Worm Composting Information & Advice
From the monthly archives:
“Can worms spread harmful bacteria such as ecoli and salmonella?” ~ Shauna Babcock
Hi Shauna,
That is a really good question!
Worms themselves are not hosts for pathogens, but the materials they live in and consume CAN contain various disease-causing organisms. Thus caution is certainly warranted when using materials such as manure and sewage sludge, which can both [...]
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“Can worms live on animal manure only, or do they need other supplements?” ~ David Turburville
Hi David,
Worms can indeed be fed only animal manures. These materials are incredibly rich in microorganisms, which worms depend upon for their nutrition. When it comes down to it, animal manures are just about the best materials you can feel [...]
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“I am having problems with a wormery I started 4 months ago. My first batch of worms died due to the wormery becoming too wet / smelly. I am now religiously tapping off the liquid, adding newspaper / cadboard / lime pellets. It smells ok now, it’s dryer consistency but the 2nd lot of worms [...]
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“What is the difference between worm farming and composting – which is better for you garden. I want to start one of the other or should I be starting both????” ~ Tracy Smith
Hi Tracy,
That’s a good question. With all the related terms flying around it’s very easy to get confused!
Let’s start with worm farming. It [...]
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“Do worms lay eggs? If so then how many and how often. What is the life of a compost worm? What happens when they die?” ~ Ken Metford
Hi Ken,
Worms do indeed have a type of ‘egg’. They are typically referred to as cocoons (or egg capsules) however, and technically contain multiple fertilized eggs.
Earthworms are hermaphroditic, [...]
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“On comparision which worm is better for research, Eisenia foetida or eudrilus eugeniae?” ~ Nirmala Natarajan
Hi Nirmala,
That’s a great question. I haven’t really spent much time talking about different composting worms so I think our readers will find this interesting. I’m not 100% sure what you mean by “research”, but I will assume you are [...]
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“Am putting some of our domestic waste into worm farm. Have been told recently that the material put into conventional compost bins contributes to methane production, is it the same for worm farms.” ~ Dan Milliken
Hi Dan,
Hopefully by “domestic waste” you are simply referring to normal household organic wastes, such as food residuals, yard waste, [...]
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