gift
The Humble Soapnut - A Guide to the Laundry Detergent that Grows on Trees ebook by Kathryn Ossing
will be released to subscribers in: soon!
  • Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Critters in My Red Wiggler Compost Bin

 
Posts: 3
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I’ve been Vermicomposting for 15 years - having to move often, so there’s that, but I made a bin for my mother and she loves those worms!
Her bin has some unwanted critters, though.
The latest ones look like pincher bugs. I took a photo and will include it below.
Any ideas about whether these critters are harmful?
IMG_8430.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_8430.jpeg]
 
Posts: 37
Location: Northern Michigan (zone 5a)
20
2
cat forest garden foraging
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Looks like an earwig. They're usually scavengers. Some species will hunt small arthropods, but they're not considered harmful to worms or people.


Editing to add: apparently in large numbers they can damage plants though, so maybe try not to take any out with the worm castings!
 
Kim Koogle
Posts: 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Thank you!
 
steward
Posts: 16058
Location: USDA Zone 8a
4272
dog hunting food preservation cooking bee greening the desert
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I agree that looks like an earwig.

I have not seen one in many years though I can still remember the musky odor.
 
Kim Koogle
Posts: 3
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Does anyone have ideas about how to eradicate the earwigs in my worm bin?
 
Posts: 64
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon
13
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I clicked on this because I had critters in my worm bin... rats! They (or it) dug down in and ate a bunch of my worms. I had to figure out a way to keep them out.
 
Posts: 173
30
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Jon Sousa wrote:I clicked on this because I had critters in my worm bin... rats! They (or it) dug down in and ate a bunch of my worms. I had to figure out a way to keep them out.



I set snap traps on top of my compost heap, I take the dead ones and toss them into the back of the compost pile under some material. More compost!
 
Tony Hawkins
Posts: 173
30
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I only did vermiculture for two years before a bear came along and ripped it all to shreds. But before that I learned that a worm bin is a bin full of all kinds of bugs *and* worms. Maggots and fruit flies get in there too. I used one of those elevated tray-stacking setups so that probably help keep the ground bugs away.
 
Police line, do not cross. Well, this tiny ad can go through:
the permaculture bootcamp in winter (plus half-assed holidays)
https://permies.com/t/149839/permaculture-projects/permaculture-bootcamp-winter-assed-holidays
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic