doing, etc. That all gives me direction on what worm wranglers are working on and what topics may help them do better or enjoy their journey more. And I learn and enjoy more too! 👍🤩🪱

[@cherylhowker1792]

@@RockinWorms well tbh I’m quite flattered, usually I’m told I talk about rubbish lol or unimportant stuff and flit between things too much and don’t stay on target. I am trying to do better and finish one thing before then then start something else, but sometimes I remember something I should of said or wanted to say. Lol good thing I have autism and see things differently, as sometimes it’s obviously helpful. 😱 I can’t wait to start doing stuff in the garden in the next week, got a cold weekend atm so need that to pass before I start really. Then I’m looking forward to using a load of the compost I made last year and the castings I’ve done over the last 6ish months that I’ve not used- to make mixes for seed starting and for going on the garden beds and into the strawberry bags/raspberry plants/rhubarb containers/blueberry bushes in containers due to lower ph. Really looking forward to seeing the changes. As the only bed last year I used casting on was a salad bed, with all sorts of salad bits and they grew well. Anyways really looking forward to hoping making a good food garden this year is my hope. Weather is something I know I have no control over. I do control what’s growing tho.

[@MemesWorms]

Another wonderful Video Jane!! One thing I would mention is if someone has mixed and they are separating them make sure the pures are NO WHere near the mixed as the blues like to crawl from one bin to another.

[@RockinWorms]

Hi again! That’s a good tip! I’ve heard that before but of course don’t have personal with that as I only have pure red wigglers. Thanks for warning the Crew about that! 🤩🪱

[@BlueMountainWormsInc.]

Great info on breading bins !

[@RockinWorms]

Hi! How are you? Thanks for stopping by 🥰🪱

[@katiem9644]

Really good video here. Thanks for doing it.

[@RockinWorms]

Thanks for watching Katie! 😍🪱

[@annsalty5615]

Great info! I have so many worms of breeding age now after couple years building up the population from nothing that I should try a breeder bin like this. 👍

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Ann! Give it a try and report back! 👍🪱🪱

[@brookeonyx6271]

I love my blues! I’ve actually started a few pure blue bins. I wish I had the space to set up a bunch of pure blue breeding bins, but the demand for them is low. I have found the axolotl love blues! So for those who know people who have axolotl breeding blues to sell as food is a great business plan! That’s what I usually sell them for. Blues do jump from their bin to others, as someone mentioned, so keeping them far away from other bins is very important! Have you ever tried adding chopped straw in your hatch bins? I found that the reds and ENC’s absolutely love the straw and it makes for some amazing castings with loads more bacteria than other bedding materials. Recently got a microscope so I’ve been doing experiments to find what bedding materials create the best microbial activity in the castings. Even through my focus is breeding worms I’d still like good castings when I harvest the worms to sell. Another great bedding is making indoor compost using the same mix you do with the addition of alfalfa pellets (half coffee/half alfalfa pellets soaked to expand). The worms love that stuff! Thanks for sharing!

[@RockinWorms]

That’s really cool that you breed blue worms! They’re a great composting worm as well as a feeder worm. They’re not as ‘user friendly’ as the Esenia species of worms so not as popular. I haven’t tried chopped straw. I could as I have a partial leftover bale from the other animals. Hmmm. May do that to simply use up the straw as well! Thanks for the idea 👍. Alfalfa is known to heat up so using it in a pre-composting mix makes sense if you have it on hand 😍. I’d be very interested in learning what you find out on the bacteria loads in castings based on different food sources/bedding! Please share what you find out 🤗🥰😎🪱

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Hi Jayne, Great information on upping your Red Wigglers and hopefully lessening the Blues❤ Excellent job❤ ❤Peggy❤

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Peggy! I’ve received several questions on what can be done when worm wranglers have mixed bins that they didn’t want to have. Separating out red wigglers and starting a red wiggler only bin is a good way to go. And if you start with adults (breeders) then it’s easy to tell which worm is which species 👍🪱. And you get a cocoon boom too! 😎🤩🪱

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

@RockinWorms would you believe the ads were all aimed at me. Skin cream, footwear for aching feet and a sonic wave teeth cleaner. 😅 The algorithm had me pinned! 😅

[@RockinWorms]

@@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920 I’m not surprised at all. It’s scary how much our every click is track, analyzed and used to sell us stuff 😳😱. But I do thank you for putting up with the ads and watching (or at least letting them run) for the 30 seconds required so I get a bit of revenue for the time and effort used making videos 🥰. I very much appreciate your support! 🤩

