if the peanuts are collapsing, maybe they're the potato starch type that 'decompose'? actually they dissolve in warm water - real plastic styrafoam doesn't break down

Bill

The peanuts are really styrofoam and not decomposing. I think that the weight of the poop above is just flattening them out. I let the bin get full to the brim before harvesting last time.

I'm thinking of cutting some rings out of 4" PVC pipe and using those under the hardware cloth.

I don't know how our worms managed to survive all these millions of years without us helping them out every step of the way.

I've eliminated the packing peanuts and hardware cloth entirely. Instead, I simply place the working bin inside an identical empty bin. This leaves 3-4 inches of empty airspace below. It also eliminates the need for a separate drainage tray, making it very easy to move or stack.

If you don't want to move the bin around, rocks will do the same job. The weight is excessive, of course, but the drainage is excellent.