{"id":380641052,"title":"Worm Composting (\"KICK START\") --- Beneficial Microbes (2 Lbs) Keep worms happy!","handle":"kick-start-worm-bin-microbes","description":"\u003ch3\u003eYou will receive:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e(2) 1 lb. packages of Kick Start\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan face=\"Arial\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0407\/0261\/files\/Hungreyworm_11fb035f-20d3-44e0-8a34-0dc8cc3acb4e_large.png?8486799711318111942\" height=\"54\" width=\"42\"\u003e               \u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eWhy use KICK START?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ffffff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan face=\"Arial\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan face=\"Arial\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003eYour new worm bin will need a KICK START to make your worms comfortable and happy. We say happy because if they are not happy they will try to escape from your new bin setup. Ever try picking up over 300 worms off the floor before they dry out?  We have...not fun.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#38761d\" face=\"Arial\" style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKICK START\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cb\u003e comes in two 1 lb. bags containing a population of beneficial microbes.  You will get a mixture of aged soil-leaves, worm castings, some small worms and worm eggs.  This is the material directly form our worm bins.  We pull the kick starter from a bed that has just been harvested and setup to start a new cycle.  The bag of inoculates will have some small worms in it and a fair number of worm eggs. It will also contain a thriving population of beneficial microbes necessary to healthy composting.  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#38761d\" face=\"Arial\" style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlthough it would take some time to get the population of worms up, you could start a worm bin using only the inoculates without ever buying a bag of worms.  This is not recommended though as it would take 90 or so days for the worms in the inoculates to start reproducing.  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#38761d\" face=\"Arial\" style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTo use KICK START simply place half or so of the bag in the bottom of your new bin.  Take the other half and mix it with your bedding material, such as shredded newspaper, leaves, cardboard or whatever you use. Then your bin is ready for worms and then food.  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy do worms need microbes?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEarthworms lack teeth and sufficient digestive enzymes of their own, relying instead on microorganisms to begin to rot and soften organic matter so it can be ingested, than relying on naturally occurring bacteria and fungi in their gut to digest their food. In the process of taking in this biologically active pre digested organic matter the earthworm also ingests small particles of sand and soil, which lodge in their gizzard.  As the organic matter and microbial life coating it move past this gizzard they are ground against the gritty particles lodged there and fragmented into smaller pieces, making them easier for the gut organisms to digest.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResearchers have recently learned that it is not from the organic matter itself, but from the bodies of the microbial life rotting the organic matter that epigeic earthworms derive the bulk of their most vital nutrients.  Once thought to be detritus (debris) feeders, we now understand that the earthworm is actually a predator of microbial life, relying on microscopic bacteria, fungi, protozoa and algae as their major sources of nutrition.  Thus, anything that will support microbial activity, that is, anything that rots, is potentially suitable food for earthworms.  Materials that support the greatest level of earthworm activity are those that support the greatest and most diverse populations of microbial\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e life, such as horse doo-doo, cow doo-doo, rabbit doo-doo and other rotting organic material.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Kick Start\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0407\/0261\/files\/KickStart-02_large.jpg?v=1477110098\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eKick Start with tiny worm eggs and some worms\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0407\/0261\/files\/qucik_ship_large.jpg?11434608370344101865\" alt=\"\" width=\"167\" height=\"31\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e","published_at":"2014-11-08T21:31:00-05:00","created_at":"2014-11-08T21:47:14-05:00","vendor":"Insect Sales.com","type":"Insect Growth Food","tags":["Worm Composting"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":1007381036,"title":"Worm Composting (\"KICK START\") --- Beneficial Microbes (2 Lbs) Keep worms happy!","option1":"Worm Composting (\"KICK START\") --- Beneficial Microbes (2 Lbs) Keep worms happy!","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Worm Composting (\"KICK START\") --- Beneficial Microbes (2 Lbs) Keep worms happy! - Worm Composting (\"KICK START\") --- Beneficial Microbes (2 Lbs) Keep worms happy!","public_title":"Worm Composting (\"KICK START\") --- Beneficial Microbes (2 Lbs) Keep worms happy!","options":["Worm Composting (\"KICK START\") --- Beneficial Microbes (2 Lbs) Keep worms happy!"],"price":899,"weight":953,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":4,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/insectsales.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/kick_start_3.jpg?v=1455668511","\/\/insectsales.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Kick_Start-button.jpg?v=1455668511","\/\/insectsales.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/kick_start_2.jpg?v=1455668511"],"featured_image":"\/\/insectsales.