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

@RockinWorms and I appreciate you and your time, too. I hope you are selling lots of Worms this Spring 👍🪱👍

[@NanasWorms]

Cute baby bin, Jayne! 🪱🪱🪱 ~ Sandra

[@RockinWorms]

Thanks Sandra! I’ll keep it going until the check in video so we can see how many cocoons there are. Then it’ll be combined into a full sized breeder bin for ease on me 😆🪱. Have you decided on how to manage Gilligan for your move? That’ll make an interesting video! 🤩

[@NanasWorms]

Jayne, I'm swamped with getting our house ready for sale and shopping for a new home. Plus we have had our 7 year old granddaughter here for a week. No time for Gilligan -- I thawed a bunch of pumpkin but didn't manage to get the bait cups done. We're going away tomorrow to look at a house, so maybe I'll bait Gilligan on Sunday... ~ Sandra

[@RockinWorms]

@@NanasWorms Busy times! I all too well remember the chaos of moving houses. Ugh! But exciting too 😊. I hope you find the perfect new home soon 👍😍

[@altonfender5168]

Thank you very much for your video it's help me a whole lot I have a pound of red wigglers and I would like to learn more about producing more and your video helped me out a whole lot I live in South Florida Okeechobee and I'm doing my own compost too and I would like to do more of the red wigglers to get castings for my raised bed

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Alton! Welcome Okeechobee neighbor! I’m about 90 minutes south and a little east of you! Your works are going to love compost, whether you do it outside in the more traditional manner or follow the table top method to better control for creepy crawlies 😎. I’ll be posting the results from this small first time bin tomorrow 👍. Is your pound of worms mixed ages? If so, picking out the breeders and making their own bin will certainly help increase their population more quickly. 👍🪱

[@happyworms]

Another great video Jayne! I especially liked your advice about the mixed herds. When I first started I bought from a large seller and didn’t know I didn’t get just reds. So I have just dumped the mixed worms in a large bun and started with reds only.

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Marva! That’s happened to too many new worm wranglers 😡. But it also has happened to experienced people too. I’ve watched more than one video of a medium sized seller needing to quickly ramp up their operation and buying from an unproven source and getting mixed worms vs the pure red wiggler stock they wanted. Buyer beware or know your worm seller is selling what she (!!) says she’s selling - pure red wigglers 🪱❤️🪱. All that said, if you’ve got mixed species it can be mitigated over time with some time and effort. I hope this video’s information can help a few worm wranglers out! ❤️👍🪱. Thanks for watching!!

[@MemesWorms]

@@RockinWorms On that note. I always encourage people to buy only a small amount the first time and look at each worm to make sure they are getting what they ordered.It's very upsetting that sellers know what they have and use marketing strageties to blind newbies. I have talked to so many who really beleive they have red wigglers but then say the UJ word and you know right off they don't have pure red wigglers. We started the warehouse with only pure stock of red wigglers E.F. because the market was (is) so flooded with the mix and it's sad cause some people truley don't know the difference and really think they have pure stock. That might be the case with the person you refer to in your post. She may not know the difference.

[@RockinWorms]

@@MemesWorms Hi Samantha! Thanks for stopping by 😍. Yes it can be for any of the reasons you reference that people end up with mixed bins. All we can do is put out the best information we can and help those that want to learn along with us. Test purchases are great and the best way to go but many people starting out only want a pound or less anyway. A test purchase just isn’t feasible. Researching sellers and carefully reading descriptions and TALKING to the seller is a good way to go 🤩🪱

[@MemesWorms]

@@RockinWorms Absolutley!!

[@guylewis3982]

Good Morning Rockinworms, I have really enjoyed watching this very informative and helpful video, I like the way the initial worm chow is mixed into the bedding making it easier for the worms to enjoy. I was about to ask ' how often do you feed', then realised you had already said, every 21 days! Can I please ask how you prepare the cow manure before using in the bedding? One very useful piece of information you have given is not to disturb the worms for 21 days!! The more videos I watch, the more I learn. Great videos, Thankyou, Guy

[@RockinWorms]

Good morning to you Gary! Thank you for watching and I’m very glad the videos are helpful 😍. We all start out in the same place - knowing nothing! Covering the fundamentals in a clear manner is one of my (many) goals. 👍. Yes! Try very hard to leave the worms alone for the 21 days - peeking is ok but don’t touch 😎. If you feed along the lines I suggest and they have biota rich bedding they have plenty of yummy nutritious food for the entire breeder cycle. As for the cow manure I have a video on that 🤣. Here’s the link: How I Make Sifted Cow Manure for Basic Worm Bedding kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIuYq52bnpeVd6M The cow patties, once air/sun dried can be broken up by other methods to reduce the size of the pieces. Fine sifted is best but we do what we can, right? 👍🪱🤩

