I just added a post to my worm blog about red wiggler compost worm eggs. I can't beat monarc23's already fantastic images, but I do have a good one of what a compost worm egg looks like while it's still in the bin.
Cheers, Jase
You know, I think you can probably follow the same simple rule whether you're growing Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL), Red Wiggler Worms, or just regular composting: If you put nasty stuff in, you might get nasty stuff out.
If you're composting human feces, pet feces, foods suspected to be...
Howdy. You don't need to worry about introducing a new exotic species if you're getting Eisenia fetida (red wigglers). They're already found pretty much everywhere in North America. I was a bit concerned about that, too, when I first got red wigglers about 5 years ago. (My background is...
You might be able to find them in an old compost or manure heap. Otherwise, there are many, many places to buy them online. I don't currently sell online, but I may within the next few days.
Here's a good intro on composting with worms: http://www.css.cornell.edu/compost/worms/basics.html
No, you can't get bait store worms and compost with them. Chances are they're not the right kind. You need red wigglers, Eisenia fetida.
Do it for fun, but "for profit" might be a challenge...
@Chicks_N_Horses: My guess is that you're fine as long as you're not adding bird manure to the worm bins. Like I said in an earlier post, the life cycle of the parasites is bird -> bird feces -> earthworm -> bird. If the compost worms are not eating bird feces, there should not be harmful...
Really nice photos and description, monarc23. I agree, red wiggler compost worms are really neat critters. I've been keeping them for about 5 years now, and sell a few as a hobby side business.
@emartin: Yes, getting mealworms from a pet/bait store is fine to feed to chickens, and also a fine way to start a mealworm colony. A cup of 100-500 mealworms will be enough to get a colony going.
@joebryant: Great description of how to raise mealworms. I agree that carrots are better as a...
I was just looking up info on parasites in a different thread. Parasites that could come from earthworms go through a life cycle that is bird --> bird feces --> earthworm --> bird. If you don't feed compost worms bird manure, they should not pick up any of the parasite eggs.
I would agree...
I've raised both mealworms and red wiggler compost worms for years. Mealworms are pretty easy, but don't reproduce all that quickly. I keep them in one of those little Sterilite 3-drawer plastic things that you'd use to keep office paper in. The sides are only about 2-3 inches high, and no...
Does anyone know if Eisenia fetida (red wiggler compost worms) specifically can even serve as hosts for Capillaria nematodes/roundworms? There are thousands of species of "earthworms", and they're just as different from each other as different species of birds are.
These Capillaria worms would...