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/kick_start_3.jpg?v=1455668511","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":14630027300,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.158,"height":622,"width":720,"src":"\/\/insectsales.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/kick_start_3.jpg?v=1455668511"},"aspect_ratio":1.158,"height":622,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/insectsales.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/kick_start_3.jpg?v=1455668511","width":720},{"alt":null,"id":14630060068,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.868,"height":501,"width":435,"src":"\/\/insectsales.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Kick_Start-button.jpg?v=1455668511"},"aspect_ratio":0.868,"height":501,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/insectsales.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Kick_Start-button.jpg?v=1455668511","width":435},{"alt":null,"id":14630092836,"position":3,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.932,"height":1081,"width":1008,"src":"\/\/insectsales.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/kick_start_2.jpg?v=1455668511"},"aspect_ratio":0.932,"height":1081,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/insectsales.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/kick_start_2.jpg?v=1455668511","width":1008}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003ch3\u003eYou will receive:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e(2) 1 lb. packages of Kick Start\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan face=\"Arial\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0407\/0261\/files\/Hungreyworm_11fb035f-20d3-44e0-8a34-0dc8cc3acb4e_large.png?8486799711318111942\" height=\"54\" width=\"42\"\u003e               \u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eWhy use KICK START?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ffffff;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan face=\"Arial\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan face=\"Arial\" style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003eYour new worm bin will need a KICK START to make your worms comfortable and happy. We say happy because if they are not happy they will try to escape from your new bin setup. Ever try picking up over 300 worms off the floor before they dry out?  We have...not fun.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#38761d\" face=\"Arial\" style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKICK START\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cb\u003e comes in two 1 lb. bags containing a population of beneficial microbes.  You will get a mixture of aged soil-leaves, worm castings, some small worms and worm eggs.  This is the material directly form our worm bins.  We pull the kick starter from a bed that has just been harvested and setup to start a new cycle.  The bag of inoculates will have some small worms in it and a fair number of worm eggs. It will also contain a thriving population of beneficial microbes necessary to healthy composting.  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#38761d\" face=\"Arial\" style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlthough it would take some time to get the population of worms up, you could start a worm bin using only the inoculates without ever buying a bag of worms.  This is not recommended though as it would take 90 or so days for the worms in the inoculates to start reproducing.  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#38761d\" face=\"Arial\" style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTo use KICK START simply place half or so of the bag in the bottom of your new bin.  Take the other half and mix it with your bedding material, such as shredded newspaper, leaves, cardboard or whatever you use. Then your bin is ready for worms and then food.  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy do worms need microbes?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEarthworms lack teeth and sufficient digestive enzymes of their own, relying instead on microorganisms to begin to rot and soften organic matter so it can be ingested, than relying on naturally occurring bacteria and fungi in their gut to digest their food. In the process of taking in this biologically active pre digested organic matter the earthworm also ingests small particles of sand and soil, which lodge in their gizzard.  As the organic matter and microbial life coating it move past this gizzard they are ground against the gritty particles lodged there and fragmented into smaller pieces, making them easier for the gut organisms to digest.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResearchers have recently learned that it is not from the organic matter itself, but from the bodies of the microbial life rotting the organic matter that epigeic earthworms derive the bulk of their most vital nutrients.  Once thought to be detritus (debris) feeders, we now understand that the earthworm is actually a predator of microbial life, relying on microscopic bacteria, fungi, protozoa and algae as their major sources of nutrition.  Thus, anything that will support microbial activity, that is, anything that rots, is potentially suitable food for earthworms.  Materials that support the greatest level of earthworm activity are those that support the greatest and most diverse populations of microbial\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e life, such as horse doo-doo, cow doo-doo, rabbit doo-doo and other rotting organic material.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Kick Start\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0407\/0261\/files\/KickStart-02_large.jpg?v=1477110098\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eKick Start with tiny worm eggs and some worms\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0407\/0261\/files\/qucik_ship_large.jpg?11434608370344101865\" alt=\"\" width=\"167\" height=\"31\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e"}