[@mrice2488]

Excellent video!! I'm learning a lot. Thank you

[@RockinWorms]

Hi! Excellent! I’m so glad you’re getting good information from my content. Thanks for watching 😍👍🪱

[@arakanelite]

If using coco coir what is the best way to make sure it has all the micobio so as to not place the worms in a sterile environment. Also curious to see the transfer of the adults on day 21.

[@arakanelite]

Nevermind I found you have videos on this thank you!

[@RockinWorms]

Hello! I don’t use coconut coir and all my bedding materials (pre-compost and cow manure) are already full of biota. Having sterile bedding as you note is not a good thing! You can add biota to it by adding in castings from other bins as inoculation. You can also add in yard dirt/soil as an inoculate, being careful that it’s not been exposed to pesticides or other nasties (for example not the patch the dog or cat uses for relieving themselves). You can also add in dry leaves to a bin to add biota. Leaves will have naturally occurring biota and fungi on them. I guess the leaves would be my preferred option along with a few handfuls of castings if you have some. In fact with lots of dead leaves you don’t even need coconut coir! You can also feed the bin moldy yucky food scraps - the mold and yuck are actually biota! Just be careful to not turn the worm bin into a hot compost bin! I hope I’ve given you a few ideas 👍. I have a few videos where I show various ways I reset adult breeders into their new bin for the next breeder cycle. Here’s links to a few of them: ReSetting Breeder Bin - New Method of Separating the Adults from the Cocoons kzbin.info/www/bejne/jITZg2ebqNZ5gZo Moving Red Wigglers to New Breeder Bins - Mating Pair! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJewlHqgiZuEl6c Breeder Bins Managing to Success - Module 2: Moving Breeders to New Bin kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIink4V4gp6sfqM These videos may give you what you’re looking for 🤗🪱

[@RockinWorms]

@@arakanelite Too late - I gave you several links 🤣🤣🤩 Seriously, give the vids a watch and please ask questions 👍😎

[@madhat127]

Hi Jayne, great breeder bin start up lesson. Nice and easy to understand and follow. I do have a question regarding the food/worm chow. Do you add any ground egg or oyster shell to the food before putting it in the bin? Or do you add any directly to the bin? Or do you not add any ? Have fun, Mark : )

[@RockinWorms]

Ah Mark, you caught me! I forgot to add the eggshell grit 😡. I did add it the next day when I realized. The video was already up though. I’m going to add a pinned comment noting that right now! So to directly answer your question, I do add either eggshell or dolomite line for grit every time I feed. I add it separately mostly because I’m making videos as I want worm wranglers to know about the importance of calcium and grit. Here’s a piece of info though. Ann at PlantObsessed did a no grit bin experiment and didn’t find for the period of time she ran the test bin (several months I believe) the worms were fine without any added calcium or grit. Calcium could have come from the foods she fed them of course. The grit though - the worm either cooed without it or found a source in the foods or elsewhere in the bin. A wild guess in my part would be to wonder if mite eggs or springtail eggs are hard enough to act as grit if the worms eat them…??? I have read studies where it was noted that the amount of eggshell grit needed in a bin full of worms is rather small. Like a teaspoon or tablespoon- I can’t recall which, but it’s way less than what I see most worm wranglers, including me, add into a bin. Lastly, breeders are adult worms that have been around for at least a few months in order to have matured. They’ve picked up grit prior to being placed into a special breeder bin. They’re probably already bringing grit in their crop already so 3 weeks without an addition of new grit is probably ok. So if it gets forgotten once cycle just add it in when you remember or wait until the next cycle. It’ll be ok! Thanks for asking! 👍🪱🤩

[@traceybier1128]

Thanks for this!! Will you be doing a video on what the steps will be after the 21 days?

