Nicola H Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Mine has just arrived and I am going to set it up with Emily when she gets home, I ordered the bigger pack of worms so i hope they get started faster I have already saved an apple core and some tea bags for them......................Just off to read the instructions before Emily gets in from school. Oh i also ordered some mealworms with the food that you can breed yourself that looks real fun to do and the chooks will love me forever... I spend a fortune on dried mealworms at the moment so I thought i would give breeding my own ago, I imagine there will be lots of girly screaming when Emily and her friend see them wiggling away in the kitchen.................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 28, 2006 Author Share Posted June 28, 2006 I was just thinking that it has been a while since my girls had mealworms - thanks for reminding me to get some Nicola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 I think I got 500g of worms with mine like Sarah did. The boys have been feeding them leftovers religiously and they've eaten the lot! Wish the boys would too though!! They had a handful of worm treats and a handful of lime last week and that seems to have spurred them into action because there's hardly anything left that we fed them up to the weekend, bless their little.....was going to say cotton socks but they've not got any feet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 28, 2006 Author Share Posted June 28, 2006 Mine are sluggish by comparison Is the lime mix just garden lime? I might have to get some of the worm treat - what do you think it is made of Kate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 The lime is a specially made thing which looks like composty pellets but I would imagine it's the same thing as the garden lime we use in the chicken run. It's to cut down the acidity in the wormery and that's what the garden lime does in the garden. The booklet says you can add crushed egg shells or calcified seaweed as an alternative every week. I don't know what's in the worm treat stuff, I'm afraid but again, it looks like composty pellets!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 The booklet says you can add crushed egg shells Gosh, can't imagine where you're going to be able to find any of them.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 28, 2006 Author Share Posted June 28, 2006 Thanks Kate, I was just wondering wether the worm treat was something that I could make up at home. I have been adding Bokashi, which neutralises acid too so they dould be ok. I save all my crushed eggshells for the chooks or the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 I think it may be the Bokashi bran Clare because with the meal worms that i am going to breed they have provided Bokashi to feed them on........I have to say the cycle of a meal worm sounds a bit disgusting and they have to stay in the house, they eventually turn into beetles and then mate and give birth to new worms then the beetles die I hope my chickens appreciate the trouble I am going to for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 28, 2006 Author Share Posted June 28, 2006 Hmmm, not sure I'd bother! I must say that the stuff my last lot of mealworms arrived with looked a lot like Bokashi - good idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 4, 2006 Author Share Posted July 4, 2006 Do you have a link or any information for breeding meal worms Nicola? My chooks love them and Rosie would enjoy watching the life cycle. I have started to 'turn my worms over' very carefully with a hand fork and it seems to mix it up and get them movign again. It is very hot in the wormery at the moment even with it in the shade, which is a bit of a worry. I am nearly ready to put the next layer on now. I will check int he book about it first though as there is still some unprocessed food in the bottom layer, but they are starting to run out of room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 Mine seem to take up a lot of room too Clare,& there seem to be masses of them The food must be being eaten,& although I haven't given them too much they seem happy enough. You get a big waft of heat from mine too,even though it is in the shade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 Clare i got the mealworms from Wiggly Wigglers, you get a leaflet with them telling you how to breed them, you need 3 shallow containers such as ice cream cartons you start them off in the first one then at each stage put them into the next container I have to say it is a bit disgusting they wiggle a lot I am still at stage one with them but will let you know how it goes. My Can-O-Worms is very hot too but the worms don't seem to mind they are munching away and i keep getting liquid out of the tap to feed the tomatoes with, it does seem to be taking them quite a while to eat the food but I read somewhere that it is a good idea to let the food start to rot before you put it in the wormery.........Nice............I am using Emily's old nappy bin to put our waste food in then adding it to the wormery every week it does smell a bit when you take off the lid, I might put a bit of Bokashi in with it and that might help the rotting process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 4, 2006 Author Share Posted July 4, 2006 I noticed that the food suddenly went down quite quickly, I suppose that they hit their stride. I wasn't expecting miracles as Graham had warned me that they are a bit slow. Don't worry about having lots of worms - they'll compost it quicker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 6, 2006 Author Share Posted July 6, 2006 I added a new layer to the wormery last night. They are still in the bottom layer, and there is still some food in there, but the level is up to the bottom of the new layer. I have put some food in it. It will be interesting to see how soon they start to move up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 7, 2006 Author Share Posted July 7, 2006 Thanks for that link Nicola - I'll be having a look at that later. How long are they supposed to take to multiply? My worms had started moving up to the next layer this morning - It doesn't say in the book, but shoudl I add another block of the fibre stuff for them or just loads of paper? I forgot to put the rain cap on yesterday, good job the tap was open as I now have a little bucketful of compost liquid. The wormies look fine though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 I am having 2 problems with mine... 1 : They keep escaping."Someone" isn't putting the lid on properly after feeding them & I keep finding little piles of worms on the patio 2: This is my problem.I find them really icky.I have to brace myself to pull back the moisture mat & feed them I know I am being girly & silly,but they make me shudder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 7, 2006 Author Share Posted July 7, 2006 Oh dear - perhaps 'whoever' is leaving the lid off ought to be the one to clear them up Mine seem to have survived the deluge yesterday. Rosie and I fished a load of them out of the bottom sump the other day; they are supposed to climb back up that cone structure, but many of them didn't seem to be doing that I must remember to check them every now and then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 Right, well I have added the next layer, put food in it and moved some of the worms plus their lovely bedding/compost up into that layer and they seem to be feeding there quite well now. We had some casualties last week in those bad thunderstorms - dimwit here forgot to put the raincap on the wormery and some of them got washed down into the sump . I have found that turning them every so often with a small fork or trowel seems to move them around and get them working better. I must remember to add some Bokashi and paper when I get home. How are yours Kate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Thanks for the update Clare mine are still in the bottom layer I might give them a turn with a fork to get the working better. At first my wormery was very wet and I was getting liquid out of the tap every day but now it seems to be quite dry but the worms seem happy enough............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 Good news Nicola. Mine have dried out a bit since their soaking and are going great guns. My mother is scared of them Rosie talks to them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Mine seem really wet & I have been tapping the excess moisture out down the bottom. The moisture mat has all but disintergrated too - does anyone know if this is normal? I may put some shredded newspaper on there to try & dry them out a bit The food seems to be reducing at last,so I am hoping that the whole thing has found its balance & will start working well now One other thing - there are a few shoots growing up from the moisture mat I think its from some coriander I threw in there,which has sprouted ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 Hey, A bonus crop! I've just got some funghi on my moisture mat - nothing as useful as coriander When I bought mine from Twiglet she said that the moisture mats disintegrated - she had made her own one out of a circle of carpet - it's fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Must do that Clare. My mat's disintegrated and I've just sent for a set of 4 more!! I'll use the dining room carpet we're about to pull up next time!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 Apparently it's better if the carpet is synthetic rather than wool - not sure why - would worms eat wool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Apparantly so Clare. Its on the list of things you can feed them But,it also says an old jumper can make a good moisture mat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
