Earthworms of all kinds, including the various red compost worms used in vermiculture, rely on a symbiotic relationship with specialized micro-organisms (microbes or bacteria), to enable them to digest their food. This relationship is a beautiful example of a partnership that is of equal benefit for both life-forms (symbiosis). The worms carry millions of microscopic bacteria on their skin, in their gut, in the mucous secretions that keep their skin moist and especially in their faeces (tailings) which ultimately is the vermicompost.

Worms cannot masticate raw food as they have no teeth, but the activity of the microbes actually breaks down raw organic waste into a form that the worms can readily ingest into their digestive tract. The worms rely entirely on the bacteria swarming around them to actually break down the foodstuff that we put in our worm farms. Without them they would starve. The micro-organisms attack the “food material” and it is deconstituted and reduced into a slimy gruel that can be slurped up by the worms. The slimy paste that is ingested by the worms is teaming with bacteria, which are thus introduced directly into the worms gut.

Within the warm and secure environment of the worms’ digestive tract, the bacteria multiply tenfold and continue the process of deconstituting the ingested organic sludge - changing complex matter into its basic components - enzymes, compounds and trace elements. The resultant “soup” is highly nutritious to both the worms and to the microbes themselves and it provides the energy needed by both life-forms to grow and multiply. This is a perfect example of a natural synergy arising from active cooperation between species. The rewards are equally shared and are essential to both organisms.

Within the tailings or faeces of the worms, masses of bacteria are returned to the worm bin and are now ready to begin the process all over again. The tailing (also called worm casts or castings ) are actually the vermicompost sought by the worm farmer and are packed full of simple elements and compounds that are readily taken up by plants as a highly nutritious fertilizer.

Large numbers of these bacteria are released back into the worm bin, together with the waste products in the feces or castings - our vermicompost. The microbes will have multiplied in the ideal environment of the worm’s gut and now, greatly increased in numbers, are once again ready to attack new food sources and start the process all over. Moreover there is an added benefit for the garden, in that pathogenic bacteria and toxic compounds that may originally have existed in the original waste material that was offered as “worm food”, will by now have been broken down into simpler forms and their threat to plant and human health, neutralized by the action of all the beneficial micro-organisms in the worms’ gut. Furthermore, when the fresh vermicompost is put into the soil to feed the plants, the “good” microbes continue the process in the immediate vicinity of the plant’s roots and actually “disinfect” the soil by attacking any pathogenic bacteria. Could you really ask for anything more?

It has been said that the activity of these bacteria are responsible for producing CO2, (carbon dioxide) a greenhouse gas, which will inevitably escape from the composting process and add to the problem of global warming. But consider what would be the alternative, if the organic wastes were simply put in a dumpster and allowed to putrify in the anaerobic conditions of a landfill. The putrification process in this instance would take place in the absence (or scarcity) of oxygen and the anaerobic bacteria that operate in these conditions would produce large quantities of methane - a far worse greenhouse gas than CO2. Besides all the methane given off, anaerobic putrification (unlike aerobic decomposition) is smelly and can produce very nasty toxins and pathogenetic bacteria, which pollute the soil and groundwater and pose a long lasting health threat. So trust your worms and their millions of microscopic helpers and stay green.

Worm farming will produce a richly nutritious organic plant food for your garden, whilst getting rid of kitchen scraps and other organic waste in a way that is entirely eco-friendly and convenient.

You can read all about these tiny hard-working organisms and a great deal more about the fun science of vermiculture at the highly informative website - http://www.working-worms.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Coe http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Microbes-in-Your-Worm-Farm&id=3228421

The relationship between earthworms (including  the various composting worms) and the aerobic microbes or bacteria that accompany them is one of nature’s most perfect examples of symbiosis. The worms have millions of beneficial bacteria associated with them, both externally, on their skin, in the mucus secretions that keep them moist and also swarming internally inside their gut. These microbes, are essential for the processing of the worms’ raw  ”food”  material  into a form that the worms can actually ingest into their bodies.

Worms have no teeth, bills or jaws, nor a true stomach and rely solely on the bacteria swarming around them to actually break down the foodstuff that we put in our bins. Prior to ingestion by the worms, the  foodstuff is deconstituted and  altered considerably by the microbes, such that it can be sucked up by the worms as a slimy paste-like substance. It goes directly into their gizzard and passed onward through the worms’ very rudimentary digestive tract, together with  masses of the bacteria, swarming within the slime.

