Worms in Manure

[Digeroo]

I have a compost bin full of manure but it did not have many worms, so I imported some from compost bin at home. Put some soil, leaves and cardboard on top.

Opening the bin yesterday and there were quite a few worms in the lid.   Is this a sign there is not enough for them to eat? 

Did similar last year and in the end a mole thought this was splendid and came right up into the middle of the manure and it turned into one enormous mole hill.  The result was very friable.   

[Digeroo]

[galina]

Yes, they are trying to escape.  How hot is the manure?  Compost worms like things like peelings and green stuff and definitely don't like it too hot.  They congregate on the lid where it is cooler. 

Maybe the just need a much larger escape area with cool stuff and with shredded newspaper on top of the manure and when the manure has cooled, they will be happy all over the bin.     

[johhnyco15]

i put fresh uncooked kitchen waste in my darleks  most weeks lots of worms and a lot in the lid i think they just move around searching 

[Digeroo]

Blimey Johhny have you got the national collection of compost bins?

Manure was cold and actually rather wet, hopefully it is draining now it has a lid on it, had a few worms in it. 

I have lots of worms in my bin at home which gets all the vegetable peelings etc, but they do not go into the lid. 

[Redalder]

I noticed worms on the lids of my kitchen waste compost bins and realised it was when they get a bit low on fresh stuff. Usually they go back down when I put more waste in so assumed it was because they were either too hot or looking for fresh food and now make sure I alternate the fills between bins - seems to have settled down now.

[Digeroo]

One thing that worries me, is that some of the manure might be contaminated by de worming drugs.  I do try and choose parts of the manure poile which has worms in it.

[ancellsfarmer]

One thing that worries me, is that some of the manure might be contaminated by de worming drugs.  I do try and choose parts of the manure poile which has worms in it.

From limited research on this topic, I have not found any suggestion that substances administered for parasitic infestation of livestock are likely to adversly affect earthworms. Does anybody have any contra indications.

[johhnyco15]

One thing that worries me, is that some of the manure might be contaminated by de worming drugs.  I do try and choose parts of the manure poile which has worms in it.

From limited research on this topic, I have not found any suggestion that substances administered for parasitic infestation of livestock are likely to adversly affect earthworms. Does anybody have any contra indications.

i agree with ancellsfarmer

[pumkinlover]

That's a relief, as we are worming the chickens and the rabbits at the moment.
Though their offerings are small in comparison to all the rest of the input into the compost

[Digeroo]

Thank you Ancellsfarmer I will see what I can find out as well.