Storms and chickens

[Ziggy]

I noticed today, when looking through the 'educational door' in the wormery (little door that you can open to look at what's going on in there, through a plexiglass panel), that there were lots of little white creatures in there... I have no idea what they are (I am a very unknowing person when it comes to those things), they are tiny, white, and have legs and a body longer than large... they look a little bit like headlice, but totally white... There are quite a lot of them... would anyone have any idea what they are, and if it's ok to have them in there, or whether I should do anything about it?

 

Thanks in advance

Edited February 19, 2008 by Guest

[The Dogmother]

Hmmm, can't say that I've seen any like that in my wormery, but then perhaps they are down in the compost and not on the surface.

 

Try taking a picture and sending it in to Wiggly Wigglers - they are very helpful.

 

All I have are lots if baby worms, where they've been playing at ladies and gentlemen!

[chickencam]

They could be baby woodlice?

[Ziggy]

They definitely look like baby something...

They are down in the pile, not at the surface, can't see a single one up there...

Not sure what baby worms look like, but I'm pretty sure this is not them...

 

Will google a few things... there must be some pictures somewhere on the internet...

[Egluntyne]

You might have to s"Ooops, word censored!" everything and start again Ziggy.....I had a nest of ants in mine last year and they ate all the worm eggs.

[chickencam]

I hate ants there are loads around here and they play havoc with crops in our sandy soil at the allotment.

 

Baby worms look like clear jelly string when they are really small then just little.

[Eyren]

You might have to s"Ooops, word censored!" everything and start again Ziggy.....I had a nest of ants in mine last year and they ate all the worm eggs.

 

I had to give up on my wormery - we have lots of ants here too (the estate used to be farmland 20 years ago) and my worms just didn't breed. Tried sticky ant tape and everything

[Ziggy]

Oh dear... all the books and ads always make it sound so easy...

 

I'm pretty sure these are not ants, I've had ants nest in the lawn many times before, and this doesn't look like their babies...

 

Still googling, so far the closest guess is some kind of mite or springtails...

[little chickadee]

I would second the advice about wiggly wigglers. They are very helpful.

Or, you could just give them to your chickens!

[Ziggy]

Thanks, I'll see if I can get a meaningful picture to send to them....

 

Those things really are tiny though... will have to use a very good camera on a very good setting and go very extreme enlarging...

[Charlottechicken]

Could you put some in a jam jar and see what they develop into? It might help with the photography too if they are captive

 

Make sure the lid is on tight though

[The Dogmother]

Could you put some in a jam jar and see what they develop into? It might help with the photography too if they are captive

 

Make sure the lid is on tight though

 

Good thinking David Attenburgh!

[Ziggy]

Oh good idea!!!!

 

That I will do...

[Reikiranf]

I'm relatively new to the forum and just noticed your post, they could be vine weevil grubs which eventually grow into nasty black beetle type things that live in soil and kill plants by eating them from underneath !

 

When I find them in my pots I pick them out with a trowel and squish them with it

[Charlottechicken]

I'm relatively new to the forum and just noticed your post, they could be vine weevil grubs which eventually grow into nasty black beetle type things that live in soil and kill plants by eating them from underneath !

 

When I find them in my pots I pick them out with a trowel and squish them with it

 

Hmm, could be. I got the impression the intruder was minute, but here's a linky to a weevil page http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/weevil.htm

 

Vine weevil are quite big, but the white babies, which look like little vine weevil ghosts, are smaller than the grub and adult. If I ever find any I put them in a pet food dish with slippy sides and place it on the bird table, birdies love them!

 

I find this the only way to kill them apart from squashing, because as the old saying goes "Weevils wobble but they don't fall down"

 

Sorry Couldn't resist

[Ziggy]

ummmm.... interesting... mine are white and small and have legs though... I have been so busy the last week that I haven't taken picture or 'captured' some of them, but will try and see if I can do it...

[Ziggy]

Here's a picture.... the thing is only about 2 or 3 mm long, so I hope this will show clealy enough...

 

[Olly]

 

That's very clear.

 

Sorry, no idea what it is ... doesn't look like a vine weevil to me though.

[Guest]

I'll check it against my book tomorrow.

 

I have a lot of white critters in mine, can't see legs on them though as they are too small. After reading my wormery book I decided they were good. My worms seem happy and these critters seem to break down food really fast - chips disappear in a couple of days (not that anyone in our house eats chips)

 

Actually the chips James didn't eat for lunch today (School closed, power cut) were shared between the birds, the chooks and the worms!

[Couperman]

Why are you worried about them? Do you still have worms in the wormery? if so I wouldn't really care.

 

I can understand why you woudn't want them mooching around in your 'self raising flour' or your knicker drawer but there are bigger things to worry about. Like the killer snake head fish that is about to sweep through the nation. This thing is lethal, it has more teeth than the Osmond family and can live out of water for up to four days it can also run fasterer than a racehorse, but luckily cannot outwit a fisherman.

 

Edit: I forgot to mention it can kill people too! And here's me worrying about global warming.

 

The Sun, We Love It

 

Kev.

[Ziggy]

Thanks Kev.... not sure this helped much, but it did give me a laugh...

[moochoo]

They do look like baby woodlice. We have a large wood store and in spring we often see similar babies. I wouldn't worry too much they help to compost too and obviously don't bother the worms.

[Ziggy]

According to Wiggly Wigglers, these are springtails...

Well in both cases, baby woodlice or springtails, seems nothing to worry about and a good thing to be growing in there...

Thanks everyone...