Question:
In my compost bin there are lots of white worms about 1/2-2" long, 1/2" thick.
Answer:
These sound like grubs (beetle larva), and range in size from about the size of your end digit on your little finger (snap beetle larva) to the size of your thumb (the iridescent fig beetle larva). In your yard they will eat up to 40 percent of their body weight a day in the roots of your plants, in the compost bin they eat that in decomposing organics; their castings, rich in nitrogen, feed the bacteria and make the composting process even faster. The act of setting up the bin, adding organics and water attracts the grubs out of the yard into the bin and there they stay until maturity. Use a quarter inch screen (2" x 4" wooden frame with 1/4" screen attached into a 32 gallon or larger garbage can to collect the compost) to filter out the grubs when harvesting compost out the compost bin. This will keep them out of the compost and out of the garden and yard when using the compost.
Links:
UC IPM - Masked Chafers
In my compost bin there are lots of white worms about 1/2-2" long, 1/2" thick.
Answer:
These sound like grubs (beetle larva), and range in size from about the size of your end digit on your little finger (snap beetle larva) to the size of your thumb (the iridescent fig beetle larva). In your yard they will eat up to 40 percent of their body weight a day in the roots of your plants, in the compost bin they eat that in decomposing organics; their castings, rich in nitrogen, feed the bacteria and make the composting process even faster. The act of setting up the bin, adding organics and water attracts the grubs out of the yard into the bin and there they stay until maturity. Use a quarter inch screen (2" x 4" wooden frame with 1/4" screen attached into a 32 gallon or larger garbage can to collect the compost) to filter out the grubs when harvesting compost out the compost bin. This will keep them out of the compost and out of the garden and yard when using the compost.
Links:
UC IPM - Masked Chafers