I don't know, Dorine. All who enjoy gardening are looking for ways to improve their crops. We all understand that the plants need good soil and then some kind of fertilizer during the growing process. With trees, we see in the Bible that they need to be "dunged". Jesus said "Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." Luke 13:7-9.
When we understand the danger from animals, we do not want "dung" in our gardens. The risk is too great. Alzheimer's is an epidemic and not a good way to die. Like Mad Cow Disease, I believe it is infectious. The last thing we want is to put infectious agents in a garden that produces our food. So, we are looking for ways to enrich our soil. I have come to the conclusion that God's ways are good. The earth worm enriches the soil. When listening to a man who sells worm castings (worm dung) I realized that I could accomplish two tasks at the same time. You gave me a method to use worms to help in the composting process. And, at the same time the worms enrich the compost. By having worms in my compost bin, I can forget about turning the pile. This is a great help to me.
I anticipate that your process of composting in bins with worm holes will be the accepted method of composting in the future. All one has to do is check out the price of worm castings and it will motivate all to become DIY worm farmers with their compost bins. Thanks again for the lesson!
By the way, when you buy worm castings, you have more than likely taken worm dung from worms that have been feeding on cow dung. You will have escaped the risk of e.coli, but not Mad Cow Disease. The prions infect soil for a long time. Don't know if they pass from the cow dung to the worm, but there is a good chance that they do. So, even worm dung may be a vector for infectious disease. Ever wonder why a strict vegetarian could contract Alzheimer's or CJD? There are a number of ways to come into contact with these diseases besides eating the flesh of a diseased animal. Because the time from infection to manifestation of the disease is so very long, it is hard to know the manner of infection.