Inoculate bedding before stocking

[Darryl]

It is often taught that worm bins should be inoculated with microbes prior to stocking the fresh beds with red worms. This topic attempts to find out the various ways and methods that people may be using to accomplish this. So, let's get the party started

[Jay Blair]

I water my bedding with aquarium water first for two days.

[Jay Blair]

I also use wine lees to innoculate new beds. Seeing how good this did to innoculate the bedding I tried using asugar water mix with a sprinkling of bread yeast included with the aquarium water.

[Darryl]

Jay, that is some awesome information. However, could you explain to me what you mean by "wine lees"? Do you make wine, and if so, is wine lees the sediment that falls to the bottom during fermentation? Aquarium water is a awesome idea. I don't have an aquarium at this current time but the info may be used by others who do.

[bendback50]

I like to use a little of the previous bin's (or saved) castings. I also like to dust the bedding with cornmeal to get a jump on the bacteria. Shoot, I like to use cornmeal for treats or to just increase the bacterial activity when I add new bedding.

I've read, and it seems to be true, that corn meal, being so finely ground, allows for a rapid bacterial bloom. I can see my worms rolling around in it an hour or so after I've dusted & misted it in.

As for water, I save rain water in 7 gal. lidded buckets, and, like aquarium water, I would think, seems better when it has a little algae in it.

bruce

[Darryl]

Bruce, Yes I usually use castings from a previous bin. I like the rain-water idea as it seems like it would also help. I know that red worms love slight amounts of cornmeal. I have never messed around with cornmeal too much but I think I will give it a try. You guys are listing some pretty good ideas. Keep them coming

[Jay Blair]

When we make wines or whiskey using lees from a previous batch its called a cultured must and sour mash for the whiskey.
Would this make the worms "sour mash wigglers"

Also you can inoculate just by souring some leaves and grass in a zip lock baggy for a week, then mix it into the aerobic environment of the worms.

[bendback50]

Jay,
It might make your yours drunk!! :0) What a life!

Thanks for the tip on the sour leaves & grass clippings. I had a bad experience with grass clippings once - probably overloaded- but I think I'll try it again in smaller amounts.

bruce

[csimba]

I suppose you could build a worm bin and sterilize all bedding material but how do you get worms sent to you without any microbes attached to them?
In other words - "inoculating" a worm bin is pointless. The first load of kitchen scraps will have plenty of mocrobes for the worms to eat.

[Darryl]

In bin experiments I have performed, I have also tried just stocking the beds without first inoculating the bedding and I could see a instant difference between inoculating the bedding and not inoculating. The redworms go to work on food quickly if the bin has first been inoculated a week or so prior to stocking it with worms. If worms are placed into beds without first inoculating then it takes a week or so before any appreciable feeding activity is noticed. By incoculating the bedding, microbes have a chance to multiply throughout the ENTIRE bedding before worms are introduced into the bedding. By inoculating the bedding, you are providing the worms with many microbes, which worms thrive on. Basically a worm bed is nothing more than an eco system for the worms. A good worm eco system will be loaded with LOTS of bacteria/fungi. Yes, if you just throw some redworms into freshly made bedding, they will eventually start consuming bulk food scraps but not until a significant amount of microbes has multipied first. I have seen the time where it has taken 2 weeks for worms to start eating bulk food scraps in bins that have not been inoculated.

[theinfamousj]

My worms came to me from a bin in my city and the bin owner just shoveled a yogurt container full of whatever she could get into the containter. When I got home I just dumped the container into my bin. Ta da. Instant innoculation.

Though I haven't done it yet, when I start the next round after the first harvest, I plan to sift the castings that come out of the bin. Anything caught in the sieve gets tossed into the newly refreshed bin. That should do it, right?

Also, turns out I also watered with rainwater so that helps.