Worm+Growth+(2nd+Quarter+2010-2011)

=TITLE: (Christie 11/14/10) Rate Of The //Eisenia foetida// Growth.= =BACKGROUND:Kyle 1\17\11= SOURCES:(DANIEL, [|http://www.wormman.com/make_worm_bedding.cfm], [|http://yucky.discovery.com/flas/worm], [|http://www.ehow.com/way_5615535_much-moisture-worm-bin_.html], [|http://www.compostsantacruzcounty.org/Home_Composting/Worm_Composting/worm_feeding.htm], and Josh).

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Red Wigglers' eggs are much smaller than a grain of rice, lemon-like shaped and yellow-colored. The incubation period of the cocoon is about 23 days. The cocoons will gradually change their color from golden yellow to deep red, much like maroon as 4 to 6 embryonic Red Wiggler worms develop inside. //Eisenia Foetida// eggs will hatch at a temperature of 65 – 85 degrees.The babies will emerge at least 3-4 weeks.====== BEDDING: Red worms require a bedding made of manure and some other type of organic material. We use 50% peat moss to 50% manure. We try to use as much rabbit manure as possible in our bedding mixture, but we also use cow, horse and poultry manure. The important thing to remember with the bedding is that it should be past the heating stage. Hot manure (fresh manure) needs to be composted a bit before the bedding is mixed. Failure to do this will cause the bedding to heat, and the worms may die.

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The place for the worm bin should be where the temperature ranges from 55 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (13-25 degrees Celsius). Temperatures below freezing and above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) can harm the worms. ======

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Earthworms need moisture taken from the surrounding soil to breathe, according to "The Worm Book." Moisture allows oxygen to dissolve and pass into the worm. The red wiggler worm, //Eisenia fetida//, which is popular for indoor compost bins, can tolerate a wider range of moisture fluctuation than many other species. ======

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Worms like to eat many of the same things humans eat, only they aren’t as picky. Stale bread, apple cores, lettuce trimmings, coffee grounds, and non-greasy leftovers are just some of the foods we usually discard that worms love.======

The purpose of this lab is so see how much more worms we can grow in a set amount of time.
(Christie 11/14/10) The amount of worms was 122 at the beginning of the second quarter. At the end of the quarter, I guess the amount of worms will be 200.//(This is a group lab - don't use "I")//
 * ===Hypothesis:===
 * ===Variables:===
 * Independent Variable - (Christie 11/14/10) Red worms usually grow outside in South America, but we are going to raise them inside in North America. We also want to see if we can increase the rate of their population growth.
 * Dependent Variable- (Christie 11/14/10) The amount of worms is the dependentc variable of this experiment.
 * Controls (kyle 1\23\11) The food, the temperature, and the bedding are the controls of this experiment. //(need to be specific - how much food, when given, what type of bedding, what temperature)//

=MATERIALS: (Nathan 11/14/10, 12/15/10)=
 * 20 gallon bin with holes and a top
 * Food; at least once a week no meat
 * Bedding; shredded moist newspapers
 * A dark or shady area, worms prefer dark places

=PROCEDURES: (Nathan) ( 11/14/10, 12/15/10)= We keep our worms in a 20 gallon bin at room temperature. We feed them 50 grams or within one gram of 50 at least once a week measuring with an electronic scale. We do not put meat in because this attracts flies and is not good for the worms. When we put in the food we mix it in; if you leave it at the top the worms must come to the surface to get it. When we feed them we also check to see of their bedding is moist enough for them. We also keep our worms in damp bedding. If you put too much water in your bin the worms will drown. The worms also must be kept in the dark; they do not like the light.

=RESULTS:=

Table: (Josh) //(date of entry? name is incorrect format)//

 * Egg || 1# || 174.8//(what is meant by egg 1#? what dates were these measurements taken? what are the units for the numbers?)// ||
 * Egg || 2# || 212.5 ||

Graph: (Noah Robinson 1/ 25/11)
//where is the link?//

=CONCLUSION: (NH)= //Where is the conclusion?//