best worm bins avaiable

[greenmatter]

bullfrog i think that with your minimum temps a small heating matt (like for an aquarium) would solve all your problems.you might have to change the controls a bit cause the temp range you are working in is low, but you could keep the bin from freezing. my bet is that the worms will all run to the warm spot if things get to chilly.

in my area the heat mat would be running way to much to make it worth the effort (i think) ........

 

[Bullfrog44]

HH, thanks for your insight.

Greenmatter - I like the heating mat idea. In my area it only freezes maybe a handfull of times a year. So for those couple nights it might be a good idea to throw a heat mat in, just in case. I have several that I use for cloning and popping seeds, so it seems like a no brainer.

Everybody - So my indoor bin is starting to really produce some results. I started it in early Dec and have added 2,000 worms to a fairly small bin. Now my problem is I have little flies, flying around my worms. I fear these will transfer over to my clones I have in the garage with the worm bin. What type of flies are common here? They seem like fungus gnats, but hoping not.

Any info on how to get rid, or control these guys? Or do I want them in my worm bins? If it becomes a problem with no real answers I might ditch the indoor bin and throw it all in my outdoor bin. Thanks you guys.

 

[xmobotx]

just use neem seed meal in your soil mix and dont worry about any of the bugs in the worm bin

 

[pinecone]

just use neem seed meal in your soil mix and dont worry about any of the bugs in the worm bin

What if say you were married (to someone bug intolerant) and wanted to keep an worm bin in your living quarters? What would you do about the bugs in the worm bin them? Would neem seed meal and proper environmental conditions in the worm bin make flying pest a non-issue?

I want to start a bin, but they won't live outside here all year and I'm afraid it would not coexist all of the members of my household.

Pine

 

[h.h.]

If it stinks and draws flies, don't put it in the bin. Probably hard to use any manure as well. Whatever I do put in the bin tends to freshen up or grow if I don't somehow mash it.
An old ice chest from a thrift store might be an idea or maybe a cold frame.

 

[pinecone]

If it stinks and draws flies, don't put it in the bin. Probably hard to use any manure as well. Whatever I do put in the bin tends to freshen up or grow if I don't somehow mash it.
An old ice chest from a thrift store might be an idea or maybe a cold frame.

I like the design of Bullfrog's bin. I would scale it down for my need though, and put a door on the bottom chamber. The other option is to by a Worm Factory 360. I can get set up with one of those for about 1.09 with 1lbs of worms. The Bullfrog design with a closed castings-drop chamber seems like it would be more gnat impervious and wood helps things breath even though everything is sealed up. Anyway that is the way that I see it. Either would require an investment with no returns if there are associated pest problems.

Pine

 

[h.h.]

The ice chest was mare a suggestion as an outside way to overwinter. Bullfrog did come through with a nice bin.
I put in milk products that when not mixed in pretty good did attract a couple cockroaches once. I sprinkled DE in the area and all was fine. I also once had a few piss ants where I did the same thing. A little fruit that time that wasn't mushed up and mixed in. I see the occasional earwig in the mix, never out of it. DE also helps control the occasional odor and serves as a safety net until you know you have your feeding down. I recycle my soil in it which may help as well. It should smell like healthy soil. If there are any foul odors, it needs more air or less moisture, just like soil.

 

[Bullfrog44]

DE? You have a good source for that? Or brand name maybe?

 

[xmobotx]

lol n@pa or @utoz0ne -floor dri

it says 100% diatomaceous earth on th 25 lb bag for like $8

 

[pinecone]

So nobody is going to promise me that I can worm farm on a small scale in my kitchen without pest?

Pine

 

[mad librettist]

So nobody is going to promise me that I can worm farm on a small scale in my kitchen without pest?

Pine

Pine, I would be a liar if I did.


You can keep numbers low with nematodes (I doubt the neem meal will help much), but even with nematodes there will be a cycle of sorts.

If I were you, I would put the bin outside and have a few bokashi buckets. Save your bokashi until it gets cold, then start using it to heat the bin. Just be careful not to cook your worms. This method will reduce your waste sent to the landfill by about 80%, and closer to 95% if you are vegetarian and careful about not taking wasteful packaging home.

 

[greenmatter]

So nobody is going to promise me that I can worm farm on a small scale in my kitchen without pest?

Pine

my bin is in my heated garage pine. i have never had any problems whatsoever with flies or fungus gnats ......... but if you want an official "promise", i can't help ya brother.

i feed my worms a lot of leaf mold and always assumed that i have bought in a few pests with it, but i probably brought in a natural predator or two also so the worms are not alone

go with the nematodes like Mad suggested and give it a shot ...... i think/hope you might be O.K.. never know till you try

good luck

 

[Bullfrog44]

So, how do I get rid of the gnats in my worm bin? Or should I scrap it and throw it into the outdoor bin?

 

[mad librettist]

This is always news to someone: fungus gnats like to eat fungi!

Another big issue is temps. The higher the temps the more bugs you get. A kitchen can be pretty warml

 

[mad librettist]

You know what? Why not design a bin made to hold hot compost below the worm chamber? You could harvest from a center chamber, and half finished compost makes great worm food.


You could even wire in some heaters to keep it from freezing if you fuck up.

 

[big_daddy]

So, how do I get rid of the gnats in my worm bin? Or should I scrap it and throw it into the outdoor bin?

Bullfrog,

I use neem cake as part of a food meal I give to my worms 2x a month. Neem cake suppresses gnats and fruit flies without harming beneficials. It also suppresses 15 species of pathogenic fungi[cite].

I have a mix that is equal parts neem cake, crab meal and kelp meal that I sprinkle over the top of the bin then cover with compost. So far, no flies/gnats but it is colder here than California.

HTH

b_d

 

[mad librettist]

Bullfrog,

I use neem cake as part of a food meal I give to my worms 2x a month. Neem cake suppresses gnats and fruit flies without harming beneficials. It also suppresses 15 species of pathogenic fungi[cite].

I have a mix that is equal parts neem cake, crab meal and kelp meal that I sprinkle over the top of the bin then cover with compost. So far, no flies/gnats but it is colder here than California.

HTH

b_d

have tried all manner of top dressing, but gnats can still reach other parts of the bin.

on top of gnats though, there is the potential for crawling insects going up your walls.

the point is, if your partner is anti bug, don't keep a worm bin in your kitchen. it will lead to conflict.

 

[h.h.]

So nobody is going to promise me that I can worm farm on a small scale in my kitchen without pest?

Pine

There is a way, but it entails alimony payments.

 

[pinecone]

If I were you, I would put the bin outside and have a few bokashi buckets. Save your bokashi until it gets cold, then start using it to heat the bin. Just be careful not to cook your worms. This method will reduce your waste sent to the landfill by about 80%, and closer to 95% if you are vegetarian and careful about not taking wasteful packaging home.

I don't think it can really go outside here. Our average January lows are 9 degrees and there typically a few days around or below 0 degrees F. I'm a zone colder than Chicago.

Pine

 

[mad librettist]

I don't think it can really go outside here. Our average January lows are 9 degrees and there typically a few days around or below 0 degrees F. I'm a zone colder than Chicago.

Pine

that may be, but even in a small bin, i've had bokashi heat up enough to turn the plastic thermometer from white to yellow. off the charts hot.

.