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Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
I have three 'Dalek' compost bins at the end of the garden. They are
standing on the ground, side-by-side, in a row. They all get fed with the same sort of stuff (kitchen vegetable waste, dead plants, small garden material etc). Whenever I go to put something in them, more often than not when I lift the lid of the middle one there's a mass of worms having what looks like a serious sex orgy (and there are also quite a lot of them on the underside of the lid). It is very satisfying to see them all having such a good time. However, in the other two bins, there are almost never any worms to be seen. If I transfer some worms from the middle bin to the other two (usually by swapping the lids), next time I visit the bins the situation is exactly as it was before (ie no visible worm activity in the two outer bins). Despite this, the contents of all three bins seems to be composting away at about the same rate. So the question is, "What's going on"? -- Ian |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
In article ,
Ian Jackson wrote: So the question is, "What's going on"? You mean, other than an orgy? :-) That's fascinating, but I don't have a clue. I run a different kind of heap, and how many worms there are depends vastly on the conditions and its state of composting, but not easily predictably. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
On 11/03/18 11:23, Ian Jackson wrote:
I have three 'Dalek' compost bins at the end of the garden. They are standing on the ground, side-by-side, in a row. They all get fed with the same sort of stuff (kitchen vegetable waste, dead plants, small garden material etc). Whenever I go to put something in them, more often than not when I lift the lid of the middle one there's a mass of worms having what looks like a serious sex orgy (and there are also quite a lot of them on the underside of the lid). It is very satisfying to see them all having such a good time. However, in the other two bins, there are almost never any worms to be seen. If I transfer some worms from the middle bin to the other two (usually by swapping the lids), next time I visit the bins the situation is exactly as it was before (ie no visible worm activity in the two outer bins). Despite this, the contents of all three bins seems to be composting away at about the same rate. So the question is, "What's going on"? Have you measured the temperatures inside the bins? I wonder if the outer two are, for some reason, colder than the middle one, and that affects worm reproduction -- Jeff |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
On 11/03/2018 17:12, Chris Hogg wrote:
Do all three bins have the same bottoms, and are they all standing on the same thing underneath, like bare earth or concrete slabs or whatever? Are the two outer bins at a different moisture to the middle bin? Are all the worms in the other bins a couple of inches below the surface of the compost? -- mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
In message , Chris Hogg
writes On Sun, 11 Mar 2018 11:23:38 +0000, Ian Jackson wrote: I have three 'Dalek' compost bins at the end of the garden. They are standing on the ground, side-by-side, in a row. They all get fed with the same sort of stuff (kitchen vegetable waste, dead plants, small garden material etc). Whenever I go to put something in them, more often than not when I lift the lid of the middle one there's a mass of worms having what looks like a serious sex orgy (and there are also quite a lot of them on the underside of the lid). It is very satisfying to see them all having such a good time. However, in the other two bins, there are almost never any worms to be seen. If I transfer some worms from the middle bin to the other two (usually by swapping the lids), next time I visit the bins the situation is exactly as it was before (ie no visible worm activity in the two outer bins). Despite this, the contents of all three bins seems to be composting away at about the same rate. So the question is, "What's going on"? Do all three bins have the same bottoms, and are they all standing on the same thing underneath, like bare earth Yes - bare earth. There can't be much difference with the soil. or concrete slabs or whatever? Are the two outer bins at a different moisture to the middle bin? Unlikely. -- Ian |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
In message , alan_m
writes On 11/03/2018 17:12, Chris Hogg wrote: Do all three bins have the same bottoms, and are they all standing on the same thing underneath, like bare earth or concrete slabs or whatever? Are the two outer bins at a different moisture to the middle bin? Are all the worms in the other bins a couple of inches below the surface of the compost? I rarely see any when I lift the lid. Any there are beneath whatever's recently been put in (mainly kitchen waste) - and there aren't that many. The middle bin is sometimes absolutely seething with worms. I've tried loosening the contents of the bins by giving it a bit of stir with a fork (even though it's not overly compacted), but it hasn't made any difference. -- Ian |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
