Are these babies?

I just looked in my worm bin and there are thousands of threadlike creamy colored things all throughout the bottom layer (the one with the good composted finished stuff). Are these baby worms or are they some sort of invader?

I have the tiered square set-up. I bought it at a garden fair last year. The city was selling them. In the past I have had small plastic rectangle bins with lids but they were too small. This one isn't big enough either as we are a family of 5 with lots of scraps, so I am going to build a large wooden box this year. I'll keep the tiered one as well as we need all the compost we can get and also a place to dump scraps.

Let me know what you think about those 'threads'!

Gwen

They are not baby Eisenia fetida- they tend to be born near the surface, and wouldn't be hatched in great numbers all at once. baby Eisenia fetida are pink, and look like miniature redworms without the clitellum. Sometimes you can find their egg cases in the bin- these sort of look like tiny lemons.

My guess is potworms, also called white worms (Enchytraeids). They are good for your bin, and aid in the breakdown of organic matter. Excessive numbers of potworms can indicate acidic conditions, but they are just another critter in the bin biosphere.

The only invader you really don't want in your worm bin is centipedes. They eat worms. Everything else is ok, unless there's a severe imbalance of critters which would indicate bad health in the bin. It's a biosphere in there and it goes through changes. The more varied critters you have in there, the healthier the bin, and the faster the organic matter breaks down.

Do your worms look like the picture I've attached?

This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 12:05 PM

No, but maybe that's because they are babies. My main worms are the red ones. The whitish ones are teensy tiny. Like little threads literally.

I think I needed more bedding material so I have been adding that.

I am careful not to put any acidic foods in the bin.

Gwen

If you don't think they're potworms then you've stumped me, Gwendalou. Whatever they are, if they take over the bin in huge numbers, take out food and add more bedding. That is the answer to pretty much everything in a worm bin.

Gwendalou...what is your media? I use peat moss exclusively, which can be acedic if not soaked overnight, and the excess water removed. I use a six-inch nylon aquarium net to squeeze out the water.

ilexwhite...centipedes eating worms! First time I have heard that one. From time to time I have seen a centipede in a worm bin and immediately kill them. Just don't like the critters. Would like to know more about this from the vermiculture standpoint. You used the plural when you mentioned centipedes...when do these get out of hand, and best method of control. Nice tip ilexwhite.

m

I don't have any peat moss in there. The stuff the bin came with is gone now. I use shredded paper. But I don't think I have been using nearly enough so I recently added quite a bit more. I think it went a while with no bedding and perhaps that caused some sort of imbalance. I'm keeping my eye on it!

Gwen

These little things that you say are "literally like threads", do they wriggle like worms? It sounds like it could be the white threads of tiny fungus that are part of the process of breaking down organic material.

Yes, they move. And they are in the stuff that's already broken down, not the part where the food is that the worms are supposed to be moving into and decomposing for me.

Gwen

You might try your question on the compost forum if you haven't already.

Mraider- I've mainly seen centipedes in outdoor bins. Once I found one in my own indoor bin, when I added some leaf mould that I didn't inspect carefully enough. I must admit that the breeding habits of centipedes in worm bins is unknown to me, but they do like the environment in there. The only way to get rid of centipedes that I know of is to pick them out by hand. I prefer catch and release, though!

ilexwhite...you are tuff! I can handle most things but, centipeeds and millipeeds are smashables and I keep my distance while doing it. Leaves are probably where the eggs are comming from if the outdoor bins become infested with centipeeds. Since your comment peaked my curiosity I will take some time to research these nasty little buggers. I have heard that centipeeds can give a nasty bite, but that's just rumor. Remember the sceen in the Indiana Jones movie where the heroin was covered in centipeeds, millipeeds and what not. That one flat creeped me out. Death to Centipeeds!

m

Hahahahaha! I'm definately not tough, I just hate the crunch and ooze of invertibrates when you smash 'em. Gives me the willies, plus a stab of guilt. And gardening gloves give me a vague sense of immortality.

the birds will eat your centepedes

This piqued my curiousity about centipedes and I found this interesting article on British centipedes. Fascinating critters. Will catch and release, preferably with gloves and the naked hand feeling is a little tough to take, if any live in my worm bin. In the rest of the soil, I hope my centipedes think the slugs are tastier than the worms.
http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th11d.htm

I'm with you, ilex; can't handle crushing bones in something that's alive and not all that small.