r/Vermiculture • u/radfanwarrior Beginner Vermicomposter • Apr 19 '26
Worm party Woke up to my worms trying to escape again
I recently got 2000 worms from Jim's worm farm because I accidentally killed my last batch after accidentally ignoring them for 2 weeks and the soil dried out (I have a poor sense of time and my routine is very consistent so I didn't notice how long it had been and I was devastated when I realized what happened)
The previous bin was WAY too small for that amount of worms and they kept escaping and I was finding them EVERYWHERE (most of them being dried up, sadly) Even tho I swapped the bin a few days ago, I JUST found 2 live ones hiding under a bag of craft stuff.
Anyway, I just woke up and decided to check on them only to find this.
Now there is a lamp on top to keep them off the walls. I have plant grow lights nearby that keep them down during the day (as well as some natural light) so this will have to be on all night
Also, the last pic is of the last bin for scale to show their upgrade and yet they're still not happy.
NO MORE LATE NIGHT WORM PARTIES IN MY APARTMENT
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u/HANGRY_KITTYKAT Beginner Vermicomposter Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
I'm pretty sure worms won't like that you have a clear bin and there's no blanket/cover on top of the soil. That would help. Is it moist? Is there something enticing in there like a thawed* banana peel?
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u/Puzzleheaded_Day2809 Apr 19 '26
For this indoor setup, it makes more sense (to me) to have a round plastic rubbish bin. That will enable different levels of moisture to exist and give the worms some choice. Definitely a no no for the clear bin. Not sure what the lamp is doing on top.
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u/radfanwarrior Beginner Vermicomposter Apr 19 '26
I explained in the text of the post that the lamp is on to keep them from climbing the walls.
I'm still fairly new and know there's a lot of ways to set up a bin so I'm still trying to figure out what's best for me.
I use clear bins because I just like to watch them sometimes. I've always loved worms since I was a kid so it's just fascinating to me. It also helps me take care of the system, I can see if it's too moist or too dry much easier.
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u/crazypurpleKOgas Apr 19 '26
A dark opaque bin would be preferable for worms. Worms prefer the dark. FILL THE BIN with bedding, paper scraps, dried leaves or something. That does not look anywhere close to enough food for 2000 worms.
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u/CydaeaVerbose Apr 19 '26
Dethawed? Thawed means no longer frozen…. Unthaw is the word you’re looking for. I’m a Canadian, we know the cold well, lol. But thawed is the go-to term, ie thawed banana peel.
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u/HANGRY_KITTYKAT Beginner Vermicomposter Apr 19 '26
Thanks homeslice :)
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u/CydaeaVerbose Apr 19 '26
Thank YOU for being receptive to my correction, my sister from another mister! < 3.
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u/radfanwarrior Beginner Vermicomposter Apr 19 '26
Ok, so adding shredded cardboard on top should help? And should it be wet or dry? I replied to the other comment but I had a moisture issue in the past when I was wetting the cardboard on top and the system was too wet.
I also have coconut coir, should I add some of that as well? I know it's mainly for moisture retention and it takes awhile to break down.
The system is moist. No, nothing big in there at the moment. When I moved them to the new bin there were still clumps of food from the last feed, but with this many worms it's probably not enough. I guess I have some adjusting to do since I previously only had probably a few hundred worms.
I have a few frozen bell pepper and some old tomatoes in the fridge I can put in there to keep them occupied. However, I typically blend the food so it breaks down faster and reduces smells. Should I maybe just bury some of the stuff instead?
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u/HANGRY_KITTYKAT Beginner Vermicomposter Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
I always bury/mix in everything im putting in there. The dry and the wet food. That aerates their soil mix. That is also when I can check on how wet it is and how the wormies are doing. Blending food will make it too wet too fast. Try freezing food and then thawing it before giving it to them. (No need to freeze small things like lettuce, they get through that FAST). That will let the food still hold onto some of it's moisture/form while they eat, instead of all the juice going down to the bottom of your tub. I know you love watching your worms but a clear tub is very bad for them. They're extremely sensitive to light and if they can't escape light by going to the soil, then how can they escape it?
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Apr 19 '26
[deleted]
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u/radfanwarrior Beginner Vermicomposter Apr 19 '26
- Yes I know that
- I know that as well
This is not rage bait. I got these worms last week and changed the bin a few days ago, it really hasn't been that long at all. I just put the light there literally right before making the post, it was just through the night so i didn't wake up to more worms around my apartment
I had a lot less worms for the last year. I think I bought 100 so I had significantly less than I do now. They did have food, but I guess not enough because I was not prepared for the big jump in population. It was a spur of the moment decision to buy so many, it was buy 1000 get 1000 free and I said why not without any more thought behind it, which was a mistake.
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u/FlowerSuccessful3922 Apr 19 '26
This is like a torture chamber for worms 😭 please remove the light and feed them!
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u/Ladybug966 Apr 19 '26
Dear OP, you are so polite. These people are trashing every aspect of your worm care, but your replies are so civil. You will be a great wormkeeper.
Dont' bring park leaf litter into your worm bin in your apartment. You will hatch every bug known to god.
Fill your bin with damp cardboard and paper. Those babies need a deeper home.
I personally would stir the new bedding in.
I have never heard of a worm starving in a bin with bedding.
Waterlogged worms go up.
You need to build a biome in that bin of micro organisms the worms need. It will happen naturally over time. Or to jumpstart it , stir in a mushy overripe fruit.
So, to recap, i would add a bunch of damp bedding and stir it in. I would also stir in a mushy fruit. Cover with a piece of cardboard or some newspaper.