In message , Jeff Layman
writes On 11/03/18 11:23, Ian Jackson wrote: I have three 'Dalek' compost bins at the end of the garden. They are standing on the ground, side-by-side, in a row. They all get fed with the same sort of stuff (kitchen vegetable waste, dead plants, small garden material etc). Whenever I go to put something in them, more often than not when I lift the lid of the middle one there's a mass of worms having what looks like a serious sex orgy (and there are also quite a lot of them on the underside of the lid). It is very satisfying to see them all having such a good time. However, in the other two bins, there are almost never any worms to be seen. If I transfer some worms from the middle bin to the other two (usually by swapping the lids), next time I visit the bins the situation is exactly as it was before (ie no visible worm activity in the two outer bins). Despite this, the contents of all three bins seems to be composting away at about the same rate. So the question is, "What's going on"? Have you measured the temperatures inside the bins? I wonder if the outer two are, for some reason, colder than the middle one, and that affects worm reproduction I haven't - but it's highly unlikely that there will be any significant difference. The Dalek bins are about 6" away from a fence, and are a few inches apart at the base. There's no restriction of air around them. However, obvious differences are that the left bin is somewhat larger (an all black 'Emperor Dalek'). The middle (wormy) Dalek is a darker green than the right one (at least I think that's the way it is), and potentially might absorb more heat from the outside world. The two lids are the same (black). However all the bins are in the shade of a yew bush, and get no sun. All three 'run cold'. -- Ian |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
On Sun, 11 Mar 2018 11:23:38 +0000, Ian Jackson wrote:
I have three 'Dalek' compost bins at the end of the garden. They are standing on the ground, side-by-side, in a row. They all get fed with the same sort of stuff (kitchen vegetable waste, dead plants, small garden material etc). Whenever I go to put something in them, more often than not when I lift the lid of the middle one there's a mass of worms having what looks like a serious sex orgy (and there are also quite a lot of them on the underside of the lid). It is very satisfying to see them all having such a good time. However, in the other two bins, there are almost never any worms to be seen. If I transfer some worms from the middle bin to the other two (usually by swapping the lids), next time I visit the bins the situation is exactly as it was before (ie no visible worm activity in the two outer bins). Despite this, the contents of all three bins seems to be composting away at about the same rate. So the question is, "What's going on"? Have you tried, fort instance, removing the top 10% from the centre and one outside bin and swapping them over? That might be more significant than just moving a few worms over. Cheers Dave R -- AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64 --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
Ian Jackson wrote:
I have three 'Dalek' compost bins at the end of the garden. They are standing on the ground, side-by-side, in a row. They all get fed with the same sort of stuff (kitchen vegetable waste, dead plants, small garden material etc). Whenever I go to put something in them, more often than not when I lift the lid of the middle one there's a mass of worms having what looks like a serious sex orgy (and there are also quite a lot of them on the underside of the lid). It is very satisfying to see them all having such a good time. However, in the other two bins, there are almost never any worms to be seen. If I transfer some worms from the middle bin to the other two (usually by swapping the lids), next time I visit the bins the situation is exactly as it was before (ie no visible worm activity in the two outer bins). Despite this, the contents of all three bins seems to be composting away at about the same rate. So the question is, "What's going on"? Perhaps they have a preference for congregating in the highest concentration, and manage somehow to communicate their presence to others? I always have a bit of a dilemma when putting the lid back. I imagine that some of the worms are going to get sliced in half, since the lid is a tight push-down fit. So I shake them all off. |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
In message , David
