My #
vermiculture / #
vermicomposting set up (Eisenia foetida and Perionyx excavatus) went through some changes.. 47 gallon tote became 10 laundry detergent containers.. That became 6 and a 28"x60"x16" cinder block worm bed. Then the 6 containers became two, with the majority of the worms split between the two remaining tubs and the bulk of the unfinished #
vermicompost added to the bed. I really don't have the ideal population density of 1lb/ft² anywhere, but with the detergent tubs being closest to that threshold, hopefully I'll get enough of a population boost to add more to the bed.
I'm also experimenting with raising European nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis) and Canadian nightcrawlers (Lumbricus terrestrial) as bait worms and have a very small container with five [invasive] Alabama jumpers (Amynthas agrestis) or a similar worm that I've been finding while turning my compost pile.
The black soldier fly larvae bin is showing a lot of activity, but I fear very few, if any, of the maggots are #
BSFL since there's so many house flies buzzing around. Luckily, they're not coming near the house. The bin is not very well made (hardly drains at all) and I'm definitely looking to try a new design if I bother with BSFL again next year.
I'm also looking into #
bokashi pre-composting for the less enthusiastic composters in the house. I've seen anecdotal evidence that both BSFL and composting worms love the fermented waste and that the worms will even quickly break down composting no-no foods that have been bokashi pre-composted. If the worms like it so much, I may not have any need for BSFL.
A lot of my composting efforts are for the purposes of reducing our waste output and building soil to replace the sandy dirt we have in many areas of the property, but also looking for a good, minimal effort system to try getting more people on board with composting
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Sustainability & Self-Sufficiency