Morning Light: The Fetchland Gardening Wire
78 watchers
Sep 2023
10:34am, 20 Sep 2023
10,013 posts
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GordonG
Question: when i lift the lid of my compost bin (it's still 'raw', not compost yet) there's always loads of worms around the lid rim. Obvs worms are a good thing, but why do they gather around the rim where there's no food there? Is this a good or bad sign? And should I bang the lid to put them back into the waste? ta |
Sep 2023
10:43am, 20 Sep 2023
4,060 posts
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jacdaw
Might be getting a bit wet, or a bit hot. Are they the stripy jobs; Brandling worms or whatever? I would try to add more "brown" to the compost, and check it isn't all too wet. |
Sep 2023
10:43am, 20 Sep 2023
22,168 posts
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3M
I have the same, Gordon. I've never thought about it, but I do normally knock them back in so I don't squish them instead as I put the lid back on! Google says.... "If too many Greens have been added to the bin and the material is too wet and air cannot circulate freely as a consequence it may have turned anaerobic the worms may migrate to the top of the bin in order gain access to oxygen so that they can breathe." https://www.carryoncomposting.com/441149738.html#:~:text=Excess%20Moisture,so%20that%20they%20can%20breathe. |
Sep 2023
10:44am, 20 Sep 2023
65,409 posts
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Velociraptor
Happens with mine too, GG. I'm assuming the worms want fresh food rather than the same old stuff at the bottom that they've been churning for ages, and are trying to get to it before the slugs and woodlice scoff it all. I just leave them unless it looks like they're going to be squashed when I put the lid back on.
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Sep 2023
10:56am, 20 Sep 2023
10,014 posts
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GordonG
jacdaw they're mostly the very skinny red ones, not the stripey ones
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Sep 2023
10:58am, 20 Sep 2023
10,015 posts
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GordonG
[clicked submit too quickly...] I've just given the compost a good stir. it doesn't seem too wet - if anything, a little dry 3M - yes, I'm very concerned about not squishing them too! Thanks all. I'll have another look in a few days and see if anything's changed |
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Sep 2023
11:00am, 20 Sep 2023
65,410 posts
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Velociraptor
More paper and twigs in the compost bin? Music to my ears 
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Sep 2023
11:19am, 20 Sep 2023
4,061 posts
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jacdaw
Can they get out from the bottom of the container? I wonder if they have run out of food and are just trying to leave if it isn't too wet / anaerobic / toxic. If they can't leave out the bottom, they might be trying to leave from the top. Do you add stuff continuously or is the compost in it's final stages? |
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Sep 2023
11:38am, 20 Sep 2023
10,016 posts
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GordonG
I think the bottom of both bins have no base. One (dalek style) bin is from the start of summer and seems ok. They're congregating around the lid of the 'current' bin, the one I add stuff to regularly. I try to alternate between layers of every day food waste with shredded paper.
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Sep 2023
11:58am, 20 Sep 2023
4,062 posts
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jacdaw
I don't think I would worry. They'll sort themselves out. It sounds like the conditions should be perfect. It might be a reaction to a high density of worms present; they might just be looking to disperse. Or, apparently, they can react to air pressure: deepgreenpermaculture.com Unless you've been putting something poisonous in there! |
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