As The Worm Turns

Today, I added the new working tray to the top of our classroom worm bin, giving the critters a new penthouse abode. This new working tray, unlike the first, does not require worm bedding material, as the worms supposedly zip down to the first, bottom tray when not feeding, so as to avoid light.

As the castings in the first tray were abundant, too much for the new working tray to fit snugly, I scooped out the excess castings, added the remains of the old damp cover--now shreds of moist newspaper, peppered with worm eggs--moved the lot into the bottom of the new tray, and added some new food. I'm sure that the worms are lean and hungry, since I'd deliberately stopped feeding them for the last two weeks to ensure that any remaining organic material had biodegraded prior to the addition of the new tray.

A fun fact about the worms: they work as a nifty natural barometer. In high humidity, especially right before a big rain, they migrate upwards. I've been gingerly opening the cover as of late, as I can usually expect to find clusters of worms clinging to the top. Apparently, the action's instinctual, as this move saves them from drowning if they were in the grand outdoors and subject to floods.