I'm trying to think what it might mean along with gathering up more information for the posters that read this soon.

How tightly covered are the bins?
Do the cats have access to the bins?
The bins are not used to dispose of cat waste right?
I do not think simply being near the cats will do anything.
Are the garage doors always open when vehicles are started?

My only guess at this time is with the temperature change from warm to cool the bacterial decomposition slacked off and the fungal decomposition stepped up. Thus a film or thin bit of fungal growth or mold.

When you say a film on the worms do you mean on the worms or the top of the bin?

Have you been adding bedding frequently?
Any new foods or bedding?

Has anybody started to help you with the bin by adding items?

What bedding have you used?

Is the film see through, white, red?

Maybe the worms were all mating?

Maybe spiders took over the bin?

That is all I can think of.

Luckily there are lots of posters so somebody should have some ideas.

I have no idea what it could be, but I sincerely doubt that indoor cats could be the culprit, unless they were using the bin as a litter box, of course.

I have 3 cats and my worms haven't suffered because of them

The problem with cats is not that they spread pathogens to the worms, but that their feces, if composted, can spread pathogens to people.

Wow Sbryce!
Our city does composting and we put most of our scraps in the green bin, as well as kitty litter leavings.

The compost is available for free, and people get trailer loads of it.

So it's obviously best NOT to use the city compost in gardens, just flower beds.

We would all need to see a picture of the slime you mean, before we could hope to help with this situation.

What kind of water did you use to moisten anything for the bin?

Years ago, I received worms thru the mail via courier. The post office, brilliant idiots that they are, wrapped the package airtight in plastic.

When I got my worms delivered they stunk to high heaven, and definitely had a film over them.

Did your worms suffocate? Did they smell like the worst thing you've ever smelled?

First of all - thanks for the help and suggestions. I have responded to all the questions I received below - so this will be a little long.

I threw the entire Worm Factory away and purchased a new one. It will be in the garage - no cars - it is too full of junk.

Responses from questions above:

I'm trying to think what it might mean along with gathering up more information for the posters that read this soon.
How tightly covered are the bins? ��" Only with a lid
Do the cats have access to the bins? -- no

The bins are not used to dispose of cat waste right? -- yes correct

I do not think simply being near the cats will do anything.
Are the garage doors always open when vehicles are started? -no cars in the garage ��" large storage room

My only guess at this time is with the temperature change from warm to cool the bacterial decomposition slacked off and the fungal decomposition stepped up. Thus a film or thin bit of fungal growth or mold. -- agree

When you say a film on the worms do you mean on the worms or the top of the bin? -- The film was on the âÂÂdirtâ and on the worms

Have you been adding bedding frequently? -- yes

Any new foods or bedding? -- no

Has anybody started to help you with the bin by adding items? -- no

What bedding have you used? -- shredded newspaper B/W

Is the film see through, white, red? -- clear

What kind of water did you use to moisten anything for the bin? -- Normal tap water

Years ago, I received worms thru the mail via courier. The post office, brilliant idiots that they are, wrapped the package airtight in plastic.
When I got my worms delivered they stunk to high heaven, and definitely had a film over them.
Did your worms suffocate? Did they smell like the worst thing you've ever smelled? - no

Good replies, they should help narrow this down. Apparently to better minds than mind since I am very confused still. I'm leaning towards the film being worm goo aka disintegrating worms. I have read when worms mate they tangle and then they sort of glue themselves together with film like material. Maybe the worms as they died exuded this. Your post gave us a lot more to work with to try to find you an answer so this will not happen again in your brand new bin. Did you toss out the vermicompost too or dump it in a pile in the back of the yard that can still be observed? The film must have been really gross for you to toss it out. If you used a different word than film what would it be? The only other thing I can think of would be gelatin or water-absorbing polymer crystals that are sometimes in purchased potting soil or a mushroom bio-film is such a thing exists. Interesting stuff going on in your bin.

I killed some worms this week.
I have no idea how.
These were the "wild" worms that came in the horse manure-- in an outdoor plastic bin with the usual holes.
The only healthy-looking worm was not a red wiggler but the larger variety.
The dead worms were melting. One that was dying had that protein poison look, but I hadn't put any protein in the bin.

This was the "messy" bin with old shredded newspaper and scraps of egg carton with the horse manure they came in. We had a week of suddenly hot , dry weather but it rained last night. The other bin experienced the same weather and looks fine -- or at least same as last look.

There was an unfamiliar blue mold on something (that was otherwise un-recognizable.)

It was slightly wetter than the healthier bin (bur not dripping) :
my guess is going to be insufficient oxygen/air because the newspaper as bedding is denser than horse manure hay. That could be where we got the idea of the "wrung out sponge" from the olden days of using newspaper.

The blankety blank Worm Inn is too dry in warm weather:
(it's in the garage )
I sprinkled some Black Owl biochar around the edge of the top to see whether it would stay more moist. I can add HM tea every day, but it flows right through and leaves the **** sack quite dry.

The sick/dead bin content is going to a stack of random compost and the tub scrubbed and re-begun at next harvest.

Barabrarose, you may consider using open bottom bins outdoors. They provide easy escape routes for your worms, if needed to flee horrible conditions. They would have gone down. Mother-earth buffers the temps, both high and low, and drains away excess moisture. Then the herd returns to the dinner table.
Plastic bins will only work outside in deep shade. When the sun hits the plastic, temps will rise rapidly. There is usually not enough mass (worm-bed) to buffer temperature spikes. Your worms had nowhere to go.

I always go bottomless outdoors. Good luck!

Mendopete: Thanks for suggestion. the plastic bins are shaded by an enormous cedar tree side by side with dog crate half envelope up on sawhorses.
These crates are off the ground because of racoon activity in the neighborhood:
(but there is nothing in the bins to attract racoons). . .
I can move them to deeper shade; and I could make different bins for on the ground. They couldn't get past the glacial till and the tree roots. I'm too parsimonious to cut the bottom out of a tub. I think I have enough scrap lumber to make an improvised outdoor bin. I have lots of wire & plastic fencing but no leaves . Could get a bale of straw. I'll put a thermometer in or near to monitor temperature.

But I am left with the fact that one bin was fine and the other was not:
the primary difference being bedding.