That article that ElRancho posted talked about how they can destroy the ground and soil web. I wonder if you could try that mustard trick to repel those? Or if they would just return?
Commonly called "Hammerhead or Broadhead" flatworms bipalium are land planariums that feed on earthworms. Our local worm expert, Doug from NW Redworms was called in by the Washington State Extension to investigate these savages at a site in Clark County Washington a few years back. The good news is that they're easily identifiable but the bad news is that they can decimate worm populations. Good to see you RD. I'm a big fan of what you're doing in the Big Sky State!
Great info chunk! Not to get off topic but has anybody personally spotted any of those giant Leopard slugs in their local? cheers os
Is this another creature from the deep like @Chunk posted earlier? I get those black n white (or gray ?) ones sometimes but I just move them to the edge of the woods and wait till they return.
Unfortunately I can't say it's purposeful any more, as much as we never got rid of them and they became a part of our ecosystem... Lol We raised beardies for a while and had them share a common with our sulcata tortoise, we no longer raise beardies but hopefully one day... Maybe soon.. not a bad thought. Anyways, so the enclosure which is under the stairs I made, has a layer of meal worm... habitat... You may say.. our tortoise doesn't seem to mind and they finish her left overs. Occassionally I find one outside of the area.. like the other day.. I picked up what I thought was a piece of stir fry... Nope it was a mealy. Good thing I didn't eat it huh.. Maybe not.. good protein. So I hear. If I was desperate I suppose... Fry em up, like cricket ... Great salad topper? I know they do somewhere in the world and call it a delicacy. Anyways, yeah I got mealies too. Hi!!!
Right on! Beardies are awesome lil stinkers, I'd love to rock one as a companion one day haha. I actually just raise the mealworms for their frass to use in my garden, no pets that'd eat them so I just cull their numbers every few months and put em outside for the neighborhood birds. They certainly love em. I found the frass is exceptional in the garden, and pairs quite nicely with worm castings. I use it mainly as soil drenches/teas and foliar sprays. The plants love it! Pop into my mealworm thread if you have anything to contribute, I'm kinda using it just to compile information for those who want to get into this as a side-hobby for the gardenA different kind of vermiculture
Will do, I love using the resources I have, so sounds good, I got a whole bit of frass' I guess.. usually we just chuck them into our chicken coupe and add new media, weeds, straw grass etc with our tortoise and the mealies work at it along with the veggies and what not we feed her. Funny, I totally rock synthetic growing in my attic but everywhere else I am a whole picture organic kinda person. However I am shy enough with the chems to get these really cool bio life's going on. I think they are trichoderma. At first I was like... Whose been putting their pubes into the base of my potters.. Gnomes.. must be. Oh yah.... I remember... I understand organic as a label and a code, total respect, I get down to brass tacks, it's how does this all work in a bigger picture for me. I'll totally check out your other type of vermiculture.
I’m on the same page as RD with making my own castings... errr... the worms making my castings... oh hell , you know what I mean lol! The beds full of coots mix are a perfect little haven for those guys and they churn out fresh castings for me 24/7. I can always count on being able to remove the top 2-3 “ of my soil in between runs and come away with 100% castings and some aeration. Hell, I mixed up some fresh coots mix once and didn’t use it for six months or so. Damn worms basically ate everything and left me with a heavy, casting laden mess. IMO... you can overdo worm populations in a container setting.
I like that notion. I’m hoping to get a good population of earthworms in my outdoor bed. I’ve caught and released several there already. When/if I ever get my indoor grow going I certainly want worms in the mix.
As I’m glad we are moving into March, I’m going to get these bins moved back outside. My first week of the month is still going to have nights where the temps will be near freezing so I’m in no hurry.
I would leave the worms out of the soil. They are not needed and if anything could over populate taking up soil space. I would just throw the worms in yards all over and begin to help to soil on earth. Eventually we'll all figure out the plants and soil is the only solution for reversing climate change.
Worm regulates their population, it might not be a bad idea to thin them out, it's not necessary.What to Do When You Have “Too Many” Worms | Red Worm Composting
I’m not seeing any runoff from these bins indoors, which is kind of what I was going for by just watering the top bedding good. I have plastic under them all just in case. Anybody else try to regulate the water this way?
I don't try for any lechate to be honest. In fact, that's the last thing I shoot for. (I'm just running stacked bins, and have over watered them before.) And handful of castings into a watering can, a couple gallons of water, stir, and water it in about a half hour later. That works very well. Did you notice a population increase for your ice cream buckets yet?
I haven’t even checked yet, I’m moving them back outside soon and I’m going to harvest them all and check that out. I’m anxious and curious on those ice cream pots and the bin I have outdoors to attract earthworms.
Slow going here in the land of worms. I’ve got a cool, rainy week ahead so I’m holding off on relocating these bins outdoors. I’m steady seed shopping for the garden season and will harvest these bins to put in with the soil I’ll use in bottomless pots. I’m going to let that outdoor bin go for another month or so and see if I’ve found any earthworm recruits to move to my garden beds.
I’m going to add leaves to the bins today and getting ready to move them back outdoors. I’m ready to harvest them too and excited about the pile of shit that this is all for.
Not much to offer for illustration but I added in a few inches of fresh bedding on top of the bed and misted them. No bug problem, no funky smells. Kind of the way I like to live. Edit to add, that’s not a cig butt in the bottom of the 2nd pic, it looks like it but i checked.