writes On Sun, 11 Mar 2018 11:23:38 +0000, Ian Jackson wrote: I have three 'Dalek' compost bins at the end of the garden. They are standing on the ground, side-by-side, in a row. They all get fed with the same sort of stuff (kitchen vegetable waste, dead plants, small garden material etc). Whenever I go to put something in them, more often than not when I lift the lid of the middle one there's a mass of worms having what looks like a serious sex orgy (and there are also quite a lot of them on the underside of the lid). It is very satisfying to see them all having such a good time. However, in the other two bins, there are almost never any worms to be seen. If I transfer some worms from the middle bin to the other two (usually by swapping the lids), next time I visit the bins the situation is exactly as it was before (ie no visible worm activity in the two outer bins). Despite this, the contents of all three bins seems to be composting away at about the same rate. So the question is, "What's going on"? Have you tried, fort instance, removing the top 10% from the centre and one outside bin and swapping them over? That might be more significant than just moving a few worms over. Yes - I've done that. This has been going on for years. No matter what I do to populate the outer bins, within minutes the worms I've transferred disappear - and a day or two later they appear back in the middle bin (but of course, I have no idea whether these are the same worms as the ones I evicted!). However, I'm not too worried. All three bins seem to be composting the stuff I put in them. However, it's nice to be able to see those who are doing it. Note that later in the year, loads of woodlice and large slugs also move in to help the worms. I don't think they are quite as fussy about which bin they occupy. -- Ian |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
In message , Dan S. MacAbre
writes Ian Jackson wrote: I have three 'Dalek' compost bins at the end of the garden. They are standing on the ground, side-by-side, in a row. They all get fed with the same sort of stuff (kitchen vegetable waste, dead plants, small garden material etc). Whenever I go to put something in them, more often than not when I lift the lid of the middle one there's a mass of worms having what looks like a serious sex orgy (and there are also quite a lot of them on the underside of the lid). It is very satisfying to see them all having such a good time. However, in the other two bins, there are almost never any worms to be seen. If I transfer some worms from the middle bin to the other two (usually by swapping the lids), next time I visit the bins the situation is exactly as it was before (ie no visible worm activity in the two outer bins). Despite this, the contents of all three bins seems to be composting away at about the same rate. So the question is, "What's going on"? Perhaps they have a preference for congregating in the highest concentration, and manage somehow to communicate their presence to others? I always have a bit of a dilemma when putting the lid back. I imagine that some of the worms are going to get sliced in half, since the lid is a tight push-down fit. So I shake them all off. Same here! -- Ian |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , Dan S. MacAbre writes Ian Jackson wrote: I have three 'Dalek' compost bins at the end of the garden. They are standing on the ground, side-by-side, in a row. They all get fed with the same sort of stuff (kitchen vegetable waste, dead plants, small garden material etc). Whenever I go to put something in them, more often than not when I lift the lid of the middle one there's a mass of worms having what looks like a serious sex orgy (and there are also quite a lot of them on the underside of the lid). It is very satisfying to see them all having such a good time. However, in the other two bins, there are almost never any worms to be seen. If I transfer some worms from the middle bin to the other two (usually by swapping the lids), next time I visit the bins the situation is exactly as it was before (ie no visible worm activity in the two outer bins). Despite this, the contents of all three bins seems to be composting away at about the same rate. So the question is, "What's going on"? Perhaps they have a preference for congregating in the highest concentration, and manage somehow to communicate their presence to others? I always have a bit of a dilemma when putting the lid back. I imagine that some of the worms are going to get sliced in half, since the lid is a tight push-down fit. So I shake them all off. Same here! Like so many of the apparently strange things I do each day - I'm glad it's not just me. :-) |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
On Mon, 12 Mar 2018 11:19:04 +0000, Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , David writes On Sun, 11 Mar 2018 11:23:38 +0000, Ian Jackson wrote: I have three 'Dalek' compost bins at the end of the garden. They are standing on the ground, side-by-side, in a row. They all get fed with the same sort of stuff (kitchen vegetable waste, dead plants, small garden material etc). Whenever I go to put something in them, more often than not when I lift the lid of the middle one there's a mass of worms having what looks like a serious sex orgy (and there are also quite a lot of them on the underside of the lid). It is very satisfying to see them all having such a good time. However, in the other two bins, there are almost never any worms to be seen. If I transfer some worms from the middle bin to the other two (usually by swapping the lids), next time I visit the bins the situation is exactly as