What Are These Bugs in My Kitchen Compost Bin? (video)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnh-O2euWQU Kitchen compost crocks aren't my favorite tool when it comes to composting, but they are fun to ignore. For the last several months, I decided to fill it up and not empty it since it's colder out (less bugs) and it won't smell as bad. I opened it up today, and it was nothing but sludge in the bottom and gobs of compost mites around the lid. These are a common inhabitant of worm bins, but they don't really pose a threat to your system. In fact, they're a bit of a help since they indicate that your compost is unbalanced. Most likely your compost is too moist, and that's what these critters like being around. The solution? Add a bunch of dry browns to balance it out. The…

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Eggs in the Worm Bin… What Are They?

Eggs in the worm bin...sound about right?  For those of you new vermicomposters out there, you have probably witnessed bunches of tiny moving white eggs along the rim of your worm bin, and maybe on some of the material.  This is totally common when starting out and none other than a form of mites or springtails.  They might look like this: These little guys are nothing more than moochers...they exist separately from your worms, other than when they snack on worm corpses, it seems.  Apparently, they are a sign of imbalance in your worm bin...however, they like to munch on material that's not appealing to worms.  Personally, I don't mind them because a presence of critters means you have an active habitat. To get the bin a little more stable:…

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