Pot Worms in the Worm Bin

In the last 6 months, I've noticed a curious growth of tiny white creatures in my redworm bin that I, at first, mistakenly took for baby worms. They actually are pot worms and "bloom" in the bin when the soil becomes acidic. Baby redworms (Eisenia fetida) have a red vein running down the length of their bodies within hours after birth, so if you're seeing a bunch of tiny, undulating, white lines, they are probably pot worms. Opinions are mixed as to whether they are bad to have in a bin, but I have seen the amount of food being digested in my bin double since they moved in, so I don't mind them at all! In fact, Happy D Ranch says Pot Worms are good for my compost system, which I can believe. I did question how they would impact my garden when I work in the vermicompost (there is no chance you could separate these guys out of the castings/compost). According to All About Worms, "pot worms won’t harm other living worm species, they do no damage to living plants either. Their diet is strictly bacteria and fungus." However, the pot worms plus the mites are indicating that my bin is probably getting too acidic. That means no more coffee grounds and more eggshells.

Worm Bin Friends (or Foe?)

I'm harvesting the vermicompost out of my worm bin today to give my garden and indoor plants an extra boost. Every time I dig deep into that bin I see things I never wished to see in my house. At least they stay in the bin. This time it was a million little red mites. Mites are common in worm bins, but are these particular ones benign or bad news? My worm flier from Happy D Ranch (my pets' birthplace) says the red ones could be parasitic to the worms, but the other sources I've found say they don't cause problems. I do know why their population exploded recently- the bedding is too wet. I added dry shredded paper today and took out the tasty treat for the mites (pineapple chunks), and removed a lot that were sitting on the pineapple. Too bad, because worms like those fleshy fruites too. Guess i'll have to stick to less fleshy, drier vegies in the bin for a while.