RE: Microworms (was BBS)

["Phil Eaton" <peaton@hotmail.com>]

Ken,

As a matter of fact, the first culture I received supposedly had a "pinch" 
of dry yeast mixed into the culture.  The guy I got it from told me I 
wouldn't need to add yeast to the next culture if I took my sample from the 
original culture.  They need very little if any from what he told me.  I use 
less than 1/4 tsp. from the original batch, and that has enough worms and 
whatever else they need to get going very quickly.

I have duplicated the culture probably 10 times to give away, and I have 
never had a growth problem without the yeast, and I don't have any 
overwhelming odors coming from the cultures.  If I use too much oatmeal, a 
little mold will form on parts of the oatmeal, but after a couple weeks, the 
mold goes away, and the odor with it.

Another time, I had larger openings in the lid and some sort of gnat or 
fruit fly got in and laid eggs on the oatmeal.  I had little maggots about 
3mm long, and microworms in the same culture.  (the fish ate the maggots, 
but weren't too fond of them, I just had to try it...)  Since then, I make a 
few slits in the lid instead of larger holes.  No more maggots.  And the 
maggots did produce a slightly different smell as well.

I would try it again if I were you, and make one batch up with no yeast at 
all and see what happens.

Happy worm farming!

Phil Eaton
Dallas TX


----Original Message Follows----
From: Ken Laidlaw <kl@roe.ac.uk>

Does your method produce any odour?  The once I tried it  the smell was
disgusting and my wife was none too pleased, especially after I told her
that there were worms involved in there.  My recipe included using yeast
which was where most of the smell came from.
Ken.

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