• Why Are Worms Crawling Out of My Bin?

Is your bin under 2 days old? If so, this is normal. Keep alight on them, and they’ll go back inside and stay safe. Sometimes they just try to escape. Is your bin older than 2 days? If you have a lid on, condensation may form on the walls and lid due to water evaporation. Worms are drawn to moisture, so they’ll move up. Try removing the lid, unless you need it to keep out animals. If you’re not using a lid and they’re still escaping, the bin is likely too dry. Add moisture and plastic right away to help. If you have Indian Blue worms, they are notorious for exploring. I personally do not use these for composting, but some people love them. It’s a mixed opinion topic.

• What is Protein Poisoning?

If some of your worms resemble a string of pearls plant, you might be dealing with protein poisoning. To fix this, remove food, add extra bedding, and fluff up the material. Keep things aerated and add more carbon.

• What Are These Red or White Bug Things in My Bin?

Red ones are red mites, and white ones could be springtails or white mites. In any case, they’re only harmful in large numbers. You can add a piece of banana peel or some food on top, let them gather, and then remove it from your bin. If you’re feeding appropriately, they shouldn’t become a problem.

• Can I Use Plastic in My Worm Bin?

You don’t want plastic mixed into the bedding, but if your bin is new or too dry, placing a piece of plastic (like a grocery bag) on top of the bedding can help. It traps moisture, preventing the bedding from drying out too quickly. Any cardboard that is shiny is not recommended either.

• My Bin Is Too Wet or Too Dry!

If the bin is too dry, add water or some moisture rich foods (pumpkin, squash, watermelon), and cover with plastic. Leave room on the sides for airflow when covering with plastic (You don’t want to cover all surface area).

If it’s too wet, add carbon bedding. This would be things like peat moss, coco coir, shredded newspaper/cardboard or leaves. Mix the material to aerate it. This is usually referred to as “fluffing the bed”. Add lots of carbon and remove the lid if you have one. Feed foods with low
moisture, and over time, the bin should dry out. If needed, use paper towels to
soak up excess moisture.

• When Should I Feed My Worms?

Has the previous food been eaten? If so, feed them 10% more than last time. If not, wait a few more days and check again. If you feed too much, too fast, your bin can become anerobic. This is “bad” bacteria that can hurt your worms. If there is a really strong smell, protein poisoning or worms are trying to escape your bin may be anerobic.

• Why are my worms interconnected or look like they are
  eating each other?

They are mating. They attach together to make baby worms.

• Why Does My Bin Smell?

Did you bury the food? If not, try burying it—this helps a lot. Did you feed too much? You can remove some of the food or just leave the bin alone for a few days. Is the bin too wet? See the previous section for tips.

• Can I Add This to My Bin?

Avoid adding meats, dairy, oils, soups or anything that will spoil. For manure or anything that could heat up, compost it first. Worms can’t survive heat! Food scraps that are composting heat up. If you add too much food your worms could heat up and try to leave your bin. If the smell isn’t an issue, feel free to try new foods! Start with small amounts in one corner and see how the worms react.

• Are These White Things Baby Worms?

Congrats! You’ve got pot worms. These little guys don’t harm anything and help break down food. However, if their population grows too large, they may cause some issues. This often means your bin is too acidic. Add more bedding and avoid citrus for a while. If the small worms are pinkish-red, yes, they are baby worms.

• Basic Worm Care Tips:

Worms prefer being wet over dry, but too much wetness is still better than being too dry.

They can survive on carbon alone, but not on nitrogen alone. Keep a balance and try to not overfeed.

Worms like to be left alone. Try not to mess with your bin or disturb your worms more than once a week if you can. Less is even better.