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Johnstown
Recycling
and
Worm Farm
Johnstown,
Slanemore, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Ireland.
Contact:
Michael Dolan @ 086 - 2599 165 / info@johnstownrecycling.com
WORMS - Frequently
asked questions
Can they see?
No, worms
don’t have eyes. They are very sensitive to bright light. They
will try to hide as soon as exposed.
Where is
the mouth?
The worm’s
mouth is in the first anterior segment. There is a small protruding
lip just over the mouth, called prostomium. When the worm is
foraging, this lip is stretching out. The prostomium is for sensing food.
Do they
have teeth?
Worms have no
teeth for chewing food. They grind food in their gizzard by muscle action
How do they
grind food?
Worms can only
take small particles in their small mouths. Microorganisms soften the
food before worms will eat it. Worms have a muscular gizzard. Small
parts of food mixed with some grinding material such as sand, topsoil
or limestone is ingested. The contractions from the muscles in the
gizzard compress those particles against each other, mix it with
fluid, and grind it to smaller pieces.
If a worm
is cut in two, will it grow back?
It depends on
where the cut took place. If a worm is cut at the posterior end,
sometimes a new tail will grow back on. Sometimes a second tail will
appear next to a damaged tail. However, the posterior half of the
worm can’t grow a new anterior (head.)
What Are
The Other Critters In My Worm Bin?
Once your worm
bin has been going for a while, you may notice other creatures like
white worms, springtails, and millipedes living in your bin. This is
normal, these creatures will not hurt your worms. In fact, they help
the composting process. The only bugs that may be present that pose a
threat to worms are centipedes. You can tell centipedes and
millipedes apart by looking at how their legs are attached to their
bodies. Centipedes have only one pair of legs per segment, millipedes
have two pairs.
What do I
do if my bin smells?
Unpleasant
odors in a worm bin may result from too much food waste, too much
moisture, or composting cheese or animal products. Control odors by
removing excess waste. You can also make sure that drainage holes are
not blocked and adding more drain holes or fresh bedding if needed.
Always cover fresh food waste with at least one inch of bedding.
What Is
Growing In My Worm Bin?
You may
occasionally notice patches of mold or sprouts in your worm bin.
Molds and fungi are a natural part of the composting process, helping
to break down the food waste. Vegetables may sprout in your bin
because of all the nutrients present. These things will eventually be
consumed by the worms and other organisms, but you can keep the mold
or sprouts out of sight by covering them with bedding.
What
Happens To My Worms In The Winter?
When it gets
colder, your worms will slow down, and will not be able to digest as
much food waste. You will most likely need to cut back on the amount
of food waste you feed your worms between November and February. Red
worms can survive cold winters outside if protected by bedding in a
worm bin.
Do worms
die in the box?
It’s hard
to find dead worms in a worm box, but they do die in the box. Dead
worm bodies decompose very quickly, because their bodies are between
75%-90% water. If you find many dead worms you should find out the
cause. High heat (above 84 degrees) is fatal to them. Too much salt
or acidic food waste can kill them. It’s best to change the
bedding with fresh materials to solve the problem. Sometimes,
partially replacing bedding may solve the problem.
How long do
worms live?
Often, worms
live and die in the same year. They are exposed to hazards, dryness,
too hot or too cold weather. Eisenia foetida can live for as long as
four years.
Do worms
need air?
Worms need
oxygen to live. The oxygen diffuses across the moist tissue of their
skin, from the region of greater concentration of oxygen (air) to
that of lower concentration (inside the worm.) Carbon dioxide
produced by the bodily processes of the worm also diffuses through
skin. Moving from higher concentration to lesser concentration,
carbon dioxide moves from the inside of the worm’s body out into
the surrounding bedding. A constant supply of fresh air throughout
the bedding helps this desirable exchange take place.
What about breeding?
Each worm
bears the reproductive system of both sexes, but two worms must mate
for reproduction to take place. For example, Redworms, which consume
large amounts of organic matter and are found in manure and compost
piles and decaying leaves are prolific breeders. They live closer to
the surface than earthworms and reproduce very quickly in captivity.
Eight redworms become 1,500 redworms in six months!
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