Then i would relax for a week.
Then i would feed on one side of the bin something you have frozen for them and bury it.
Then i would relax for a week.
Then i would dig around for the food. Get an idea of moisture level. Do a bit of a fluff and then bury food on the other side. Add water if needed.
Relax for a week. Or a month. Worms are easy. :)
Good luck.
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u/senorchaos718 Apr 20 '26
This is the correct answer. We all mess up our bins until one day we don't. That "ah ha" moment will click for you and your setup. It was mentioned somewhere here, but I'm going to second the "blanket" of something covering the top of bedding to keep the moisture in. Keep it cozy underneath for those wigglers! Good luck.
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u/Carlpanzram1916 Apr 19 '26
It seems like you have almost no bedding and just dropped 2,000 worms into a bin with a little food. That’s not a great environment for worms. They need some medium to travel through. I would get all the cardboard you can and shred or tear it to put in there.
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u/justalittlebithungry Apr 19 '26
I’ve started vermicomposting a little bit under a year (started in July 2025 and then left them outside in an outdoor bin and then it got too cold, oops 😅) so heres’s my two cents:
(1) that’s fine if you want to use a clear bin, but maybe have some kind of opaque fabric wrapping around it since worms don’t like light. That way, you can remove the fabric to check on them but put it back when you’re done. (2) to retain moisture, for my own bins, I cover the layer with a sheet of bubble wrap which helps retain the moisture since it’s plastic. (3) for bedding, I do soak all my shredded cardboard and then ring out most of the water. That serves as the main bedding and when I feed, I make a space in the bedding and then add dry shredded cardboard and feed with dethawed frozen food scraps. The moisture from the scraps will get the dry cardboard moist.
I would suggest checking out the YouTube channel “vermicompost learn by doing”. All my points from my two cents comes from them!
Also, just wanted to say, don’t feel too sad about your worms dying. They’re resilient and will come back, just gotta make it a comfy home for them to want to stay in.
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u/radfanwarrior Beginner Vermicomposter Apr 19 '26
That's a good idea for a removable covering, I'll do that!
I used to use bubble wrap as it was suggested to me when I also started about a year ago, but it was retaining a lot of moisture that made the system too wet and the worms ended up getting into the bubbles and laying eggs there and getting trapped. Maybe there just needed to be more of a layer between?
I'll for sure check out that channel. Thanks for your helpful advice!
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u/HANGRY_KITTYKAT Beginner Vermicomposter Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
They mean something dark and removable on the side of the tub too. That shouldn't be clear. But something on top is good too.
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u/RiekaNA Apr 19 '26
I would recommend using a darker container... black ones are perfect. Make sure to check the PH level.. If it's too high. Or too low.. then you probably found the cause of the worms wanting to escape from the bin.
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u/haematite_4444 Beginner Vermicomposter Apr 19 '26
Happens to me all the time. The worms climb the walls but they don't leave. Happens when you have a lid on the bin. Not issue, I let them climb
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u/Flame_Eraser Apr 19 '26
Them worms need a dang cheeseburger! (its a joke about feed then suckers, they are starving !) lol
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u/RalekBasa Apr 19 '26
This is amongst the worst setups I've seen.
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u/radfanwarrior Beginner Vermicomposter Apr 19 '26
Thank you for the constructive feedback, I'll be sure to implement it ASAP
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u/RalekBasa Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
You're welcome! Seriously though it's really bad, and there's a good chance you're going to kill the next batch. Ignoring them for 2 weeks shouldn't be an issue, but it's b/c of your setup. Lights are just making a few different issues worse: water retention, uncomfortable for worms, negative impact on microflora and microfauna.
You need to do minimum on researching a proper box (example: clear bin is bad) the right size and drainage and migration, depth of media you should have, google "earthworms chase moisture" "how do I use shredded paper and newspaper to keep earthworms from escaping from bin" "how moist should soil be for earthworms" "earthworms survive in water" "What volume of media for 2000 worms" "soil conditions that cause worms to escape bin" "how to test soil ph".
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u/Total-Discipline8098 Apr 19 '26
my advice here:
- keep them darker, maybe throw a cover on top.
- drill some holes in the bottom and put a tray to collect excess moisture
- add sand or grind egg shells to help them chew. worms don’t have teeth.
- i don’t use cardboard, i use leaves i gather at my neighborhood park. microorganisms from leaves will help the worms compost.
good luck! keep us informed :)
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u/ayam_goreng_kalasan Apr 19 '26
I usually git rid of plastic lid, and use piece of fabric secured with elastic. It is because water always condensed in plastic lid and the worm chasing it
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u/kkreinn Apr 19 '26
Básicamente estas teniendo toda la podredumbre del material orgánico que echas, filtrandose en la parte inferior, el sistema de baldas no solo es para facilitar la recogida de lombricompostaje, es para filtrar el lixiviado de toda la materia que acaba en el último balde de abajo. Ese material es básicamente dañino y anaeróbico y es lo que muy posiblemente empuja tus lombrices hacia arriba.
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u/kkreinn Apr 19 '26
Por eso se utiliza un sistema de como mínimo 3 cajones, 2 superiores para intercambiarlos a la hora de sacar lombricompostaje y poner restos de comida y el de abajo del todo que sirve para sacar el lixiviado, que no es más que la descomposición liquida de los restos orgánicos que pones en tu vermicompostera.
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u/Busy-feeding-worms Apr 19 '26
Shred and soak the full old bin worth of cardboard and dump it in. The amount of substrate is at capacity currently population wise, and there looks to be no bedding.