[Greenbuilding] [BULK] Re: Compost issues

[YankeePerm at aol.com]

Earthworms include numerous species with different ecological functions.   
Most worms you might dig do not attack raw organic matter but eat decaying 
material.   The red wrigglers may the best for temperate climates for the job. Any 
worm that eats compost will eat forest duff.   If you could get your hands on 
tropical compost eaters and, if I recall correctly, you live in a cold winter 
climate, then those worms will not escape into the forest for more than one 
summer.   They will REQUIRE the heat of the compost, though probably not at 140° 
but further back from the biological furnace. 

Red wrigglers aren't going to go looking for your forest.   They stay near a 
food supply.   You can always fence pigs between your compost operation and 
the forest.   I doubt that even one worm would get by the pigs. Slaughter the 
pigs after the ground freezes.

You can probably think of a dozen other possible strategies.

Dan H.

In a message dated 11/25/07 10:25:33 PM, LLile at projsolco.com writes:


> 
> If red wigglers might harm my forest, would I be better off just digging up 
> some native worms and adding them to my compost pile? 
> 
>   
> 
>  --Lawrence
> 
> 





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