Hello,

I've got two black 'dalek' compost bin which I've used for over 10 years.
They are in a sunny area in the garden behind a brick west facing wall.

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.

Cheers,
xxx

g'day wylie,

not sure mate i;ll check with we worm farm mate later but it could be:

1.. too much heat reackon with a brick wall and western sun you could
probably cook a roast in the black box.

2.. grass clipping are going to get pretty hot on their own i wouldn't
expect worms to survive that sort of heat unless you dry the clippings
out before putting them in the box.

3.. could be the wrong type of worms eg.,. night crawlers like
escaping more than they like staying put.

3.. also reckon worms work better with kitchen scrap sort of compost
situations with the box in a dark sahdy spot, reckon the stuff you are
composting would be ebtter done using heat in the initial stages heat
it will build itself let alone what could be added by the ambiant
temperature.

worms like it cool, moist and dark.

my thoughts like i said i'll ask me mate more later.



snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.users.bigpond.com/gardenlen1

Wylie,
Len's ideas sound ok to me, but will add my bit ok?
Sounds to me like they have become too hot, although when worms are too hot
they usually seek relief by going deeper into the soil to where the
temperature is more even and cool.
I have heard that sometimes compost worms migrate, maybe yours are trying
this and then cooking in the heat they encounter in the lid. I would
definitely move the bin to a cooler location, regardless of the reason for
your worm death, they do best in my experience with a range somewhere in the
low twenties.
I assume we are talking about the compost type worms, pasture or earth worms
would not be so numerous and would have strategies for remaining cool like
going deeper into the soil. Maybe a little lime might correct some acidity -
don't put it on your boys - and keep it moist and not too much of one thing
or another.. mix it up a bit.
I think mainly they don't like to get too hot though and they also like to
live in moist rich environments, so keep the heap not too tightly packed and
wet.
Good luck with it... love and peace
SyrianPrince



gardenlen" wrote in message
...
g'day wylie,

not sure mate i;ll check with we worm farm mate later but it could be:

1.. too much heat reackon with a brick wall and western sun you could
probably cook a roast in the black box.

2.. grass clipping are going to get pretty hot on their own i wouldn't
expect worms to survive that sort of heat unless you dry the clippings
out before putting them in the box.

3.. could be the wrong type of worms eg.,. night crawlers like
escaping more than they like staying put.

3.. also reckon worms work better with kitchen scrap sort of compost
situations with the box in a dark sahdy spot, reckon the stuff you are
composting would be ebtter done using heat in the initial stages heat
it will build itself let alone what could be added by the ambiant
temperature.

worms like it cool, moist and dark.

my thoughts like i said i'll ask me mate more later.



snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.users.bigpond.com/gardenlen1

g'day wylie,

asked me mate about your problem as i see it, and the heat factor
would be a major issue in the winter you need some heat/warmth to keep
the worms active but now in summer the bin needs to be very much
cooler. his worm farms have no heat in them and are in the shade.

i would guess as it is a bin that the worms can't get to the ground
proper to escape so sound like they are perishing trying to get out
past the lid.



snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.users.bigpond.com/gardenlen1

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

Apparently - must be true cos I read it on the web - Perionyx excavatus is a
red worm which might look like Eisenia fetida the red compost worm we like
to have in our systems. Perionyx excavatus likes to migrate so this may be a
part answer the the great worm mystery....... maybe not.....

I reckon its a temperature and acidity / fermentation / aeration related
problem. Probably all three.. to solve turn the compost/ bedding material,
make sure its moist and not too compacted. maybe add some straw or hay if
it's too wet and compacted or smelly.

plenty of info googling vermiculture or worm farms
love and peace
SyrianPrince


"Wylie Wilde" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I've got two black 'dalek' compost bin which I've used for over 10 years.
They are in a sunny area in the garden behind a brick west facing wall.

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.

Cheers,
xxx

Gday Len,

You're probably right with No. 1. It gets too hot in the warmer months like
now.

Now trying to convince the powers that be- that I have to move it.

Cheers

W.


"gardenlen" wrote in message
...
g'day wylie,

not sure mate i;ll check with we worm farm mate later but it could be:

1.. too much heat reackon with a brick wall and western sun you could
probably cook a roast in the black box.

2.. grass clipping are going to get pretty hot on their own i wouldn't
expect worms to survive that sort of heat unless you dry the clippings
out before putting them in the box.

3.. could be the wrong type of worms eg.,. night crawlers like
escaping more than they like staying put.

3.. also reckon worms work better with kitchen scrap sort of compost
situations with the box in a dark sahdy spot, reckon the stuff you are
composting would be ebtter done using heat in the initial stages heat
it will build itself let alone what could be added by the ambiant
temperature.

worms like it cool, moist and dark.

my thoughts like i said i'll ask me mate more later.



snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.users.bigpond.com/gardenlen1

Hello Prince,

yes I am using compost type worms (red wiggly things). I will be trying to
move the bin out of the hot sun- I need permission for that. Probably
won't get it

I will try adding some lime- but will mix it up with water first. I will
also throw in some bicarb soda to reduce the acidity in the bin.

Cheers,

W




"SyrianPrince" wrote in message
news:_t38f.2244
I assume we are talking about the compost type worms, pasture or earth
worms would not be so numerous and would have strategies for remaining
cool like going deeper into the soil. Maybe a little lime might correct
some acidity - don't put it on your boys - and keep it moist and not too
much of one thing or another.. mix it up a bit.

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" writes:
yes I am using compost type worms (red wiggly things). I will be trying to
move the bin out of the hot sun- I need permission for that. Probably
won't get it

If it's sitting in the sun, try wrapping your bin in aluminium foil to keep
it a bit cooler. Consider planting a fast-growing shrub or creeper where it
will shade the bin, or hang a scrap of shade cloth near it to provide shade.

I will try adding some lime- but will mix it up with water first. I will
also throw in some bicarb soda to reduce the acidity in the bin.

I wouldn't use bicarb. This will be much the same as adding salt to your
soil. Lime is for reducing acidity, just use that. Unless you are growing
something that is very intolerant of calcium?
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

"John Savage" wrote in message

I wouldn't use bicarb. This will be much the same as adding salt to your
soil. Lime is for reducing acidity, just use that. Unless you are growing
something that is very intolerant of calcium?

Doh! Yeah I forgot that bicarb is a form of sodium. I'll use lime instead,
thanks!

Cheers
Wilde

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)