worm bins & earwigs

[tmtresh]

I'm new to using a worm bin. I am using a 30 gallon rubbermaid
container. I drilled holes in the sides and bottom for aeration and
drainage. It is currently sitting on the ground outside in a shady
place. It is about half full of damp newspaper, compost from my
compost pile, and new weeds, veggie peels, and crushed eggshells.

I went out to see how the little worms are doing today and found the
bin teeming with earwigs, a few centipedes, and the worms are there,
too. But there aren't near as many worms as earwigs.

I know earwigs eat dead and dying matter, too. So my question is: Is
it bad for the worms to have the other animal life in there too? If
so, what can I do about it?

On a side note, I live in Idaho, and was amazed that so few people had
heard of worm bins. I called several nurseries and home & garden
stores to see if I could buy red worms locally, and none of them knew
what red worms were. I ended up ordering them online. What I recieved
were skinny frail looking worms. I was afraid none would survive. They
have since fattened up a little, and look much more healthy.

[Marcosis]

I've heard of using nematodes to control earwigs in wormbins.
Check out...
http://www.happydranch.com/invertebrates.html
and you might want to ask the question in the forum at
http://www.wormdigest.org/forum/index.cgi

Mark.


"tmtresh" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm new to using a worm bin. I am using a 30 gallon rubbermaid
> container. I drilled holes in the sides and bottom for aeration and
> drainage. It is currently sitting on the ground outside in a shady
> place. It is about half full of damp newspaper, compost from my
> compost pile, and new weeds, veggie peels, and crushed eggshells.
>
> I went out to see how the little worms are doing today and found the
> bin teeming with earwigs, a few centipedes, and the worms are there,
> too. But there aren't near as many worms as earwigs.
>
> I know earwigs eat dead and dying matter, too. So my question is: Is
> it bad for the worms to have the other animal life in there too? If
> so, what can I do about it?
>
> On a side note, I live in Idaho, and was amazed that so few people had
> heard of worm bins. I called several nurseries and home & garden
> stores to see if I could buy red worms locally, and none of them knew
> what red worms were. I ended up ordering them online. What I recieved
> were skinny frail looking worms. I was afraid none would survive. They
> have since fattened up a little, and look much more healthy.