[@RockinWorms]

That’s the plan Stacey! I’ve marked the shoe box and my calendar 👍🪱😎

[@johnsuder7671]

What the temperatures that need to be for breeding and growing worms ,? What is to hot ? What is to cold ? what is perfect ? Thank you . Also Thank you for sharing

[@RockinWorms]

Hi John! Welcome! Preferred temperatures depend on the species of worm but let’s talk the eisenia species (red wigglers, ENCs, and andrei) 😊 They have a wide acceptance range for temperature - above freezing (but let’s try to stay above 40F) to below 95F (but let’s try to stay below 90F. Perfect seems to be in the mid to upper 70F. There’s supposedly lots of tricks to get worms to breed more and they probably work! But for the regular worm wrangler just keeping the bedding at room temperature, nicely moist, with decent feeding will get you all the breeding needed to grow your clew at a good rate. I do have several videos on how to set up breeder bins. Breeder bins will definitely increase cocoon production. Here’s a link to that playlist: Red Wiggler Breeder Bins kzbin.info/aero/PLUW0xTNzqrJoHOaCUDHDWCAISfNcSuWD4 Give those videos a watch and ask any questions you have 🤗🪱

[@johnsuder7671]

@@RockinWorms thank you very for getting back to me so quickly . Awesome thanks

[@RockinWorms]

@@johnsuder7671 You’re welcome 😎. I hope you stick around 🤗🪱

[@abrahamgrc2243]

Thank you so much for everything you share with us. 👏🏼🙌🏼 So what would be the difference between feeding them wormchow vs regular veggie Waste?

[@RockinWorms]

Hey Abraham. You are most welcome 😊. The difference is that the worm chow is effective in getting your worms bigger faster and keeping them bigger. This is due to the more calorie dense content of the worm chow vs general veggie scraps. Bigger worms means bigger cocoons means they’re easier to see and monitor/decide what to do with next. There’s nothing wrong with skinny worms or small cocoons though! Thanks for asking a great question 👍😎🪱

[@abrahamgrc2243]

@@RockinWorms nice! Than you for the insight.

[@brendagracie7522]

Your site is such a fantastic, informative and totally user friendly experience! Thanks for all you teach us. 🙂I have a mixed worm population and the Blues definitely outnumber the Reds. I am attempting to grow out my worms, to make them more chunky so that I can more easily tell them apart and separate them. My question is, is there a way to tell the difference between a Red Wriggler cocoon and an Indian Blue cocoon? Most of the Red cocoons you show look golden on camera but I have seen a few small dark brown ones. Are those brown ones Blues or are they simply an early or late stage of the Red cocoon's development to maturity? I look forward to your answer (even if it's "I don't know 😉)

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Brenda! Thank you the kind words regarding my channel 😍. I’m so glad you’re finding it helpful. My understanding is that blue worm cocoons are very small, tiny even, and not easy to see at all. The red wiggler cocoons are fairly easy to see especially in the early golden yellow stage. They do darken as they age and blend in more with the castings but retain the larger size. As you chonky up your worms the cocoons will get bigger and even easier to spot. You may find it easier and a more reliable method to concentrate more on separating the worms vs the cocoons. I am uploading a video Friday that focuses on identifying red wiggler adult worms. Since it’s the adults that make the cocoons, if you pull all the red wiggler adults you can find, and then stay on top of pulling new adults out of your mixed bins, you’ll move more easily in the direction you want. I also find it easier to chonky up my breeders once they’re in a breeder bin, even if I don’t run the bin as a breeder bin aka not as wet and at a different density than how I do my ‘give me as many cocoons as you can’ breeder bins. Once you have a number of red wiggler cocoons that you’re absolutely sure are indeed red wiggler cocoons you may be able to see differences between those cocoons and blue worm cocoons still in your (now less) mixed bin. You could even start a small dedicated Indian blue breeder bin of you can reliably identify them. Then after a few weeks go digging for blue worm cocoons! And then come back here and educate all of us on the cocoons difference! Yeah, I’m afraid I’m not being much help here 😩. 😡🪱

[@brendagracie7522]

@@RockinWorms Thanks for the prompt reply! So much useful info here. I will let my worms chonk up for a couple more weeks and start the onerous task of separating them, then chonk up the Reds. I only started with a quarter pound of worms 4 years ago, naively thinking all worms were equal and just to keep my food scraps from the garbage can. no one warned me how addictive worm wrangling could become! :) I am thinking of migrating my Blues to the outdoor cold compost bin. Looking forward to your next post.

[@brookeonyx6271]

What’s the veggie powder made of? Love that you mix it in. So many people don’t mix it in for fear of “protein poisoning”. I mix mine and have never had an issue. Adding in some dolomite lime helps a lot to avoid any problems with ammonia build up that causes protein poisoning.

