Some foods from the store come with one-piece lids in a mason size and thread shape. For example, coconut oil and some kinds of spaghetti sauce. I can with those lids, and I use them multiple times. They have much thicker seal than the flat lids sold for canning. Thicker even than the one-piece lids that used to be sold for canning back in the 80s. I wouldn't use them for low acid pressure canned stuff, of course. I don't think I've ever reused a flat lid, but I would consider it if I just needed one or two more lids for a low acid product like applesauce. I would pick through all my old lids and choose the ones with the best looking seals, the shallowest grooves from old canning. I posted a question here a while back, about some new jars with lids that had been stored on a warm porch where they sealed and unsealed themselves many times. When I pried the lids off, they had visible grooves. But I was advised to go ahead and simmer them and use them, and I didn't have any trouble with them. Again, high acid, BWB only. Edit: I mean, the one piece Lids from the 80s were marketed as reusable. Up to four times, if I remember correctly.

I've had my worms for more than 10 years, about 6 of that in a Can-O-Worm bin. The bin is usually very healthy, lots of worms eating lots of kitchen waste and creating lots of vermicompost. EVERY SINGLE TIME that I open the lid, there is between 2 and 20 worms crawling on the sides and the lid. I figure that since worms have spread all over the world (to a certain extent), there are always going to be some that have a little more wanderlust in their heart(s), and feel the need to explore. So if there is a few worms crawling out of where they are "supposed" to be (remember, not all worms have read the book to see what they are "supposed" to be doing), my experience is that that is normal. If there are many worms on the sides and lid, or if the number is continually increasing, maybe something is a little "off" in your worm bin. Maybe too wet, too much food, not enough food, etc. Emily in frigid Fairbanks

Tammy, If you are looking to go hunting for mites I have heard that melon rind is a great bait. You can use the same piece for a few days cause it can be rinsed off. I should admit that I do not usually advise people go "mite hunting". Most established worm bins have some red or white mites in them. If you are adding something they like IE bread or melon then you are just going to encourage the continued growth of the population. Even if you can "catch" and remove 20-30% of the total population there is still ample opportunity for breeding and the problem will continue. I know it feels better to be removing the problem but if you figure out what caused the mite population to grow out of control and remove that you will have better long term results. How long have you had the bin and how many worms do you have? You do not need to find very much in the beginning and any extra food put in the bin ends up a feast for the mites (and others). If the bin has an abundance of organic matter then you can try to remove the parts the worms have not started on (probably where the mites are working away) and then add lots of cardboard or paper bedding. The worms can survive on the bedding for weeks but the mites will not approve. If your bin is on the wet side you can fluff it up and add the paper dry. If your bin is damp like a wet sponge then you might want to presoak the bedding in water for 12-24 hours as I find it helps the paper hold water better and breaks down faster. I like to keep a 3lbs folgers tub next to my bin with my presoaked bedding. Whenever I add food I just pull off a ball and squeeze as much water out as I can back into the tub and then fluff the paper up and spread it over the feeding location. I wish you luck and please let us know how it goes.

I fully agree that clear storage bins are good for easy retrieval afterwards, but they kind of defeat the purpose of a bin which is to conceal the mess inside. Therefore, I still personally prefer opaque storage bins and labelling is all they need for easy locating later on. Furthermore, opaque bins means you can choose which colours or patterns you would like to have in order to match your other furniture in the room. This post was edited by EdwardThirlwall on Tue, Feb 4, 14 at 2:23