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Vermicomposting

Why are Worms crawling up on the lid of their bin?

16 years ago

Hello,

I've had a worm bin going for a couple of years, based on the book Worms Eat my Garbage, but don't see this covered in the book...

I have a plastic bin about 29 by 16 inches and 13 inches high. Keep in the hallway with a thermometer that usually reads about 60 - 63 degrees. I put in food about every other day or every two days...

They have multiplied a lot since I first got them and I wonder if the worms that climb up onto the INSIDE of the lid are trying to find more space?

maybe it's too crowded?

It's not a big problem, but I wonder if there is some problem I don't know about yet

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Comments (5)

vermiman
16 years ago
It may be time to harvest and split your bin.
emily_ak
16 years ago
I've had my worms for more than 10 years, about 6 of that in a Can-O-Worm bin. The bin is usually very healthy, lots of worms eating lots of kitchen waste and creating lots of vermicompost. EVERY SINGLE TIME that I open the lid, there is between 2 and 20 worms crawling on the sides and the lid. I figure that since worms have spread all over the world (to a certain extent), there are always going to be some that have a little more wanderlust in their heart(s), and feel the need to explore.

So if there is a few worms crawling out of where they are "supposed" to be (remember, not all worms have read the book to see what they are "supposed" to be doing), my experience is that that is normal. If there are many worms on the sides and lid, or if the number is continually increasing, maybe something is a little "off" in your worm bin. Maybe too wet, too much food, not enough food, etc.
Emily in frigid Fairbanks
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I guess it's up to me to answer! Most vermi's have jumped bins and have headed to GardenForums. Yes, as long as you put something that blocks the light, that'll do fine. The old fashioned wooden box ones had a piece of carpet on top. You can also put some layers of damp ir dry newspapers on top. Make sure you have red wigglers for your bin. The nightcrawlers need different conditions (cooler, deeper than a rubbermaid bin) and you might find the exodus from your bin on the floor trying to escape in the morning.
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Well, thanks for all the great info. After researching this, I agree that what I had was pot worms. The bin they were in was one I recently set up with natural bedding (grass, dirt, partially composted..er..compost) as an experiment. The worms were those I harvested while digging new flowerbeds. Funny thing is, when I returned to the bin, the moisture on the underside of the lid had evaporated and all the small worms had met their maker. Never in my inside bins had I encountered pot worms...and I had put some bins outside during warm weather. Oh well, every day brings ??? Chuckiebtoo
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It is a good idea to fluff up the bedding on occasion. I've usually just done it with my hands, if this is too gross for you perhaps wear rubber gloves. The bottom layers of most bedding can become quite compacted and it is a good idea to see how the lower areas of your bin are fairing on moisture, worm population etc. We do the frozen water bottles for our worms as we are in hot FL too. We haven't even bee bothering to wrap them in paper or anything. We just bury them in the middle of the bin so when things are too hot they can cool off. This might not be strictly necessary as the moist bin is much cooler than the air and the worms did survive us going on vacation so we were not here to bring them ice every other day. However, the cooler temperatures will probably make conditions much better for breeding.
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Welcome foxtailskies, Worms like the moisture in the condensation on the top and sides of the bin. If it is only a few worms don't worry too much. It will take a few days for the carrot tops to break down enough for the worms to start eating them. And the carrot itself may not break down for quite a while. Any root type plant will think you are planting it and try to grow. To make food more 'worm ready' you can freeze it first. Then thaw and feed. Freezing breaks down the cell walls and allows the microbes into the cells more quickly. It is the micro organisms the worms are going for. For a far better explanation on how that works see the very recent post "Red 'wigglers?'". lkittle did a wonderful job explaining it all 2/3 of the way down the posts. 55F is too cool for the worms. The microbes slow down and the worms pretty much stop eating at that temperature. Room temps are more comfortable for them. Even mid 60's would be an improvement. Here is a link that might be useful: Red 'Wigglers?'
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shawnrd
16 years ago
I agree with both Vermiman, (If all the bedding is used up time to harvest some and mix up some new bedding)
and Emily AK ( depending on the number of them you have "climbing" it could be they are just exploring. I almost always have some adventurous ones, always have at least three on the lid and one or two a week climb out to dry up on the floor)
I'd just like to throw in this idea as well,
about a day before a really big storm comes into my area I get a lot of the guys (hundreds) crawling to the surface, sitting just under the lid somewhere moist but not in the bedding. They head back down into the bedding as soon as the storm passes. Don't know how they know but they know it's coming.

Hope that might help.
Shawn
newoahuwormer
16 years ago
Shawn:
That is what happened to me (here in Hawaii)when we had a few days of thunder & lightning and lots & lots of rain! The only other time I had a few escape attempts was my bin food was a little too WET so I mixed in more paper & cardstock and everything was fine. They are all happy campers!
californian
16 years ago
I think this thread has solved my mystery. How come I almost always find worms inside the plastic pails I put outside on my patio to catch rainwater. I have even found them at the bottom of a 55 gallon plastic barrel. I was unaware worms could climb up the side of a plastic pail, in fact I have never seen a worm climbing anything. I was guessing birds had caught them and had perched on the edge of the pail and accidently dropped them in the water while trying to eat them. But I guess they are suicidal and climb up the side to avoid getting drowned on the concrete and instead fall in and drown anyway. If I find any that are still alive I put them in my garden.

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