#2 Fruit Flies, Slugs and Snails oh my! Not in my worm farm, or maybe it's OK, read about worm farm invaders here.

 "Worms are ruminators. They sift through whatever surrounds them, turn it over, explore it, move through it. They are deliberate creatures, in no great hurry, but always in motion, twisting and burrowing, shrinking and contracting and eating. They spend their lives in a kind of active mediation working through the detritus in which they live, the bits of leaves and grass and particles of soil for a being with such a simple brain, a worm seems, in this way, almost thoughtful."
Amy Stewart, author of "The Earth Moved"

We don't see them but worms are hard at work in this environment.

Creating an Ecosystem supportive of composting worms is in the beginning for many of us a labor founded on curiosity. Soon the benefits of natural organic manure, known as castings are realized. One benefit is it may be brewed into a "Tea" as an enhancer to the soil around plants adding many nutrients and beneficial bacterias, nematodes, and fungi. The longer worm farmers work with the relentless composters the more respect the little creatures earn. Passion and dedication are end products of that respect, creating the realization our partners may become prey to invaders of the systems we created. This article is about describing the larger insects, flies, and larva that may join them in their habitat with the potential to inflict harm upon them or in many cases making their lives easier.

(Follow this Link to my youtube video on how to build a worm farm.)

Fruit Flies and Fungus Gnats are every bit adaptable to a worm farm as are the worms. They are drawn to moist, warm, damp organic materials. Fruit flies are a fact of life for a worm farmer, they may be unpleasant however unbelievable as it may sound they pose no threat to the worms. During their lifespan of one week, they lay 500 eggs left clinging to the skins of fruits and vegetables serving as transportation into their new homes. Some of those new homes just happen to be the habitats we have created for our composting buddies. The mature Fruit Fly is a creation of science fiction with its red eyes and brown heads, they are about 1/8 inch long. Fungus gnats are black in color with long gangly legs, acting the same way as fruit flies. Flying in circles in groups called "Ghosts". Prevention is the best way to deal with an infestation because the eggs are laid on the surface of fruits and vegetables it is prudent to wash them prior to addition to the worm farm.  Cooking, microwaving, and freezing will also kill the eggs making them safe for the bins. Caution not to add the food until it is thawed, or cooled down to room temperature.

(Follow this Link to the University of Kentucky's paper on Fruit Flies.) 

Centipedes are predators of worms, hunting them down and killing them, they must be removed from the habitat. Employing a stinger posed behind their heads equipped with poison glands capable of paralyzing small earthworms, insect larvae, insects, and spiders. The one and the only way to control them is by manually removing them exercising caution to pay particular attention to their pincers, they will sting fingers. Removal to the outside garden is their natural setting, feasting on many bugs that harm plants they are viewed as beneficial in the correct environment, which a garden is.

 A photograph of a Centipede the only comment
I have is a hearty "Yuck".

Millipedes have two sets of walking legs on each segmented part of their bodies will roll up in a ball when stressed or in danger. Eating decayed organic vegetation, they are harmless to the worms. Moving slower than Centipedes with their rounder, black to red coloring. The inhabitants of our bins are commonly either brown or reddish-brown.

A Millipede, I suddenly have an itch I can't scratch.

Sow Bugs are known as "wood louse" they are chubby crustaceans with gills along the lower parts of their bodies which must be kept wet detrimental for their breathing. Much like an Armadillo, they have a segmented plate shell brown to gray in color. Two antennae and seven pairs of legs make up the remainder of their bodies. Grazing on vegetation they eat and tear apart some of the toughest organic materials. High cellulose and lignins are among their preferred foods, straw, and corn husks are examples. Beneficial in the worm bins, but in a garden, they will harm young plants. Sowbugs prefer to inhabit the upper parts of the environment among the abundance of unprocessed organic material such as freshly fallen leaves. They are harmless to the worms.

Pill bugs are similar to the Sow bugs, the "rolly polly bugs" will roll up into a ball when disturbed or stressed. Also belonging to the crustacean family they do not bite sting or pose a threat to any of the other occupants of the worm farms. Employing gill-like breathing organs they as Sow bugs need to remain moist to avoid suffocation.

Snails and Slugs may be found in the vermicomposters eating fresh kitchen waste, depriving the worms of nourishment. When an infestation occurs it is advisable to increase the amount of food added for the worms. The mature slugs are not the problem however, that danger is unique to their eggs. Transferred from the composter to the gardens the newly hatched larva will consume tender young plants. When Slugs or Snails are seen in the environment it is best to remove them immediately.

