Cate in NZ Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 I trudged down to the compost bin in daylight yesterday, and was amazed to see it quite literally crawling with worms . I've never seen anything quite like it, little skinny pink worms, not like earthworms at all. When I took the lid off a whole pile of them just dropped to the floor . I kind of imagine that this must be a good thing, thinking of wormeries, but is it? The bin's just a standard compost in, in quite an exposed area and I don't really think about what I put in there (you have to be fairly careful about how much you add to a wormery at a time, don't you ). Should I be doing anything to look after my worms. Or are these not good worms after all, should I be trying to rehome them I might try and take a photo later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Worms in your compost bin is good. They have chosen to live there so the conditions must be right for them - if they don't like it they can always leave - they can go via they same way they came. They will help to speed up the composting process. Lucky you! All my compost bins are on a paved area of the garden so no worms move in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 That's brilliant Kate - you'll have lovely compost in no time. I expect that they have moved in because it's all warm and cosy for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesleyH Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 We have rats in our compost bin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I did read somewhere that if the worms are swarming round the lid it's because they're seeking a damp place to mate. I vaguely remember that if that's the case you should dampen the compost a bit so the worms go back down into it. I used to notice worms doing that on the bin that is 'fermenting' until i added some chicken poo and hemcore and now the worms seem to stay down. In the bin I'm currently filling there are definitely more worms now I've got chickens - probably the hemcore gives them more air than grass cuttings and veg waste ever did. It's steaming hot, too. I thought the worms moved in once the initial hot phase was over but not in my bin! I love compost, I could talk about it all day! Jo x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 We have rats in our compost bin! Try emptying it and putting chicken wire under the base - that seems to have done the trick with mine, although I've noticed they've burrowed under the wire and hollowed out a space but don't seem able to get into the bin. There's nothing worse than the fright of opening the compost bin to come face to face with a rodent! Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesleyH Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 We have got wire under it!!!! The little devils have found a way through. We also have wire mesh under the eglu and run - for the same reason as last year we had a resident rodent. At least the compost bin is up the top end of the garden - and I suppose that they have to live somewhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Hm OH says that something has burrowed under our Compost bin in the allotment too, but there are plenty of Rodents around there and as you say, they are bound to live somewhere. We are going to put wire under the next one we start off, and may try putting it on paving. I don't fancy emptying the rats out at the moment. I think our cats may need to pop over the road with us to the allotment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Hm OH says that something has burrowed under our Compost bin in the allotment too, but there are plenty of Rodents around there and as you say, they are bound to live somewhere. We are going to put wire under the next one we start off, and may try putting it on paving. I don't fancy emptying the rats out at the moment. I think our cats may need to pop over the road with us to the allotment Shall I send Biscuit over to help out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Bring him over in march and they can have a party while we're talking Chicken Poo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 We have a rodent in our compost bin too and in our garage. We have always kept the spare chook food in the garage rather than the summerhouse where we keep about a weeks worth at a time thinking it wouldn't be rodent proof enough. The food in the summerhouse has never been touched but a brand new bag that has only been in the garage for a week has been nibbled and the associated dropppings left We are going to get a couple of metal bins at the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Bring him over in march and they can have a party while we're talking Chicken Poo! He'd love that - he's a cuddly big jessie, but an expert mouser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
