Hi,

I don't see a place to email you can you let me know the details?

Liz, I'm too far away for your class unfortunately. But I neeed worms! Do you know a good mail order source? Ours all drowned. Can't find a local source.
Thanks tons. I've found a couple of baby worms in the potted plants that were on the upper decks but nothing in the yard or the community garden since the storm.
Tally HO!

Hi Tally, I got my worms from Uncle Jim:
http://www.unclejimswormfarm.com/

They've been thriving for two years now in a big old plastic tub with no trouble whatsoever. :)

C

Tally, I like to buy local because I'm sure the worms lived here in Texas. You know the heat and all. No sense to me shocking the worms any more than their already getting. So you might try...

info@deckerwormsales.com
Call Us - 832-228-7594
after 7:00 cst call 281-356-3229

No affiliation by me and their in Magnolia.

Thanks! I didn't want to mail order them from out of state. I found a worm yesterday while in the garden. I was so excited you'd think I'd dug up gold! I guess I did didn't I?
Off to order worms.
Tally HO!

Hey carrotcate - I have been trying to figure out how to raise worms in a plastic tub but my husband says it is too hot and will kill them here in Houston - are yours in shade? How did you do it?

Hi all,
You can find my email on my blog below.
I do sell worms but on a small scale, I only have about 2 pounds extra to sell a week. Buying local is a good idea or buying cocoons is an option too because they adjust easily to a new environment.
You can go to www.findworms.com and find quite a few local sellers there.

Here is a link that might be useful: my blog about worms/contact info

Ya'll should check out the vermicomposting forum here on GW. Not only do they know alot about worms and composting, they also are familiar with alot of the worm suppliers. You can learn so much from just reading the posts, uh, a lot like all the other forums here. Cheryl

Hi Houstonmellie,
My worms have a very "rustic" (cheap) setup. :) I took a medium large Sterilite bin and drilled a few tiny holes in the top for air and in the bottom for drainage, then I nested the bin with the worms into another Sterilite bin to catch the drainage. Most of the year, they live in the pantry for convenience. It's much easier to walk two steps to scrape plates than do the pail and then remember to take it out back to compost before you get flies. I just add kitchen scraps and tear up the junk mail and throw it in there for bedding. It's been two years and I have never had a problem with smell- in fact most people don't realize they are there. Sometimes for space we move it onto the back porch which has a full southern exposure, but is covered. They spent a good portion of last summer out there with no problems at all, although the bin did pick up some extra residents. I would think outdoors in Houston would be ok as long as it was shaded all day during summer. Worms are pretty tuff. Good luck!

C

Thanks!! I wanted to do the same set up you use carrotcate but my husband has nightmares of worms escaping through the holes and crawling across the living room! I'm afraid with the intense heat we have here that they would die outside even in the shade. I totally agree with you about keeping them close to their food supply. I think it is a good thing for the environment not only for our plants to benefit from but to keep waste out of landfills.

Hahaha. I guess I have a more relaxed husband- he just figures this is part of my quirkiness and doesn't even question it any more. :) He's even "shown off" the worms to guests before. LOL.

Really, though, we have never had any escapees. Worms don't like light and when they have plenty of food and a nice dark wet place to hang out, there is no reason to leave. But I understand visions of worms stuck to the carpet, too. Good luck with whichever way you choose to go. They can always go in the garage if worse comes to worse (and you have a garage, that is)...

C

5 pounds of worms are on their way from Decker. A really nice couple. Thanks again for the info. They had much better prices than Uncle Jim and the worms are already used to our weird weather.
Tally HO!

Worm composting class are back on for spring/summer. Next class in Keller (76248) is this Saturday and again May 22nd.

Here is a link that might be useful: link to class info

I've had really good luck with worms from wal mart. My hubby buys them for fishing and I take the survivors and throw them in the beds. Next thing I know, there are millions of them. Don't know what kind they are, but they sure are happy. I'm sure they are the same since there were zero worms found in my yard before. And these came our of a refrigerator at wal mart!

Likely nightcrawlers.

I keep a small wicker basket with a plastic bag in it beside my sink so when I'm peeling, etc. I just throw it in there. When the bag gets full, my hubby takes it to the compost pile in the back yard corner. It has TONS of worms in it.

To make it, he took a metal trash can with lid, drilled holes in it for ventilation, removed the bottom and put wire on it so the worms could crawl up into it and critters couldn't dig up into it, then he cut a flapped window on the bottom to remove humus, and in that he puts the contents of our kitchen bag. Simple!

Yes, sometimes it is true,
"If you build it, they will come" well, build it and provide them with food...
Those are likely native nightcrawlers, which still do the job in an outdoor bin.