Kitchen Garden Forum

I've had a kitchen worm bin for the past 10 years. Although I've had a couple of 'disasters' where the whole thing just started to stink, or was taken over by flies, the composting has mostly been brilliant and has grown me rich crops of potatoes, tomatoes, herbs and more. I compost only vegetable waste & eggshells, keep the bin fairly dry with loo rolls, egg cartons, house plant clippings etc, and make sure the liquor is regularly removed.

However, for the past couple of years the bin has been composting extremely slowly, if at all. It has been at least that long since I've seen a tiger worm, and a supply donated by a friend in the spring have also disappeared.

I therefore opened the (perfectly sweet-smelling) bin up today for a closer look. The dampness level looks about right but it's still not composting down and I am aghast at the vast numbers of several sorts of creatures, all over the upper walls and lid. Here are a few:

- smallish segmented worms (white/transparent, up to 2cm long).
- tiny, white/transparent termite-like things with a sausage-shaped body & lots of legs at the front (2-3mm long)
- gadzillions of small white/cream-coloured spheres (mites?) that seem to move and may have legs (diam 2 mm or so)
- scores of 'mud tubes', hollow and apparently empty, length 5-6mm, diam 2-3mm.

My question is, are these things signs of healthy composting, or are they a threat to my worms? I have just been given more tigers and hesitate to add them if they will just be eaten or parasited.

Thanks for advice and/or helpful reading!

Greyscot, my kitchen composting bin routine is very, very similar to yours except that I don't drain off the liquid but the bins (with holes in the bottom) are standing on a thick layer of limestone gravel into which the liquid seeps.
Now, your creatures: over the many years we have had the bins we have seen all the ones you mention and have never done anything about them. I think if you stir the contents regularly and keep a good green/dry waste balance (as you seem to be doing), the composting process will continue its own sweet way, the speed depending on the temperature at the time of the year.
I certainly would not do anything about them.

Monika, thank you! It's somehow reasssuring to know someone else is seeing the same things, and that my bin appears normal.

It's still not composting, though. I used to get nice black, dryish humus very quickly; just a few months. At the end of a year I had collected enough compost for all my house plants, tomatoes etc, leaving the bin more or less enpty (always left a bit as habitat for the worms, of course).

But now the rubbish just lies there and looks more or less the same even after a year. I am now having to put my kitchen waste out for the council to collect as the bin just stays full.

Am I right in thinking you would just put the tiger worms in anyway, and see if they establish?

Have you tested the Ph, I wonder if it has got a bit too acidic for the worms but is alright for the other creepy crawlies ?

I occasionally add some stuff from Wiggly Wigglers that makes it more alkaline and there are lots of baby worms in mine at the moment.

It sounds like everything else is ok. Have you thought about putting a scoop of compost from the bottom of compost heap if you've got one. That usually has brandling worms and all sorts of things that might boost your wormery.

Do you ever stir your compost? I do so regularly and occasionally add lime if it appears too soggy or smelly. Maybe that would help?

I don't know much about worm bins. How long do they take to get started? Sounds to me like it's time to have a good clean out and start again.

Hi greyscot,
A very interesting thread.
Have things returned to normal now?
I had a wormery for many years but circumstances meant that I was going to be away from home a long time so I released my worms into a bin of horse manure and although I have now no longer any need to travel I consider it may be time to start afresh.
The worms didn't go very far and I can gather literally thousands of Brandling worms should the need arise.
Sincerely,
JB.