On Thu, 27 Oct 2005 03:49:48 GMT, "Wylie Wilde"
wrote in aus.gardens:

Sometimes I have opened up the bin to find that all the normally healthy
worms in it have gone up into the rim of the lid and died, all squashed up
together in a horrible mass. The
bin is filled with the usual sort of garden compost material grass clipping
etc..

Is it because the compost has become too acidic or is the bin too hot from
the Sun and all.


I think the others are right it is the heat. I have had the same type
of bin for nearly two decades and in winter the worms seem to clinb up
the side in dozens (when you open the lid they drop off to get away
from the light) As the weather warms up you rarely see the worms on
the top of the contents and I have never had the mass suicides you
decribe. I am surpriosed they don't burrow down to cooler parts (I am
assuming yours is like mine and has no base and the worms are ordinary
garden worms that climb up and reproduce in their millions.

I was wondeing if there was something in the bin they didn't like and
they couldn't get down to the base. I had a disaster many years ago
when I put heaps of cumquots in the bin - all they did was rot, create
a foul smell and acted as a barrier to the worms.

My bins are only used for food scraps and the odd pile of swept up
leaves because I never put grass clippings in on the premise that is
is bad enough having to cut grass without collecting it as well. Every
so often I throw a handfull of gardener's lime into the bin,
regularly water it and since the cumquot incident have never had any
trouble.


Regards
Prickles

This message only uses recycled electrons

Hello Echidna,

Ya we used to throw in Orange peels into the bin- the worms hated that.
Thankfully we have learnt the errors of our ways and stopped that.

You are quite right- the bin is probably in the wrong sunny spot and gets
too warm. I still like my garden bin hot- so that I can kill the weed seeds.
So I think I will set aside one small bin in the shade to do my food scraps
and leaves composting- and have my worms there

Cheers,
W.


"Flying Echidna" wrote in message

Wylie Wilde wrote:
Hello Echidna,

Ya we used to throw in Orange peels into the bin- the worms hated that.
Thankfully we have learnt the errors of our ways and stopped that.

You are quite right- the bin is probably in the wrong sunny spot and gets
too warm. I still like my garden bin hot- so that I can kill the weed seeds.
So I think I will set aside one small bin in the shade to do my food scraps
and leaves composting- and have my worms there

Cheers,
W.


"Flying Echidna" wrote in message


Heck, now weve got worms trying to migrate Call the immigration
minister either phill or amanda. Re orange peels tell em Aussie worms
love em and that theyd better get used to the idea of eating em if they
want to live here.

"Jacko" wrote in message
...
Wylie Wilde wrote:
Hello Echidna,

Ya we used to throw in Orange peels into the bin- the worms hated that.
Thankfully we have learnt the errors of our ways and stopped that.

You are quite right- the bin is probably in the wrong sunny spot and gets
too warm. I still like my garden bin hot- so that I can kill the weed
seeds. So I think I will set aside one small bin in the shade to do my
food scraps and leaves composting- and have my worms there

Cheers,
W.


"Flying Echidna" wrote in message
Heck, now weve got worms trying to migrate Call the immigration minister
either phill or amanda. Re orange peels tell em Aussie worms love em and
that theyd better get used to the idea of eating em if they want to live
here.

Is Kolonel Klink running the show???
I know nuthing will not be accepted......

SG1 wrote:
"Jacko" wrote in message
...
Wylie Wilde wrote:
Hello Echidna,

Ya we used to throw in Orange peels into the bin- the worms hated that.
Thankfully we have learnt the errors of our ways and stopped that.

You are quite right- the bin is probably in the wrong sunny spot and gets
too warm. I still like my garden bin hot- so that I can kill the weed
seeds. So I think I will set aside one small bin in the shade to do my
food scraps and leaves composting- and have my worms there

Cheers,
W.


"Flying Echidna" wrote in message
Heck, now weve got worms trying to migrate Call the immigration minister
either phill or amanda. Re orange peels tell em Aussie worms love em and
that theyd better get used to the idea of eating em if they want to live
here.

Is Kolonel Klink running the show???
I know nuthing will not be accepted......


Klink was made redundant . The New IR laws showed he knew nuthing.
He was promoted to department head. Now pretends to know nuthing.
Still doesnt, but its safer cause he cant say it. Ignorance is bliss.
Helps migrating worms escape.

Jacko writes:
Wylie Wilde wrote:
Hello Echidna,

Ya we used to throw in Orange peels into the bin- the worms hated that.
Thankfully we have learnt the errors of our ways and stopped that.

Heck, now weve got worms trying to migrate Call the immigration
minister either phill or amanda. Re orange peels tell em Aussie worms
love em and that theyd better get used to the idea of eating em if they
want to live here.

I made it clear from the word go that the biota in my compost bed have
no option with regard to onion and orange peel -- eat it or go back to
where you came from, I told them. They soon sorted out who'd eat what. I
think the worms eat the banana and potato peel, and the onion and orange
peel gets devoured by the bacteria. I haven't figured out exactly who eats
the shredded monthly credit statements, and I really don't care just so
long as they disappear. My electric paper shredder is the best Christmas
present I've ever bought myself!
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

John Savage wrote:
Jacko writes:

Wylie Wilde wrote:

Hello Echidna,

Ya we used to throw in Orange peels into the bin- the worms hated that.
Thankfully we have learnt the errors of our ways and stopped that.

Heck, now weve got worms trying to migrate Call the immigration
minister either phill or amanda. Re orange peels tell em Aussie worms
love em and that theyd better get used to the idea of eating em if they
want to live here.


I made it clear from the word go that the biota in my compost bed have
no option with regard to onion and orange peel -- eat it or go back to
where you came from, I told them. They soon sorted out who'd eat what. I
think the worms eat the banana and potato peel, and the onion and orange
peel gets devoured by the bacteria. I haven't figured out exactly who eats
the shredded monthly credit statements, and I really don't care just so
long as they disappear. My electric paper shredder is the best Christmas
present I've ever bought myself!
Damn man Id have given you a place at our Christmas table if I knew
youre all alone. Fancy having to buy your own present. Ah well A'm sure
the worms couldnt stomach the statements. It would be ASIO who eats your
statements, er take your statemnts I can picture itnow, gluing em back
together ,hee hee hee. I reckon theyre trying to work out why theyre
getting paid so little while youre getting paid so much. Now if they
stopped trying to glue pieces of paper together.......