Dead Worms/What next?

14 years ago

We got two nights of hard frost here, with cold days. I was kept busy covering my garden. By the time the cold hit, my yard looked like a gypsy encampment, with everything covered with tarps, sheets, plastic, and whatnot, trying to save my garden.

My worm bin is on the back porch, and I didn't worry much about it. I have a 45 gallon bin FT that tend to have warm spots all the time anyway, so I just put on the lid. The lows were supposed to be no lower than 30, the porch is protected, I have EF's and Euros. They should have been fine.

Well, the frost came and went. I lost a cucumber plant and a few strawberry leaves, but the smell from the bin was HORRIBLE.

Yesterday I pulled out a big plastic tarp and took it apart. In the lower part of the bin near the bars was a mass of decaying worms. They were pretty much all in one area of the bin, in a layer, in several clumps. They were in bits, falling apart, but some were still wiggling in parts. They were all string of pearls looking, lumpy. I think they froze. Ones that were still whole enough to look at closely were obviously PE's.

All my worms were boughten. I never ordered PE's. I was just seeing a second generation. Sigh.

I think I lost about 1/3 of my worms, or maybe 2000.

I have lots of cocoons which also kind of bites, because this summer I will have a PE explosion, only to freeze them out again this fall, probably.

Ick.

I guess I don't have a question. Just complaining.

And I don't have anything against PE's either. If I lived where it never got too cold they would be my worm of choice probably. But they sure do stick up a bin when they die.

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Comments (18)

11otis
14 years ago
Sorry for your loss.
Are there still live EFs left? Hopefully they had time to leave cocoons to re-populate your bin.
antoniab
Original Author
14 years ago
Yes, The EFs and euros are fine. Looks like it got just cold enough to wipe out the PE's.

One interesting thing about taking apart my FT, I got to see what the worms were doing in there. I had been curious at how it was working.
I was amazed at how thoroughly the worms had composted the bin. Except for the stuff at the top of the bin that I had added in the last week and pockets of densely packed somewhat dry leaves toward the bottom, most of the contents was unrecognizable and fairly well composted. Much of it would have be OK to use as-is in the garden, if a little rough. And I have not chopped or pre-rotted or anything. I also have added no-no items like yogurt and cheese and small amounts of meat, as in meat sauce on spaghetti. Not large amounts at all, but a bit. Other than the decaying worm areas, the rest of the bin was not too stinky.
Amazing!
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How timely. Scroll to the bottom of the opening page that lists forum topics. Put "protein" in the search box (for this forum). There you will find a few threads related to your experience. We're working on this issue. I'm lobbying not to name the lumpiness string of pearls phenomen protein poisoning because I think that is a misleading misnomer. My only dead worm so far (that I know of) wasn't lumpy. It was gooey. The correlating phenomenon was blue mold. I dumped the whole bin in an unattended compost and left the lot to nature. Another correlation was a relatively abrupt change in temperature: it got a lot hotter. The question is complicated by the fact that a bin beside it, same everything else, had no apparent fatalities. The August 29 post by Buckstarchaser lists some possible causes of worm deaths. You might find that by putting that name in the search box. My information so far is that there are a lot of things that can kill worms; and a lot of worms, (or the cocoons) survive when we wouldn't think they would. I put "toxic to eisenia fetida (not of or from) in a Google search and didn't learn much. Clearly any known toxics such as are used to kill weeds and insects, are apt to harm worms. There could be a tiny bit of something toxic in shredded newsprint, for example. There could be antibiotics or worm prevention in horse manure ! Moving to silly: blame the worm until we know more. It was a lame worm. Often there are stragglers that wander off and aren't noticed before it's too late to help. Sillier: a sulking teenager ? A drunk in a ditch ?
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karendee
14 years ago
sorry for your loss. Are you going to remove the dead worms and add all back in the bin?

Just curious, as a newbie I want to know as much as I can.

Karen
antoniab
Original Author
14 years ago
Yes, I removed the very stinky parts, and put it all back. I will let them all rest and recoup for a couple of weeks before I put in any more food. Hopefully when all those cocoons hatch I will be up to full capacity again for garden scraps and full veggie peel overflow. My regular compost has too many greens right now, and the worms don't mind junk mail and newspaper as browns.

