Collect or capture worms

To collect worms in a vermicomposter:

To make a donation of worms it will obviously be necessary to collect worms in your vermicomposter.

You can take a good amount, but then it will be necessary to allow the worms time to reproduce to rebuild their population, before being able to collect again (2 months seems to be enough).

By hand :

Just go fishing for worms directly by hand in the various vats of the vermicomposter. By gently turning parts of the compost, you have time to draw worms directly with the fingers. With the habit, we become more and more efficient. This method is my favorite because we have time to observe.

"Luminous" method:

Worms fear the light. This characteristic can be used to separate them from the compost. You must first place one of your wormcomposter trays on a tarpaulin or newspaper sheet on the floor. By forming small compost domes, the worms will burrow into the lower part of the domes and pass under the tray (through the holes). It is then sufficient to collect the worms on the tarpaulin or the newspaper. It will not be too long to leave the ferry in the light of day otherwise the worms will all run away and there will not be much in your tank, but if you do it at the time of the collection of the last tank, this method is very effective.

Capture “wild” worms in the wild:

Example of a worm trap by Dominique:

Step 1 :

Take a bucket or any container preferably waterproof and big enough.

Step 2 :

Fill it with peels or compostable materials, add some bits of cardboard if necessary, tamp well, soak up with water.

Step 3 :

In a place where you know there are worms, for example under wood, near an outside composter, … Turn the bucket over sharply to compact the compostable material.

Step 4 :

After about two weeks, quickly lift the bucket, quickly catch your worms before they escape. If there are not enough, take those already and turn the bucket over again and come back in a week or two.

In which container to give the worms?

Generally, the worms you will give will soon find a new home. The container will only be used for transport. It can therefore be a box, a plastic bag.

It is important to give, in addition to worms, compost of the different stages of your vermicomposter: you will give all types of organisms that can colonize a new vermicomposter.

My favorite container is the newspaper envelope (you wrap the worms in 2-3 layers of newspaper). This has the advantage that it can be recycled directly into the new vermicomposter.

How to protect your worms from extreme summer heat

Taking care of your vermicompost in hot weather is important. Here are the tips to protect the worms from the heat.

You’ve got an incredible talent !

Do you have hidden (or visible) talents? Do you want to contribute to an international project? Even if you only have a short time, you can help Plus 2 Vers!