You lucky, lucky girl!!!!!!!!! Use the worms and the compost in your garden beds and be thankful. You could sift some of the worms out, or pick them out by hand and start your next bin with them. They will compost your grass, leaves and kitchen waste faster than just the normal breaking down process. I wish I had your problem. Cheryl

Try shining a very bright light onto the top of the pile. The worms will slowly move down into the compost because they don't like the light. Then scoop up compost bit by bit. If they are E. fetida (red wigglers) they may not survive in your garden well, so you might as well try to keep them in the bin where they can help you. Another method is to spread a pile out on a tarp (a manageable amount, maybe not your whole bin, depending on size - sounds like you have a large one!) and again use light to force the worms into the center of the pile as you gently scrape compost off of the pile. Then scoop the bundle of worms back into the bin. You will probably end up with eggs in the compost, but if you're not using this for indoor plants, that won't concern you. Look up "vermicomposting" online for a variety of pictures showing this process.

---Amy

P.S. I should say that I've just started vermicomposting, and have no yard myself, so anyone with any experience would probably be more accurate. My worms arrived Monday (3 days ago) and so far they are alive and wriggling. :)

Thank you for the info. I do think I will try the bright light method to separate the worms from the compost. I don't like the idea of transferring them into the garden if they're going to die in there. They've worked so hard over the years! (mind you, they're well fed. Organic vegetables, good coffee every day) I often wonder if I moved out and they didn't get their daily hit of strong coffee grounds whether they would go through withdrawel :-)

Yes, they would all have headaches, Julia!