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Gee64
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How are things growing at you place?
The Gee Spot - You Finally Found It
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Gidorah
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Got 5 in the raised beds. The TMSC are in the white low ones. A little late on the planting but heck, these will grow for a long time before its time to chop in October. Happy 420, enjoy the weekend!
I’ve got a lot of white and brown mites in my worm bins. Too wet or too much food or both? I’m gonna split the bin in half and run 2 bins so I can get better airflow while I learn how to balance better. Any thoughts or standout mistakes in this plan?
Here’s a pic of the bin and some of the mites
JiggiLotus
Well-Known Member
I know nothing about a worm bin, however, you are creating a world for the micro and macro organisms and so there's bound to be newbies moving into the environment to add to the ecosystem of your worm bin.
JiggiLotus
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they look colonized on two objects, they must be attracted to whatever that particular matter is that they're grouped upon.
JiggiLotus
Well-Known Member
You could probably get rid of them by just wide spoon scooping them out as a group. Worth a try?
Yep. Since a new environment is being established there will be a push and pull of the players as they balance out. It’s one of the advantages of reusing soil, that balance has been established and reinforced.
Yep, these are white mites which are detritivores. They’re attracted to the decomposing organic matter. In a soil food web environment they’d be welcome as they help to break down organic matter quicker and make the nutrients available. In my bin, they will compete with the worms for food, and in some cases will attack weaker worms. Since I want this to be a worm farm, I don’t want them facing competition for food.
I could do that or I could place pieces of melon or veggies on the surface. They’ll all gang up on it and I can remove them that way. That’s a band aid though and doesn’t fix the issues that led to this occurring. They would just show back up unless I fix what I’m doing wrong.
This is a great example of experience trumping knowledge. I know what’s going on and why it’s happening, yet I’m still having issues with applying the knowledge practically.
I don’t have any leachate coming out so I’m hard pressed to believe it’s too wet. I may be over feeding, food chunks may be too large, and I may have the bin too full of bedding making it difficult for good airflow.
JiggiLotus
Well-Known Member
Some things in life are inevitable 
That's cool, you never know, if they weed out the weaker worms that could be a good factor. Cuz that would make for keeping your worm genes strong and viable.
That's cool, you never know, if they weed out the weaker worms that could be a good factor. Cuz that would make for keeping your worm genes strong and viable.
JiggiLotus
Well-Known Member
I think this is neat and I'm just gonna fall back into the shadows now and listen 
I’ll also add there is no odor issue, no ants, nor fruit flies or regular flies. Just the mites. White and red/brown, but more white.
JiggiLotus
Well-Known Member
White cuz they probably molt like crazy being so small. They have tiny lifespans so they work quickly.
Wastei
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From the few worm bins I've seen it looks too dry to me. I remember the surface being covered with wet leaves or cardboard under the lid and then worms with food and casting below that.
Grandma also had a tap in the bottom to collect excess water/feed and you could split the bin in two layers if I remember correctly.
Cheers!
Yes to the wet cardboard. Keeps it damp and humid. Kinda like decomposing leaf litter.
I was keeping damp newspaper on the top but I removed it a few days ago when I first noticed the mites. Their population has increased since then so I sprayed the top and laid the newspaper back down.
There’s already more worm action up top. However as can be seen here the tap is bone dry
The worms are also bunching up around the sides close to the bottom, you don’t see many in the middle or in the top layers. The entire bin may be too dry and the worms aren’t able to get to the food before the mites.
There’s already more worm action up top. However as can be seen here the tap is bone dry
The worms are also bunching up around the sides close to the bottom, you don’t see many in the middle or in the top layers. The entire bin may be too dry and the worms aren’t able to get to the food before the mites.
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Gee64
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Nice G! Those will be epic!Got 5 in the raised beds. The TMSC are in the white low ones. A little late on the planting but heck, these will grow for a long time before its time to chop in October. Happy 420, enjoy the weekend!
I like the nasturtiums too, the wife makes me start a bunch for her every year. You gotta keep us posted.- Thread starter
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Gee64
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I get a bit of lecheate but not excess. You will see all sorts of bugs come and go. They balance themselves out.I was keeping damp newspaper on the top but I removed it a few days ago when I first noticed the mites. Their population has increased since then so I sprayed the top and laid the newspaper back down.
There’s already more worm action up top. However as can be seen here the tap is bone dry
The worms are also bunching up around the sides close to the bottom, you don’t see many in the middle or in the top layers. The entire bin may be too dry and the worms aren’t able to get to the food before the mites.
Oyster shell is the only calcium I add, plus I use used soil which has all 3 calciums in it, and I still get the white mites.
Not infestations, but if I lay zucinni rings on top they will be the 1st to find it and it will look like lots, but then they disappear again. I let it do whatever it wants and never overwater it and never leave scraps on the surface and it just works all on it's own.
It will get skanky and wet if you over feed it. Most of the bugs will stay up in the top tray. Once you put another tray on top they will migrate up following the fresh food.
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Gee64
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You should be getting a few drops at least out the tap.