tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693930219127879451.post7709122340658221812..comments2024-03-22T23:35:47.931-06:00Comments on Invertebrate Dude: Making rotten wood!Invertebrate Dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805593561535078108noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693930219127879451.post-10173457677328739362020-11-03T15:21:27.976-07:002020-11-03T15:21:27.976-07:00Sorry for the late reply!
This would be great fo...Sorry for the late reply! <br /><br />This would be great for millipedes, but perhaps not for growing mushrooms in, as it'll have been colonized with several other molds/fungi, (which is what aids in the decomposition process), and I hear that you generally want quite a sterile environment when growing mushrooms, as they can easily be outcompeted or consumed by other molds/fungi. <br />If the wood is properly decayed, it'll have an earthy smell, and won't heat up after being stirred. The latter is quite important, as if it starts heating up (fermenting) again while beetles are in the substrate, it'll kill them. <br />I believe 75F°+ would be best for fermenting, the warmer the better. And yes, you should dry it out when storing it, lest fungus gnats get in and turn it all to frass... Invertebrate Dudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08805593561535078108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693930219127879451.post-41133494105877148662020-10-26T09:39:01.412-06:002020-10-26T09:39:01.412-06:00Would this be good to use as millipede substrate, ...Would this be good to use as millipede substrate, and for growing mushrooms in? How do you know if your rotten wood has fermented correctly? I hear this can kill your beetles if it is slightly off. Would love to know more details about this process! What temperature do you keep it at to ferment? Can you dry this wood once done fermenting for long term storage?Sandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17186582128975012893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693930219127879451.post-49476088383490102502019-08-03T06:13:38.526-06:002019-08-03T06:13:38.526-06:00Also, for your convenience, I've given all pos...Also, for your convenience, I've given all posts pertaining to this particular project the tag "DIY flake soil", which should make finding the other posts in this series much easier, simply look to the Labels section on the right sight of the blog. Invertebrate Dudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08805593561535078108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693930219127879451.post-74036018767479562982019-08-03T06:09:47.477-06:002019-08-03T06:09:47.477-06:00Just so future readers know, I'm pretty sure I...Just so future readers know, I'm pretty sure I used Hickory pellets for this batch, and it worked just fine for the inverts I fed it to, and no longer smelled of hickory by the end of the fermenting process. I unfortunately made the mistake of storing the finished product in its humid state, which in turn led to a lot of it being consumed by fungus gnats before I could really use it... So don't do that, if you have excess, let it dry out well before storing it.<br /><br />Additionally, I tried tripling the recipe myself a couple years later with Oak Traeger pellets, and it did not work for some reason. Even with the same overall proportions, the mixture just would not heat up fully or stay hot for long, smelled awful, and didn't have much mold growth at ALL. The latter leads me to believe it was contaminated with some sort of anti-fungal chemicals or something, which likely screwed the whole process up. Invertebrate Dudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08805593561535078108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693930219127879451.post-62838580360196618472015-11-16T18:44:49.304-07:002015-11-16T18:44:49.304-07:00Yep, it's a pretty nice method for when you li...Yep, it's a pretty nice method for when you live in an area without forests (Like where I live, its all scrubland here).Invertebrate Dudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08805593561535078108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693930219127879451.post-29946168500243656412015-11-15T23:54:21.573-07:002015-11-15T23:54:21.573-07:00Wish I'd seen this when I had rhino beetle gru...Wish I'd seen this when I had rhino beetle grubs !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com