Inside the worm’s gut the breakdown process continues and the worms’ digestive tract, provides a perfect environment for the ingested bacteria, who multiply further and continue to convert  the complex cell structure of the original foodstuff into its basic elements and compounds, altering it into a simpler form that can be used directly by both the worms and the bacteria for nourishment. These simple elements and compounds provide the basic building blocks to  sustain both worms and bacteria and are reconstituted according to the messages carried by the DNA to build up the complex cell structures that create the living physiology of both worm and bacterium. A true win / win situation for both organisms.

Large numbers of these bacteria are released back into the worm bin, together with the waste products in the faeces or castings - our vermicompost. The microbes will have multiplied in the ideal environment of the worm’s gut and now, greatly increased in numbers, are once again ready to attack new food sources and start the process all over.

Of great importance, these waste products, or vermicompost, excreted by the worms have been thoroughly processed by the microbes and are now in the form of simple elements and compounds, that are readily taken up by our garden plants, providing a highly nutritious food for them. Moreover any dangerous toxins and infected material would have been simultaneously neutralised by the bacteria within the worms gut, as complex forms of pathogenic material are also broken down into simpler, more basic (harmless) components by the microbes. In the soil the process continues and worm compost, with its load of beneficial bacteria will also tend to improve the health of soil around the roots of  plants by removing  pathogens. This is the beauty of using worms and their huge army of tiny microscopic helpers, for your composting.

I’m beginning to think that a Working Worms Forum  would be of more use than the current blog - which is a bit one sided - Is there any interest?

Steve

 The one source I had for cheaper worms is out of the market – all the rest seem to charge about the same – around R150 per thousand (about 250gm). I’ll put a post on our blog site – asking for assistance, maybe someone will contact you. See http://blog.working-worms.com/. Don’t waste your time with earthworms – good for the garden / no good for worm farming..

 Steve

From: Adrian Glanvill [mailto:glanvillconsult1@telkomsa.net]
Sent: 08 September 2009 03:17 PM
To: steve@mediatorr.com
Subject: Re: Where and How?

—–Original Message—–
From: Adrian Glanvill [mailto:glanvillconsult1@telkomsa.net]
Sent: 12 September 2009 04:18 PM
To: steve@mediatorr.com
Subject: Re: Where and How?

It would be better to use cardboard boxes coated with paraffin wax.  Ultimately they will compost and need to be replaced, but they are at least bio-degradable.  The wax itself is metabolised by bacteria (slowly) but is not a toxic pollutant.

One could also stack bricks, or make frames out of untreated wood (my favourite) and polypropylene/polyethylene shade cloth, or biddum.  What we will do is see what is available for recycling without pollution at each site, and adapt our practices to suit.

 Hi Adrian

Thanks for that valuable information  – I’d never heard that. I’ll post it on the blog and will need to update the website.

Steve

—–Original Message—–
From: Steve [mailto:steve@mediatorr.com]
Sent: 12 September 2009 01:12 AM
To: ‘Adrian Glanvill’
Subject: RE: Where and How?

Hi Adrian,

Regarding your self-development programme – have you thought of stacked tyre worm farms - see seen the article we wrote at  http://ezinearticles.com/?Stacked-Tire-Worm-Farm&id=2020501 and the section of working worms       http://working-worms.com/content/view/39/61/

Regards

Steve

Tony/Robert

Thanks for the reference – excellent website -  but I think you might have missed something – they usually start off light coloured and get darker as they approach the change into pupae. You say they seem to have expired – I wonder if they are not just pupating and will turn into flies soon.

Steve

 Message—–
From: Tony Fister [mailto:rfister@nc.rr.com]
Sent: 17 August 2009 12:47 AM
To: steve@mediatorr.com
Subject: Re: Seeking advice

Steve,

Absolutely fine to post on your blog.

I had seen the page you referenced.   I’m just having difficulty identifying them.  Based on this link…   

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/larval-growth-variance-w.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/&usg=__bAPFTj9TSxihFlcpBz2b0Y-MRrg=&h=433&w=621&sz=39&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=7gfF5iJdl8mfdM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=136&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dblack%2Bsoldier%2Bfly%2Blarvae%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

… it looks like it may not be the BSF. It appears that the small BSF

larvae is very dark in color.

In any event, the larvae have been climbed up the sides of the walls of

the bin and have turned from a bright white color to a light brown color

and it appears that they have pretty much expired.

I guess I’ll find out over the course of the next few days or weeks if

whatever is in there has affected the habitat of the red-wigglers.