[@RockinWorms]

Hello! The veggie powder is made up of 100% fruits and veggies, made into a slurry (veggie/fruit juices or water), then dehydrated. It forms a sheet. I break that sheet up and powder it. Oh! Here the video I made on it: Making Dehydrated Veggie Powder From Start to Finish kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWG7oHevo5eqbLM When I leave food on top - chow and veggie powder - it tends to sit there, get clumpy, and the worms don’t seem to eat it. I think my worms are acclimated to not having it on top! 🙄🤩🪱

[@sherrypeterson1842]

Im gathering info before i begin a new hobby so i have zero experience. Therefore, Id like to run this thought by you. Being a crafter, i know a "light pad" is a flat, enclosed light. Assume the worms' home is a clear plastic tote. To re-home them, push the contents over to one side enough to accommodate the bottom section cut off of a rectangular cat litter or laundry tub. Lay it down so the open end is toward the worms. Place the "light pad" under the bed and a strong light at the top cover simultaneously. The only dark spot would be the cut plastic you inserted. They should all dive in and ball up leaving behind the cocoons. Would it work?

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Sherry! That’s cool that you’re looking into worming before making the jump. Smart! I lept blindly of course 🤣😳🙄😆. I follow what you’re saying. It’s an interesting idea 👍. I’d be a little worried about the electric and moisture in the bin and the sealed casing in the light not being sealed enough to keep bedding out and ruining the light pad. But… it reminds me of someone somewhere saying they either used or was going to try something similar to what you’re describing. It was using a clear or light permeable worm bin and placing it on a glass topped table or raised sheet of glass and putting a bright light under the glass to drive the worms to the surface. I don’t recall other details like if a dark place was set up like you propose for the worms to congregate in and having top light as well to also drive the worms to the desired dark location. I think the main drawback to this working as well as you hope is that the interior of the bedding surrounding the dark area is also dark if it’s more than an inch or so deep. Basically the light from underneath and from the top have to be strong enough to ‘meet in the middle’ so the worms can’t hide in that dark center slice of bedding. And if the lights are that strong will they also be hot? Too hot? Or just hot enough to also help drive the worms to the cooler dark spot? 🤷‍♂️. It would be a fun experiment to run! If it works and the worm moved relatively quickly into the dark area then it could be a faster alternative method to standard light migration. That would be very good! I really like the innovative thought process you’re taking ❤️. That’s how really good new methods are developed! For me with my semi opaque bins I’m not at all sure the underneath light, unless it’s in the bin itself like you suggest, would be strong enough to get thru the bin bottom and into layers of bedding enough to make the worms go to a specific spot. 🤷‍♂️. I hope you get worms and give this a try!! And report back of course 👍🤩🪱

[@sherrypeterson1842]

@@RockinWorms the bottom light would be outside the bin slipped under. They are LEDs now so no heat. I'll report back if i ever get to try it

[@RockinWorms]

@@sherrypeterson1842 Oh ok! I got confused with the moving the bedding over part and slipping the light pad under. 😊 I look forward to a future report 😎🪱

[@evelynknight5627]

Re: we want wet worm bins anyway - PREACH! No hate, but I get so much anxiety seeing other people's bins and they're all so regularly dry. 😨 Very fun educational video. Unrelated, but are you still using the same cement mixer process for the cow manure?

[@RockinWorms]

Its deck is balancing act for bins used as primary castings generation. The more moist the bins are they shooed the worms. But castings need to be drier to aid in collection if one wants or needs to sift. I’m moving away from sifting more and more as I continue to see how effectively my worms process the basic bedding (pre-compost and sifted cow manure). Using methods such as horizontal migration, the sifter baiting out, even some usage of light migration allows me to reduce sifting. That means more moist bins, less time on castings collection and the physical act of sifting, etc. all wins! 🤩 Yes, I am still sifting cow manure using the exact same concrete mixer set up showing that video. Works a charm! 👍😎🪱

[@hala_harb_]

Hello How do you put the cow manure to the compost ? Directly or putting in the sun before you added

[@RockinWorms]

Hello! I actually have a video on how I make the sifted cow manure that goes into the worm bins. I do not add the manure to the pre-composting mix, just to be clear. It’s not that it can’t be added, it’s that I currently do not add it on. It’s very easy - and dangerous to the worms - to confuse worm bins and pre-composting totes. 😳😬😩😱 They have different functions and can not be treated as interchangeable! Here’s the link to how I make the sifted cow manure: How I Make Sifted Cow Manure for Basic Worm Bedding kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIuYq52bnpeVd6M Thanks for asking and watching my co tent! 😍🪱

[@hala_harb_]

@@RockinWorms 🙏🌹🌹

[@ElectricBoogaloo007]

How do you control fungus gnats?

