Bugs and Mold!?

[Aya]

Hey Everyone

Finally broke down and took apart my raised bed yesterday. I'm hoping if I make 2 shallower beds, the soil will drain/dry a little better. However, on the bottom of the wood I noticed mold. Not just green mildew spots but the stuff you'd prolly find in your fridge when you forgot about last week's pasta (All fuzzy white and green stuff)
Also, I knew there'd be bugs, and I found Earwigs - are they good bugs or bad bugs? Saw a couple fat earthworms and a few different spider species as well but I'm guessing those are good critters. Any thoughts?

[Kisal]

Mold forms on any decomposing organic material, including wood. It's a result of the excess dampness. Eventually, as the rot progresses, the wood will become so soft that it falls apart.

Earwigs eat living plant tissue, so I wouldn't consider them garden helpers.

[Aya]

Hey thanks for the reply. I've never been a fan of earwigs myself - but just wanted to check as I don't know much about bugs

[rainbowgardener]

Well, the earwig is a mixed blessing. If they are present in large numbers they will eat some plants and seedlings, but they also eat aphids, mites and insect eggs. In the soil (and compost pile) they are detritovores, helping break down decaying organic matter.

[jal_ut]

"Wiki- The common earwig is one of the few insects that actively hunt for food and are omnivorous, eating arthropods, plants, and ripe fruit. To a large extent, this species is also a scavenger, feeding on decaying plant and animal matter if given the chance. Insects seen to have been caught include largely plant lice, but also large insects such as bluebottle flies.[9] Plants that they feed on typically include clover, dahlias, zinnias, butterfly bush, hollyhock, lettuce, cauliflower, strawberry, sunflowers, celery, peaches, plums, grapes, potatoes, roses, seedling beans and beets, and tender grass shoots and roots; they have also been known to eat corn silk, damaging the corn.[23]"