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What NOT to do to red wiggler earthworms or their beds, bins
 | Water, watering too much can be just as bad or worse than not at all. Over watering can lead to sour bedding, over heating and foul smell. Well drained, but moisture of about 70 percent is best. If your AVSA appears to be too dry, pick up some of the bedding, squeeze it firmly, a few drops of moisture should drop out. IF it doesn't try using pre-soaked cardboard, paper, coffee grounds and wetter type garbage. Sprinkle lightly over several days if it got too dry, Flooding will only wet parts of the bedding and leave a lot of run off. |
| Ants - Fire ANTS are a real pain, not only in the butt, but in the beds. They can appear suddenly and get established in a short time. They ARE NOT good for the earthworms or you when you reach into the vermicompost and come up with a hand full that quickly attack and cover your arm... I know I've been there! THE only time I use poison is on the floor space around, below AVSA, NEVER IN AVSA. IF they get into AVSA, I flood it repeatedly for a few days, they don't seem to like it when its wet. About the only time we have had any is when we allowed AVSA to get too dry. |
| Pests can be controlled easily by putting a window screen over AVSA, mice, flying insects, spiders, etc. have a hard time getting in. I also add a fly strip, so it almost touches the vermicompost, it picks up the fruit flies that come in from fruit. |
| Heat - Red Wiggler earthworms are pretty hardy and if AVSA is placed inside a structure or under a tree, heat doesn't seem to bother them too much. IF it should get real hot, watering in the hot part of the day, can help cool them and the bedding down. |
| Cold - Although I have frozen earthworms (accidentally with very few being lost) I don't recommend it. With AVSA the earthworms can crawl into the interior of the unit, that affords more insulation. IF you live in a very prolonged, freezing cold area, a plumbers electrical tape can be wrapped around AVSA easily to add extra heat. Or a light bulb placed inside the top will keep them from freezing. |
| IN Attention is the worst enemy of your AVSA unit and earthworms, feed them, check them, remedy any problems immediately. |
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T-Dome Homes Basic Manual