To emphasize that interaction with antagonistic microorganisms is
important compared to high temperatures alone, the suppression
of Salmonella is actually more efficient at 55 C than at 70 C
(Ryckeboer et al., 2003). In addition, E. coli and Escherichia faecalis
may be further reduced after storage following vermicomposting,
than after thermophilic composting alone (Nair et al., 2006). While
preceding vermicomposting with a thermophilic pre-composting
step would be the optimal process to ensure the minimal survival
of E. coli in vermicomposts (Nair et al., 2006; Ndegwa and
Thompson, 2001), this recommendation would not be practical in
small-scale domestic vermicomposting systems.