Don’t worry as this is very normal and you can do a few things to try and prevent it, and also catch any of those that may decide to wander. You may be lucky and just have a few adventurous worms, however if you see worms gathering near the top of the bin, climbing out the vents or sump tap, then something may be wrong.
But don’t panic there is something you can do about it. You have to remember that when a wormery is first put together it is a totally new and alien environment for the little worms. They’ve been used to their first home filled with fungi, bacteria and little creatures and we up and move them into new and basically sterile place – who would want that!!! However, with all the right information and a little time and patience you will create the perfect home for your little worms and then they will never want to leave.
Why do worms want to escape?
A new wormery doesn’t have the correct balance of bacteria and micro- organisms present so the worms will want to escape.
Make sure your worm bin has a lid. The obvious reason for this is it means that worms can’t escape easily but it also helps keep the worm farm dark, which worms love.
Oxygen
Worms like us need to breathe and worms breathe through their skin. So like any animal if they do not have enough oxygen, they will try to find it somewhere else so will leave the bin. Lack of oxygen can be caused by…
- The wormery being too wet
- By overfeeding the worms
- Poor bin design
- Not enough ventilation
- Too much material dumped on top of them e.g. left over pumpkins from halloween.
To check for overfeeding have a little dig around. If you find a lot of undigested food in the bin then just take it out. Wait for the worms to work through what is left in there before adding any more. You can always freeze your scraps for when they are ready.
Make sure your wormery has good drainage. The tray based composters have in built drainage in its design but some home made ones don’t. Also make sure there are enough air holes and that these don’t get blocked by a build up of food, debris or objects surrounding it. If you have worms escaping then check this and open up the air passages.
When you first put the worms into your wormery make sure you place them on top of the bedding. Let them dig on their own as the little tunnels they create provide oxygen into the womery. Dumping lots of bedding directly on top of them can smother and suffocate the worms.
Type of food if you have escapees
If you find lots of worms are escaping then take a look at what food you are giving them. Try to avoid nitrogen-rich foods which includes grass clippings. Try to avoid acidic or overly salty foods, like tomatoes, onions, pineapples, coffee and fruit tea bags. Add some crushed egg shells which helps to lower the pH balance and adds some grit which helps the worms digest the food. Don’t give them white paper as this has been bleached and will upset your worms.
Too much moisture
Too much water or moisture in your wormery is not very good news for your worms. If it is too wet your worms may start to drown or try and crawl away from the water danger. It is also bad for your compost and can make your wormery smell as mould and mildew start to grow. All a bit yuck!
Worm bedding should be the consistency of a wrung out sponge. If when you squeeze it water comes out then it’s too wet. If this happens add dry bedding. I really like shredded newspaper or cardboard as you always have those lying around the house to hand. Add them to your wormery and mix it in gently.
To help with the build up of moisture always make sure your lid is on and slow down on the more water based sloppy foods like melon and left over fruit smoothies. If your bin has gone beyond repair in terms of water build up you might have to start the whole process again with fresh bedding.
Changes
Just like changes can unsettle us, worms also can get unsettled with changes. New environment, new bedding or new foods. So if your worms start escaping when they had previously been quite happy start to play detective. Reverse the change and see if your worms settle. I know I’ve spoken a lot about over feeding your worms and to be really careful about this, but it is also really important to feed your worms enough food as if they start to go hungry they will look to move to pastures new. I keep a note in my diary to help me keep track of when I feed my worms and how often to add to my wormery.
One thing I also found out is that worms are really sensitive to weather changes too. So if your wormery is kept outside and a thunderstorm is coming they might start to clump up or climb up to the roof.
Baby Worms
When your worms are happy they will reproduce and there maybe lots and lots and lots of tiny new baby worms. The adult worms might start to feel squished and over crowded so might start to leave. You can ignore this and it may well sort itself off but you may need to scoop up some of the travelling worms and either start a new bin, offer them to a friend who has an existing bin or wants to start one, or use them as fishing bait. Nightcrawlers are very good worms for fishing.
Turning on the light
Worms do not like the light, so a quick fix could be to try and turn the light on regularly but it is best to try one or more of the above if your worms are unhappy. This method is best when you first install a new wormery when it is likely the worms will try to escape within the first few days. Leaving the worms in a light place, then if inside, leaving a light on over night can help.