Vermiculite in worm bed

[Angler53]

I have a stockpile of old flower pots that has vermiculite (?) mixed in to peat moss. Will this stuff hurt my worms? I could triple the size of my bed, today, without spending a penny if I can use this soil.

[azslabber]

Depends on whether there has been any type of pesticides put into it.Maybe put a few worms in one of them and see how they do.

[Angler53]

Ok, I'll give that a try and see what happens. These pot have been stacked beside the house for years. I forgot I had them. I would think that if any pesticides were used it has long sense been wash out by rain over the years. Thanks for the help.

[shipahoy41]

Why lose a herd over a few pennies? You will have better results by not using old materials for bedding. Personally I would throw the old material in the garden and then you don't have to worry about putting your worms in contaminated materials.

Vermiculite would make the material less likely to clump up and probably would help retain moisture for your bed though.

[Angler53]

The old stuff works just fine. I notice that it holds moisture better and I would think it's more aerated, too. I now see worms all through the media, not just in the very bottom.
I saw a clip on TV a few weeks ago about raising worms. They said to put your old bread in the box. They hang out just under the slices. I think they love the bread. It was also mentioned to put your egg shells in the box. I boil them a few minutes and crush um up and put um in. The worms seem strong, healthy and the box is teaming with adolescents.