Worms Trying to Escape From the Bin
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Time to read 5 min
Most anyone who has raised worms is familiar with the feeling of walking to their worm bin and seeing worm escapees dried up on the floor. This guide is to help you know what to do if (more likely when) this happens.
Note that this is also for worms trying to escape from the bin. If you see worms congregating/huddling around the edges of the bin, this guide will still help solve that. It also is just a good general health check up if you're seeing any problems in the bin.
Do Not Force the Worms to Stay in The Bin
Worms aren't the smartest animals, but when it comes to survival instincts they are not dumb! If you see worms escaping en masse, it seems they've deemed the bin too hazardous to live in - so much so that they are willing to leave it and head blindly into the open environment where they are exposed to light, potential predators, and risk dehydration. It's not a light decision they make.
By forcing them to stay in the bedding its like quarantining someone in a burning building. You don't need to force them to stay inside if you put out the fire and refurnish their home! So, instead of forcing the worms to stay in, let's talk about how to fix whatever is making them want to leave.
Think Back on Any New Changes to the Bin
The first step would be to think about what could've caused this. Did anything new happen to these worms? Did you add a new food source, or water them recently? Or is the entire situation new for the worms - such as you just ordered worms and got them shipped to you? If the bin is a new set up, know that a few escapees the first few days can be pretty normal.
You won't necessarily do anything with this information except to mentally log it so you can better understand what could be causing the escape attempts for future reference.
How Many Worms are Trying to Escape and How Consistently?
This will help you gauge the seriousness of the problem. If it's only 1-2% of your worm population that are trying to escape it's not a big deal - especially if it's only once every few weeks or something.
Note that you should see how many worms are trying to escape. Include worms inside the bin that are congregated around the edges in this mental note as well.
Top Issues and How to Fix
Okay let's get to the root cause of the issue and check the core pillars of worm bin health to see the most likely culprit for worm bin escapees.
Heat
Does the bin feel hot at all? Do you feel any heat being generated internally from the bin (thermophilic composting)? If you have a thermometer, it shouldn't read higher than 85°F (29°C), but ideally not higher than 77°F (25°C).
Fix this by eliminating the heat source. If its the sun or ambient temperature, place them in the shade or in a cool place. If its hot composting within the bin, remove the active food generating the heat.
Moisture
Check to see if the bin is too dry or too wet. It should feel loose, crumbly, spongey, and only 2-3 drops of water should come out when you grab the material and squeeze it in your hand.
It shouldn't ever be so wet that the material "oozes" between your fingers as you squeeze it either.
If it's too wet then simply add dry bedding, or if it's too dry then add water (in small increments at a time) until the moisture is just right. Note that water being poured in a bin tends to accumulate in the bottom of the bin. The material doesn't usually soak it up in time, so misting the bin or mixing it around after hydrating it is best.
Air
If they don't have enough air, worms will try to find it by leaving the bin, or gathering around where they can find fresh air - usually around the lid.
I'd recommend at least 4 1/4" holes for every square foot of lid on the bin, and if you use a bubble wrap or non-breathable cover to prevent evaporation, make sure it's not covering the entire surface of the bin. Consider fluffing your bedding to stimulate gas exchange, placing your bin in the dark, removing the lid or cover for a while and seeing if the worms still try to escape after that. If they stay put then they were likely upset by the limited fresh air.
Worm Density
Sometimes the worms may try to escape if it's too crowded. If you have anything over 2 pounds/2,000 worms per square foot (with at least 2-3 inches depth) then it could be that the worms are overcrowded and need more space.
This one is a great fix because your 1 worm bin now can become 2! Just separate out some of the worms and get them a new worm bin, or upgrade the size of your existing one.
Chemical Changes
Other things that could be causing the worms to leave would be chemical changes, such as pH, salts, or ammonia build up. You can use pH test strips, or test for whacky chemicals using your nose! Give the bin a whiff and see how it smells.
Add fresh bedding. You can place some of the old bedding on one side of the bin and fresh bedding on another side of the bin. If the worms flock to one side and avoid the other, that's how they tell you that one bedding is bad and the other is good.
Ammonia
If the bin smells bad it could mean there has been a build up of ammonia. Ammonia smells like urine, or like cleaning products. Get sniffin!
Salts
If the bin has been running for quite a while with no issues, but all of a sudden there seems to be a problem, it could be a build up of salts.
pH changes
You can buy pH test strips (much more reliable than the cheap pH probes) this will help you know if the pH is right for the worms. Between 6.5-7.5 is best for them.
Check Your Worm Species
Some species of worms are a lot more prone to up and leaving for no reason than others. If you got your red wigglers from me, then you can be assured that you actually have pure red wigglers. Many other vendors label their worms as red wigglers but send you Indian Blue Worms. These guys are a lot more sensitive and may escape for no perceivable reason. African Nightcrawlers are also a bit more sensitive too. If you mistakenly got indian blues, or intentionally got African Nightcrawlers, just know that you'll likely see more escape attempts than other worm farmers.
Changes to Barometric Pressure
I personally have never experienced this with my red wigglers, but especially for those who got Indian Blues sent to them instead of reds, they seem to be more sensitive to barometric pressure. This means that rainy weather can cause the worms to try to escape - even if they're inside.
Vibrations
Did you recently move your worm bin near a furnace or put it on your washer/drier or some other appliance that may cause vibrations to the worms? This could be the cause of their escape. Note that loud noises doesn't affect them - just actual vibration.
Scott Kent
Owner of Hungry Worms. Worm farmer, soil microbiologist, and educator since 2014. Read more about me here.