Anyway, my flow through is resting up right now. And I have started a back-up bin with some of the worms. Partly to be sure I don't kill off all my worms and partly to satisfy my worm snooping. Poor little guys in the back up bin!
karendee
14 years ago
I like the back up bin idea. A place you can look at more :)

I checked the cardboard on top of my bin last night and it was still a little wet. One worm was there when I pulled it up but he quickly wiggled away. Prob cause I have a light on my new bin still.

I hate that I may have to wait a few weeks before I can add more food scraps. I am impatient and want some VC soon.

I am starting to wonder if I should have bought more worms than 1 lb.

Karen
sbryce_gw
14 years ago
> I like the back up bin idea.

That is why I am keeping my two RM bins.

> I hate that I may have to wait a few weeks before I can add more food scraps. I am impatient and want some VC soon.

It will take a few months.

> I am starting to wonder if I should have bought more worms than 1 lb.

By the time you finally make a decision, you will have two pounds.
karendee
14 years ago
Thanks sbryce! I figure I will have to use my vc on next spring/summer's garden etc.

Maybe I can add to my houseplants by winter.

I am trying to be patient I promise!

Karen
sbryce_gw
14 years ago
> I figure I will have to use my vc on next spring/summer's garden etc.

You will have harvested two or three times by then.

> Maybe I can add to my houseplants by winter.

Or by Fall

> I am trying to be patient I promise!

The worms are grateful.
karendee
14 years ago
thanks again! I am so glad this is all working.
the worms look happy. I also think one may have had the cocoon attached (I will research and see if that is what I saw)

The bin is still cool. I also think them being in my cooler basement helps that.

Karen
karendee
14 years ago
After my research I think most of my worms might be juviniles. they are smaller. However, I am hopeful I am wrong cause I am no expert!

They are happy though! I am excited to add more food in 2 weeks or so.

Karen
fam62cc
14 years ago
Antoniab

What is your geographical area? This is important information for someone who might give you some good advice.

Dave Nelson
antoniab
Original Author
14 years ago
Oh, That is a good idea, I am in Rockford Il. Very northern Il, just below Wisconsin.
karendee
14 years ago
antoniab, We have a baseball tournament in Rockford, IL this weekend! I wish I had time to come visit you and see your worms. Hubby would probably call me crazy though, lol

Karen
11otis
14 years ago
karendee:
"I think most of my worms might be juviniles. they are smaller"
Did you see any of your worm with clittelum?
karendee
14 years ago
One kind of looked like a clittelum. It was a yellowish white pointy tail.

Good news is there were some smaller worms when I stirred the bin today. (I could not resist checking on them). The were about an inch long so I am guessing the bedding sent with my worms contained cocoons.

The bin was a little to wet so I am glad I checked. I placed pieces of cardboard in the wetter areas and some in pieces down the sides here and there and toped with a dry piece of cardboard. I am hoping this will absorb any excess moisture and leave more bedding for the worms.

The good news is the worms are spread out through the bin. I was glad to see that.

I may wait longer than 2 weeks to feed because the apple I put in there is still there barely touched. I think they have enough munchies for now.

Karen
antoniab
Original Author
14 years ago
Karen, You are definately welcome to stop by if you like! Me and the wormies like company. :D

Look to see if your worms have a fatter collar looking thing about a third of the way down their backs. If they do then they are adults that are able to make cocoons. If they don't have one yet, they are immature.
karendee
14 years ago
One kind of looked like a clittelum. It was a yellowish white pointy tail.

Good news is there were some smaller worms when I stirred the bin today. (I could not resist checking on them). The were about an inch long so I am guessing the bedding sent with my worms contained cocoons.

The bin was a little to wet so I am glad I checked. I placed pieces of cardboard in the wetter areas and some in pieces down the sides here and there and toped with a dry piece of cardboard. I am hoping this will absorb any excess moisture and leave more bedding for the worms.

The good news is the worms are spread out through the bin. I was glad to see that.

I may wait longer than 2 weeks to feed because the apple I put in there is still there barely touched. I think they have enough munchies for now.

Karen
karendee
14 years ago
Some have the fat collar part but not all. Looks like tripple d worm farm gave me youngsters!

Karen

Dead Worms/What next?

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