Make sure to check out the June/July edition of Central Oregon’s premiere parenting publication ‘True North’ for a very informative article on Red Wigglers. They mention the benefits of composting food waste and creating your own organic compost. Great job! Visit them online to read the full article, or pick up a FREE copy at a local retailer.
Red Wigglers need oxygen just as much as humans do. The interesting fact is they do not have a pair of lungs. They absorb the oxygen into their outer layer from the moist environment in which they live in. They also have the ability to excrete carbon dioxide from their outer layer. It is very important to monitor the moisture level in the worm bin. If it is too dry, they may suffocate – too wet, they may drown. But if it’s just right, you’ll have happy Red Wigglers making poop for you.
This is a Sow Bug, a Terrestrial Isopod. These guys proliferate in dark, damp areas like worm bins. They munch on decaying matter alongside the Red Wigglers causing no harm inside the worm bin (in fact they help out with the composting process), however outside they can cause damage to your plants and garden.
Sow Bugs need constant moisture to survive and are primarily nocturnal so a moist dark worm bin is perfect.
Can you find the Sow bug in my bin?