Thanks,

T.

Steve wrote:

> Hi Robert

My guess is that you most likely have Black Soldier Fly - DON’T PANIC  - these are actually good guys - see attached extract below from our  Website - “Handling Vermiculture Pests and Other Problems” -   http://working-worms.com/content/view/42/64/

However it could also be housefly larvae or blow flies - not so nice -  but flyscreen cloth and a few fly tapes will sort this out - no meat or fat in bins - stick to vegetable matter.

I’d like to post this on our blog -  http://blog.working-worms.com/  -  ok with you?

Good luck.

 *Black Soldier Fly*

 Latin Name: /Hermetia illucens/. It is a moot point as to whether this

> fly should actually be called a pest. It is a tropical fly, originally

> from the Americas, that has now spread around the world. The larvae of

> the fly are a type of small maggots, that feed exclusively on

> putrescent material. They are often found in worm farm bins, but

> although unsightly are not a real threat to the worms, as they do not

> attack them and may in fact complement the compost worm’s activities,

> rather than compete with them for food. Like the vermiculture worms

> their faeces make excellent compost and the maggots are also useful 

> as a high protein fish or poultry feed and may be used either live or

> dried, as a processed meal. They may also be used by the less

> squeamish for fish bait. They can best be kept out of the worm farm

> bins, by not using meat and fatty waste and by keeping the moisture on

> the dry side, and making sure that there is a good cover of  bedding

> material over the feeding area.

> These remarkable creatures, unlike the common housefly, do not spread

> bacteria or disease - in fact the larvae ingest potentially pathogenic

> material and disease-causing organisms and thus render them harmless.

> Moreover black soldier flies exude an odour, which positively

> discourages houseflies and certain other flying pests. When the larvae

> reach maturity they  leave the feeding area  to pupate, preferably  in

> a shady bush or tree. After turning into an adult fly, the female

> lives a further 5-8 days and produces almost 1000 eggs. The adult fly

> is nocturnal and characterised by very fast and rather clumsy flight.

> It has no mouth and cannot bite or sting.> There is a growing interest in using Black Soldier Fly for commercial processing of sewage and agricultural waste. Some hobbyists have been > experimenting with the Black Soldier Fly, as an alternative to vermiculture, for for private composting/ waste disposal. For the same size of container it is said that a well stocked colony of Black Soldier Fly would be able to process waste material very much faster

> than a comparable sized worm farm.

> —–Original Message—–

> From: Tony Fister [mailto:rfister@nc.rr.com]

> Sent: 16 August 2009 03:46 PM

> To: info@working-worms.com

> Subject: Seeking advice

I have a newly established bin (2 weeks old) and it has been running fine - no smells, no flies hovering over the container, the worms were doing their jobs. Three days ago I fed the worms, careful to add the food to the bottom of one side of the pile. I added some additional  shredded newspaper bedding on top of that. Last night I checked the bin to see if they had jumped on the new food (I’m trying be careful not to over feed) and I noticed the presence of a  bunch of white larvae about 1/8″ to 1/4″ in length. They were the only thing consuming the new food and the red wigglers had remained buried  deep in the older section of the pile. What I was hoping to learn is this.

>

> A.  What the larvae might be (probably any one of a hundred things I’m sure)

> B.  What threat, if any does the larvae pose to the red wigglers? Will  they harm the wigglers or is they just competition for the food?

> C.  Is there anything I need to do to get rid of the infestation or will  it resolve itself?

> D.  How to prevent future infestation.  It sounds like a piece of  plastic over the bedding might help

 Note, my worm bin is for my own personal home project. This is not a medium or large scale worm “farm”. I have a bin consisting of 2  Rubbermaid containers, one (with holes for ventilation and drainage inside another (no holes).

>

 Many thanks,

>

> Robert

>

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY - WORM COMPOST WANTED

—–Original Message—–
From: David Wong [mailto:wongtraders@yahoo.com]

Sent: 01 August 2009 07:14 PM
To: info@working-worms.com
Subject: Worm Compost

Dear Sir/Madam,   We are a trading company based in Hong Kong. We are interested in your vermicompost (worm compost) product.   We will be looking to buy in bulk and so please provide us with your best possible prices. The minimum order will be at least 1 metric tonne. If this works out well, we’ll be looking to buy regularly thereafter.   Please provide us with your best ex-works price. Our local agent will arrange the transportation from your factory/retail outlet. We only need the ex-works price.   Regards, David Wong, M/s Wong Trading Company.