Subject: Re: Worm composting help needed

From: Martin Thoren <[email-masked]>
Date: 20 Feb 1995 14:28:19 GMT

[email-masked] (Anna Watkins) wrote:
>
> Nothing I've read about vermicomposting tells me what do do when things 
> go really wrong (maybe I'm the only one who messes it up??!)
> 
> My worm bin smells really gross -- like sewage and ammonia.  I suspect my 
> worms have died (what a bad mom I am).  What have I done -- did I not 
> drain it often enough, or remove finished compost enough?  Also, I am 
> having a problem with fruit flies (I've never seen really mature fruit 
> flies before, so at least I've learned something!)
> 
> Can anyone help me with this?  To fix it, will I have to totally clean it 
> out and start again?
> 
> Can I use the finished compost (even though it smells wrong) or will it 
> hurt my plants?
> 

Well, I have had the same problem, The smell is caused by to little oxygen
When the organic stuff decomposes it will need oxygen, just like a fire. 
But when there is no oxygen the bacterias and stuff that decompses it will 
decomposes the stuff in another way, creating H2S (dihyrdogensulfid). 
The smell is easy avoided by mixing the composed with something that will
let the oxygen slip through.
I don't know weather or not the worms are alive, H2S is poisionus
to most living organisms 

Good luck!!!