Pick Your Own Red Wigglers

[Sky Pilot]

Well, my European Nightcrawlers arrived today and I put them in my bin this evening when I got home. The bedding I am using is mostly shredded newspaper with some dried horse manure. I put the worms in the bin and within 5 minutes they had all gone down into the paper. I then put out some yellow corm meal and crushed boiled egg shells.

[azslabber]

Don't forget them vegtables !!

[Sky Pilot]

I did put a few veggies in also. Went fishing today and was real tempted to try them out, but didn't.

[Sky Pilot]

The ENCs seem to be doing good. They are getting bigger and more active. Been feeding them yellow corn meal and potato peelings. Hard to tell about the corn mill disappearing but some of the veggies are. I put a wet piece of cardboard on top of the shredded paper for moisture. I got concerned about some mineral spirit fumes that the students were using in the shop where I was keeping the worms. I moved them to the classroom to not take any chances with fumes.

[fishwalton]

There are some great suggestions here on raising worms. No doubt the cheapest way with a little work. For now I purchase "big red" for $34.00 per thousand and wigglers for $20.00 per thousand direct from a supplier. This is pickup only at these prices. Crickets are $12.00 per thousand. I pass by the supplier every 3 months on a trip so there is no problem picking up the bait. This may be possible for anyone that lives close to a supplier. Stop in and talk, you might work up a deal.

[Angler53]

What do you all (yall) do with your castings?

[fishwalton]

I give them to my flower loving neighbors or use them myself in flower bed

[shipahoy41]

What do you all (yall) do with your castings?

I put them in the veggie garden or flow pots.

[Tank 1]

I know I am digging this out of the archives, but there is a lot of good information here.

I started a new bed today, it's small but should be fine for what I need. Figured it's better to start small and get a handle on it.

[Charliee]

I started a bed this spring in a 7 gallon Rubbermaid storage box. I drilled holes in the lid to let air circulate. I filled it half full of a potting soil - peat moss mixture. I started out with the leftover worms from a couple of fishing trips. Right now I am feeding rice bran and they seem to love it. I think that now I am self sufficient in worms and will not have to buy anymore. The only major problem is that I have built up a good sized mite population in the worm bed also. I wish I could find something that would kill the mites and leave the worms alone.