Ants are a symptom of a bed that is too dry. Feeding on insects, seeds, sweets, vegetables, and fungi it is important to keep spilled food cleaned up from around the base of the containment. If a large colony of Ants has taken up residence in the farm saturating the bedding with water will drive them out, continual turning over of the bedding will be required. Normally the Ants will leave. To keep them out place each of the bins supporting legs in a dish of water with a drop of dish soap to reduce the surface tension of the water. A dusting of Diatomaceous earth on the floor below the farms will dry the ants, it is effective to discourage Slugs and Snails as well. Do not use pesticides or insecticides, they will kill the worms when it is in contact with the bedding.

Fire Ants distinguished by their brown copper head and body they have a darker body. Having barbed mandibles they sting repeatedly in a circular pattern, the bite into the skin and don't let go. Causing small blisters lasting for days without treatment, they can easily destroy the worm colony. They can also be expelled with the soaking of the bed and continual turning over of the bedding.

Photograph of a Fire Ant. 

Blow Flies and House Flies smell rotting meat, feces, and greasy foods which create the perfect dwelling for them to lay their eggs. Maggots are the larvae and appear in droves around the rotting waste and feces after they hatch. Blow Flies are metallic in appearance and House flies are gray in color commonly. They will not harm the worms or the biosphere, in fact, the larvae contribute castings of their own which are of high quality and serve as a food source for the worms. Hanging fly strips away from the bins will keep them at bay.

Soldier Flies are black, metallic blue, green or purple, they may also display brightly colored black and yellow patterns. Feeding only on decayed or rotting material. Being common in the worm habitats the flies are no danger to the inhabitants. Living a parallel life they do not compete for food and mostly complement the activities of the composting worms. Like the worm castings, their feces make excellent compost. They do not spread diseases or bacteria, conversely, the larvae eat potentially pathogenic and disease-causing organisms making them harmless. Emitting odors that discourage houseflies and other flying pests, they are actually a pleasant house guest in the bins. Having no mouth they are unable to bite or sting, the adults, and the larvae are harmless to humans, and the worms. Left in the environment it is prudent to keep a close eye on the rate of food consumption because the worms are at a disadvantage when it comes to a race to the table. The Soldier Fly manure is a source of food for the worms as well.

A good picture of a Soldier Fly

Larvae are the undeveloped form of an insect that undergoes metamorphosis, known as maggots. We find grey-brown 1/2-inch long invaders in the worm's habitat. Being attracted to compost piles, and worm farms they will do no harm to human or our little round partners. The most common inhabitants of the bedding are the larvae of Soldier Flies.

Flatworms or Land Planarian are known also as Flat Worms. Iridescent worms with a slimy coating, gray to brown coloring enhanced with dark stripes down their backs. Sporting a head resembling that of a hammerhead shark, they move and feed mostly at night. Living in their preferred high temperatures they require high moisture content to survive. They hide in dark, cool, moist areas during the day, they are native to the warm, wet, Tropics and sub Tropical domains and are thought to be distributed worldwide in the roots of tropical plants. Land Planarians are cannibalistic, they also eat other insects, slugs, larvae, and they are a predator of worms. They are a danger to the worm colony and must be removed as soon as they are seen. Crushing them will not destroy them, they little bits will come alive and there will be many more in short order. Spraying with bleach or orange oil will do the trick, as well as collecting them to dry out in the hot sun is another successful ploy. Bleach will kill the beneficial bacteria, nematodes, and molds in the vermiculture, avoid letting it come into contact with the healthy bedding.

A Flatworm photograph, these guy's are nasty.

The invaders I have listed in this article are not a complete list, worms like many other animals and organisms are preyed upon. Mammals such as rats, mice, possums, and raccoons favor the easy pickings of the worm beds when left unprotected. My outdoor beds during the winter are constantly upended by the roaming critters during the nighttime hours. When it becomes a problem I cover them with wire fence fabric. The beds are covered every fall with a layer of organic material, cardboard, leaves, and straw to cover them, it is 80% successful in discouraging the garden diggers. I had a worm colony completely destroyed by mice when they gained access to one farm that is kept in the garage, the bin had too large of holes in it. That is the subject of another article, which I may write soon.

Thank you for reading and sharing this article, if you are interested in Vermiculture feel free to ask me your questions in the comments, I will be happy to help you out without selling you a single item. Most worm farming equipment is cheap and many times may be had for free, after all, their habitat is all around us, unless we live in a desert. Thanks again.

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com