I should have searched this forum before asking the question because I read this is normal behavior for about the first week until they settle into this radically different environment. LOL It's only been three days.

Okay but still...how do I prevent those annoying flash ads from popping up here. Arghhhhhh

2 lbs of food, in a 10 gallon bin with about 1 lb of worms, is alot of food. If you are buryiing bread (grain), it is going to heat up. The worms may be trying to get away from the heat. I keep at least 2 lbs of worms in my 10 gallon bins. A rule of thumb might be 1lb per square foot.

I actually think I over estimated. I weighed the same volume of scraps that I had added and it only ended up as 11oz, just a little shy of a pound. The temp of the bin is only around 70*. The bread is almost all gone and the worms are all over that. This morning there were about a dozen worms crawling on the sides into that one handle recess. SO I will plan on leave a light on all night to see if that suppress thier exploring.

Laters!

Know, too, that a dozen worms out of the 1200-2000 in one pound do not constitute a statistically significant loss of population. One can actually expect to daily find a few dead worms on the floor beneath a HEALTHY worm bin, and expect more than that beneath a newly bedded, albeit healthy worm bin.

It sounds like things are working quite normally for you!

KellyS

Rexie

Turn off the light and don't worry. I have had 8 bins for 2 years now and periodically they do this, sometimes one or two, sometimes all.

I do know that the weather upsets them. They migrate during thunderstorms and severe rain storms. The barometer appears to have an influence.

Take notes, it helps.

Bev

**periodically they do this, sometimes one or two, sometimes all**

I meant BINS, not worms. That would be a nightmare
Sorry
Bev

Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge with me! These posts have helped me significantly!

Laters!

Rexie - as far as the pop-up ads go, try using Mozilla Firefox as your browser. Stops web annoyances cold!

AH! You were right!!
I pick up my bin today to add a few more holes around the bottom and the place where I put the breads is warm!! What do I do?! Do I just take the nasty bread out...ew...or can I do something else?

Rexie.. That bread should have cooled down by now, and the worms will move back in. Just remember any grain, buried, is going to heat things up fast. If you are going to bury it, do it in one small area, so the worms can move away until it cools off, (or sprinkle it on top of the bedding). The worms love grain, but can not take the heat. I actually put buried grain in my outdoor bins, in winter, to create heat. The worms have the space to move away and are up feeding on the edges all winter.

Whew! I thought I was gonna wreck the project already. EEP!
I was so surprised to feel the warmth on the side of the bin where the bread is...I even yelled for the BF to feel it and tell me if I was imagining it or not. LOL