[@RockinWorms]

Hi! I don’t get them or at least very rarely now. I think that pressure cooking the food scraps helps a lot as it kills insect eggs. Freezing foods do not kill most of the eggs. I eliminate the problem before it happens 👍 Sandra @NanasWorms has a video on using mosquito bits as a topical spray BEFORE disturbing the worm bedding as a gnat control. 😎🪱

[@ArrowheadGarage]

Very new to raising worms for our backyard urban garden, how do you know which worms are breaders?

[@RockinWorms]

Hi! Welcome! For red wigglers (the esenia species which also includes European nightcrawlers) the clitellum on adults will be quite noticeable and protrudes from the body. Aka bulgy. Other species of worms will have different looking clitellums and/or the clitellum is in a different location. Breeders and adults mean the same thing. ‘Adults’ may refer more often to these worms in a grow out or mixed age bin. ‘Breeders’ may refer more often to the same worm in a special bin set up to maximize cocoon production. What type of worm do you have? 🪱🪱🪱

[@ArrowheadGarage]

We have red wiggles from Arizona Worm Farm. Have 4 bins going, started this weekend.

[@RockinWorms]

@@ArrowheadGarage Congratulations! That’s awesome 🤩. I looked them up and they sell bed run worms. Those worms tend to be small, skinny and skew toward younger worms. So it may very well be that the worms are indeed too young to have developed clitellums. It’ll probably take several months for the worms to mature enough to start reliably being able to pick out adult/breeders worms. 🪱

[@RockinWorms]

@ArrowheadGarage That’s great! I love that you called them red wiggles instead of red wrigglers 😊❤️🪱

[@vistacendhani]

Hello, The bins are uncovered and they’re under shelves,how do you make sure the worms won’t try to climb the sides?

[@tatianadossantos9027]

Hi. Can you tell me if worms resist a fight? Someone asked to send worms to madeira with is a Portuguese island. The faster way to send them is by plane.

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Tatiana! How have you been? Of you’re asking if worms can survive in the cargo area of a plane, based on my personal experience, the answer is yes 👍. I have shipped worms via priority mail in the United States that sometimes includes place met on a plane. The worms arrived fine! Dehydrated and stressed of course but they recovered within a few days when placed immediately as possible into moist bedding. Good luck! 🤩🪱

[@tatianadossantos9027]

@@RockinWorms thank you so much for answering. Your fan I the dirt, Tatiana. :)

[@Ms.DirtDiggers]

Hi! I started my bin a few months ago using coco coir & cardboard. I properly ventilated the bin and kept on my patio. I fed them on a good schedule (I think)...I left them for about a week recently. Now I cannot find any of my worms!! I dug through, and can only find a few out of a few hundred. Any idea what could have happened??

[@Ms.DirtDiggers]

OMG, wait I just realized who you are. Jayne it's Tara!! (your old nail tech) 👋👋 ...

[@RockinWorms]

@@Ms.DirtDiggers Holy moly!! Hi!!! This is awesome! I don’t want to clog this up with personal catching up so can you send me an email at [e-mail] or send me a text… my number is the same 😊

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Tara! (Still OMGing that it’s you 😍). Ok, your worms disappearing. It can be several things that could have happened. Let me ask you a few questions to narrow down the possibilities. When was the last time you saw the worms? Was it a few days ago or more like a few weeks or a month? Is the patio enclosed? What’s the dimensions of the bin or gallon capacity? I don’t know if you’ve seen my recent mass die off video - the recent heat spikes and now constant temps in the mid to upper 90Fs cooked off 2 very large worm trough totes 😩. The same thing could have happened to you 🥲. 🪱

[@brianseybert192]

After 21 days, do you just feed them again? How many cycles do you go for before starting a new breeder bin? Seay Well!!!

