always, worms climbing out indicates unfriendly conditions, usually not enough [microbially active] food or too wet

too hot? compacted and airless? can be caused by too much liquid, if you had to "siphon off" tea and didn't 'stir' the bedding up

Bill

Sounds like it is too wet. Maybe you have added too much food which is wet. Do you add water or just kitchen scraps? I just add scraps and never have to siphon. My boxes are kept outside.

What have you done with it? I would add in peat moss or whatever dry-type bedding you have to make it drier. Is it possible to leave it outside where air circulation would provide more evaporation?

I usually add some dry shredded newspaper when I add food scraps, to keep the moisture down. I don't have any outside space, so I can't move the bin. And we have a fly problem in this area, so I hate the idea of just leaving the top off. Is there anything else I can do to dry things out a bit?

I did stir everything up when I first discovered it yesterday. The smell seems to have gone mostly away, which seems promising. Should I scoop out the dead worms in the bin? Any suggestions for getting everything back in working order?

Thanks!!!

I think your worms will do a good job eating the corpses of their fallen brethren. Plus the dead worms decompose really fast. I know this myself (sadly) from my own mass die-off experience.

A dead worm is a poison to another worm. Do make sure you separate them.
Another reason probably is the congestion. Worm cast have to be regularly harvested and not left inside the bin for long. Open up another bin and transfer some of the worms.
This was what I had learnt from a worm breeder in one of malaysian web site mybioworm.com. Anyway, I had since stop culturing and now is a regular user only (I'm not passionate enough to take care of the worms).

dead worms are not poisen to anything, and worms will happily re-ingest and process castings as long as the material doesn't get too dry - worms have are very inefficient at processing their food, leaving the castings very high in biologic activity and nutritional value

Laura - do you have air holes in your plastic bins? it's important to have good air circulation to keep things from getting anaerobic and to let moisture cycle so the bedding doesn't get too saturated .... as said, most kitchen waste is quite high in water content

Bill

Worm castings don't have to be harvested regularly. My bins have been going for over a year and I haven't harvested castings once. (Although I will admit I'm overdue now, but everyone in the bin seems to be quite happy at this time anyway.)

I like the 2 story bin for vermicomposting - it has worked out well and it is outside.

I think one of the reasons that it has been successful - is the fact that if I am adding too much wet stuff or adding too fast, the worms can make a natural adjustment - just go to the bottom bin.

From time to time, I check the bottom bin and when it looks as if they have completely eaten the food - it is time to harvest - taking off the compost and leaving the worms behind. This bin then, is placed on top to which new stuff is added, leaving the remaining worms to start anew.

I also add shredded newspaper on the top bin - to keep the little rascals a bit warmer/cooler/darker.

It seems to work quite well. If you only have one box, it can get ahead of the worms sometimes, possibly creating an anerobic too-wet condition.

Both bins have holes in the bottom and air holes around the top, with a cover, and the other cover is below with 2 boards on it, to lift the bottom box allowing for drainage if it becomes necessary.

This dual system takes care of itself - all you do is add food scraps and occasionally switch the boxes. Two boards - one on each side of the top bin to hold it up, keeps it from "squishing" the contents of the bottom bin and/or worms. I also layer some shredded paper to keep the top bin from settling too much.

Bejay