it was before (ie no visible worm activity in the two outer bins). Despite this, the contents of all three bins seems to be composting away at about the same rate. So the question is, "What's going on"? Have you tried, fort instance, removing the top 10% from the centre and one outside bin and swapping them over? That might be more significant than just moving a few worms over. Yes - I've done that. This has been going on for years. No matter what I do to populate the outer bins, within minutes the worms I've transferred disappear - and a day or two later they appear back in the middle bin (but of course, I have no idea whether these are the same worms as the ones I evicted!). However, I'm not too worried. All three bins seem to be composting the stuff I put in them. However, it's nice to be able to see those who are doing it. Note that later in the year, loads of woodlice and large slugs also move in to help the worms. I don't think they are quite as fussy about which bin they occupy. What you need are some very small RFID tags. :-) Cheers Dave R -- AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64 --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus |
Worms' preference for only one compost bin (one of three)
In message , David
writes I have no idea whether these are the same worms as the ones I evicted! What you need are some very small RFID tags. :-) Cheers Dave R That's a great idea. I'll see what's available on Ebay. -- Ian |
Gay Wanker Birdbrain Macaw (now "James Wilkinson" LOL), the Sociopathic Attention Whore
On Wed, 14 Mar 2018 20:55:13 -0000, Birdbrain Macaw (now "James Wilkinson"),
the pathological attention whore of all the uk ngs, blathered again: I was about to "Gracing" all this group with your abysmal stupidity and perversion, you abnormal, attention-starved, filthy troll? -- ItsJoanNotJoann addressing Birdbrain Macaw's (now "James Wilkinson" LOL): "You're an annoying troll and I'm done with you and your stupidity." MID: -- AndyW addressing Birdbrain: "Troll or idiot?... You have been presented with a viewpoint with information, reasoning, historical cases, citations and references to back it up and wilfully ignore all going back to your idea which has no supporting information." MID: -- Phil Lee adressing Birdbrain Macaw: "You are too stupid to be wasting oxygen." MID: -- Phil Lee describing Birdbrain Macaw: "I've never seen such misplaced pride in being a ****ing moronic motorist." MID: Gif: Laughter: https://media.giphy.com/media/VrSZDlpRaHYje/giphy.gif -- Tony944 addressing Birdbrain Macaw: "I seen and heard many people but you are on top of list being first class ass hole jerk. ...You fit under unconditional Idiot and should be put in mental institution. MID: -- Pelican to Birdbrain Macaw: "Ok. I'm persuaded . You are an idiot." MID: -- DerbyDad03 addressing Birdbrain Macaw (now "James Wilkinson" LOL): "Frigging Idiot. Get the hell out of my thread." MID: -- Kerr Mudd-John about Birdbrain Macaw (now "James Wilkinson" LOL): "It's like arguing with a demented frog." MID: -- Mr Pounder Esquire about Birdbrain Macaw (now "James Wilkinson" LOL): "the **** poor delivery boy with no hot running water, 11 cats and several parrots living in his hovel." MID: -- Rob Morley about Birdbrain: "He's a perennial idiot" MID: 20170519215057.56a1f1d4@Mars -- JoeyDee to Birdbrain "I apologize for thinking you were a jerk. You're just someone with an IQ lower than your age, and I accept that as a reason for your comments." MID: l-september.org -- Sam Plusnet about Birdbrain (now "James Wilkinson Sword" LOL): "He's just desperate to be noticed. Any attention will do, no matter how negative it may be." MID: -- asking Birdbrain: "What, were you dropped on your head as a child?" MID: -- Christie addressing endlessly driveling Birdbrain Macaw (now "James Wilkinson" LOL): "What are you resurrecting that old post of mine for? It's from last month some time. You're like a dog who's just dug up an old bone they hid in the garden until they were ready to have another go at it." MID: -- Mr Pounder's fitting description of Birdbrain Macaw: "You are a well known fool, a tosser, a pillock, a stupid unemployable sponging failure who will always live alone and will die alone. You will not be missed." MID: -- Richard to pathetic ****** Hucker: "You haven't bred? Only useful thing you've done in your pathetic existence." MID: -- about Birdbrain (now "James Wilkinson" LOL): ""not the sharpest knife in the drawer"'s parents sure made a serious mistake having him born alive -- A total waste of oxygen, food, space, and bandwidth." MID: -- Mr Pounder exposing sociopathic Birdbrain: "You will always be a lonely sociopath living in a ******** with no hot running water with loads of stinking cats and a few parrots." MID: -- francis about Birdbrain (now "James Wilkinson" LOL): "He seems to have a reputation as someone of limited intelligence" MID: -- Peter Moylan about Birdbrain (now "James Wilkinson" LOL): "If people like JWS didn't exist, we would have to find some other way to explain the concept of "invincible ignorance"." MID: |
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