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Brian! After the end of the cycle I pull all the breeder adults out and place them into a newly made completely fresh breeder bin. That’s if I want to do another breeder bin cycle. If I don’t then I can either leave the bin alone to turn into a grow out bin or I can mix the whole bin into some other worm bin I have, increasing that bin’s population by the number of breeders, wisps and cocoons that are in the breeder bin. As for feeding, there’s enough food remaining after a 21 day cycle to sustain the bin regardless of what you do with it so there’s no rush to feed again. If you pull the breeders then the original bin is now a cocoon bin. Simply cover the bin with newspaper (using the old newspaper from the breeder cycle is fine) and wait until the newspaper is almost gone before starting the feed the baby worms that now inhabit the bin. If you leave the entire original bin intact it’s now a grow out bin with worms of all stages and ages in it and you can feed as you would any other worm bin, proportionally to the number of worms in the bin. All of that may be a bit confusing 😳🙄. I’ll cover this all in the follow up video when the cycle for this small starter bin completes 🪱👍🪱

[@brianseybert192]

@@RockinWorms Thank You! I got it. I did a breeder bin in the basement over the winter, it just turned into another worm bin, Now I know! Thank you for all your knowledge! Stay Well!!!

[@RockinWorms]

@@brianseybert192 Yes exactly! If you don’t pull the breeders the bin will automatically turn into a regular worm bin - which is perfectly ok! You can always pull breeders out later and start a new breeder bin. 👍🪱🤩

[@markmarlto]

I’m using an old tool box. I got 97% blues from a particular company

[@RockinWorms]

Nice one Mark! 🪱😎👍🪱

[@anthonyromano8565]

I am starting to produce more casting than I can use. What are the odds someone would buy them?

[@RockinWorms]

Hi! Welcome! Selling locally seems to work best for less than tonnages. So it depends on your area. Farmer markets, local garden clubs, etc are your best bet. You’re only going to know by trying. Good luck! 🪱👍🪱

[@user-pe4yy2dz9o]

I have been following you for about 2 months, the amount of time I have had reliable WiFy since 1920. I have been carrying one red wiggler bin around with the upheaval in my life. I've done everything wrong so long it is a miracle they have survived all this time, and have provi ded me with castings for all of the potted plants I have carried with us. I now have 3 large totes with precompost working. This leads to my problem. Has anyone had respiratory problems from working with the pre-compost? I had to call 911 Friday evening because I could not breath. The nice fellows that came to my rescue asked all the right questions to determine that escaping gasses were causing my problems. Have you had any knowledge of this?

[@RockinWorms]

Oh wow Linda! I’m so sorry to hear that! 😳🥲. I have not had any issues at all making pre-compost and I have severe allergies (take 3 medications a day for them 😡). My biggest exposure time is when I’m mixing the ‘raw’ ingredients as my face is close to the mixing pan on and off for a few hours. I smell the coffee but it doesn’t cause breathing issues. Once the mix is in its tote to ‘cook’ my face doesn’t come close to it, even when mixing it or better yet, mixing by offloading it into a 2nd tote. Additionally by using the shredded cardboard topping any off gasses dissipate into the air as it develops. Sure there may be a few pockets of gas and if you directly breathe it I can’t say there won’t be a reaction. Obviously if you think there’s any chance that making or working with pre-compost is causing you health issues you need to stop immediately! Just because no one else (and I really do mean not one single person) has reported any issues at all doesn’t mean squat. If you have an issue then you have an issue. When you fully recover I am sure you’ll be thinking hard about all the surrounding circumstances of your reaction to identify any and all possible sources for the distress you experienced. I look forward to hearing any additional information you may learn about what happened! In the meantime, I send you my best wishes for felling better soon and that you get back to your tough as nails, survivalist worms! 🪱 🤗

[@brookeonyx6271]

I use a small compost tumbler indoors so there’s no need to get close when it needs to be mixed. It takes up 3’x2’ floor space, so not much. I wonder if that would make things easier on you. It definitely has made things easier and better for my allergies, mine are pretty nasty too. Just a thought, hope that helps.

[@RockinWorms]

@user-pe4yy2dz9o Hi again Linda! I was working with my pre-compost the other day and had a thought about your breathing issue. I didn’t get off gassing but there was a fine particle cloud while working with the mixture. It would be very easy to get a lungful of the dust, which is full of bacteria and maybe fungi and viruses. Those might have had an impact on your ability to breathe , aside from just the dust itself clogging your nose, throat and lungs. I suggest you wear breath protection going forward ❤️. Did you find out any specifics from your incident? I hope you are all better! 😊🪱

[@RockinWorms]

@@brookeonyx6271 Hi Brooke! A composter for mixing is a good idea! The pre-compost can live in there for awhile 🤩. I don’t have one. What I have is the cement mixer and that’s too big for inside use. I have thought about using it to mix the ingredients but haven’t gotten around to actually trying it out yet. I see small composters on marketplace and always think about getting one ! 😳🙄😳. Thanks for sharing! 🪱👍🪱

[@scrapzwtf]

I attempted this same project this week. I thought I could pull out just the red wigglers but no. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@RockinWorms]

Hi! Tell me what happened. Were you not able to identify the adult red wigglers by their bulgy clitellums or yellow tails? Or do you think you simply don’t have any red wigglers? Blue worms will outbreed red wigglers and if you only had a few to begin with in the bin they could have died out. In order to use the clitellums as part of the identification process the worms need to be relaxed. It’s more effective to have them spread out living their lives and pluck out an adult than it is to have them bunched up and stressed aka doing a light migration first and then trying to untangle the worms. It takes time. I know, I’ve done it. I had all red wigglers (thankfully!) but I wanted to be absolutely sure so I pulled worms one by one to identify them and place into a new bin aka just like what I show here to do. Let me know where you’re at and maybe we can figure a way that works for you! 👍❤️🪱

[@scrapzwtf]

@@RockinWorms Not even trying to ID the worms, a few weeks ago I pulled a dozen to put into what might become a breeder bin. I put 12 and check them often. I’m only checking that they are surviving in the material and moisture. I started going through that dozen to get the reds out. It could very well be they are all blues. It was late and I couldn’t see the best. I’ll try again when I’m not tired, but I could tell very little difference in the worms. It could be they are not old enough. I received these Feb 7. A mixup with order (it was very short so I contacted seller) and I received another order 2 weeks later. The newer worms look much younger. No bulgy clitellums that I can see. How old are they when the clitellum is prominent enough to be obviously different? Original order was for 1000 mixed. It seemed small from the bag so I counted. There were about 83 worms so I contacted uncle Jim. They re-sent order. Didn’t try to count but this order is considerably larger. But the new worms may be too young to pick out the reds.

[@RockinWorms]

@@scrapzwtf Hi again. Hmm. Uncle Jim’s mixed red worms are know to be mostly, even overwhelming blue worms. And they are probably quite young as well. Many of the larger sellers sell mixed age worms as it’s faster and more cost effective for them. It’s ok of course but it can be more difficult for a beginner to see and know what they’ve really got and manage the worms to best results. Often it’s a case of flying blind for 3-5 months until the worms mature and it becomes more obvious as to what they really are. Or spend a little more and be confident about what you’re getting (me! 🤩😆) as well as lots of support 👍😍. Back to your immediate situation as it is what it is. I’d hazard to guess that you have young worms and the clitellum hasn’t developed yet. You’re looking at 3-4 months probably until that happens. Wow! It does sound like something weird went wrong with your original order. Mix ups do happen. I’m glad they at least replaced your order 👍. I suggest you concentrate on feeding your worms, improving your bedding if you want to do that and generally learning to manage a worm ecosystem. And have a little fun doing it too! 😎👍🪱

[@evelynknight5627]

@@scrapzwtf Unsolicited suggestion, and maybe you already know this... But when trying to pick out red wigglers from a batch mixed with blues, the clitellum is one way you can distinguish between the two, but I'd say that the yellow tail might be the easier option. As you have may have noticed, the clitellums on red wigglers take a minute to show, but the yellow tails will show earlier. Indian blues do not have yellow tails. Another difference is that the banding in red wigglers is more prominent, but I feel that's trickier to pinpoint if you're picking from the masses. But following what Jayne said, I have heard they sell predominately blues in their red composting worms mix. Might not have a lot of red wigglers to pick out. Nothing wrong with blues though if you're just looking to vermicompost.

[@scrapzwtf]

@@evelynknight5627 Thanks. I’m going to try again.

[@suzanneedick1266]

What do you do with the bin after 21 days?

[@RockinWorms]

Hi Suzanne! After the 32 days I pull out the breeders and put them into a fresh new bin to start a new breeder cycle. The old bin now has only the cocoons and any hatched wisps in it. I leave this bin alone for a few weeks, giving it more time for the cocoons to hatch. Once I see lots of baby worms I start feeding the little worms small amount of worm chow. After another couple of weeks of worm chow feedings I will add in handfuls of fresh bedding. The fresh bedding is needed as by now almost all the old bedding is castings. I keep feeding and adding some fresh bedding until the little worms have grown enough that I can sift them out and totally replace their bedding with fresh. They are now a grow out bin and cared for like any other worm bin 😊😎🪱

[@suzanneedick1266]

@RockinWorms thank you so much After watching your build a breeder bin build I am attempting to build one. Most of the worms are wisps to young ones. I have about 100.