A Simple Guide to Diagnosing and Solving Your Worm Composting Bin Problems

Worm-Bin-Troubleshooting
If you are having trouble with your worm composting bin, this troubleshooting guide will help you find the solution.

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Problem	Possible Cause	Things to try
Worm bin smells bad	Overfeeding. Uncovered food scraps. Too much liquid/no drainage.	Feed less. Cover all food scraps with several inches of bedding. Drain off excess liquid. Mix in dry bedding.
Worm bin attracts fruit flies	Exposed food scraps. Overfeeding.	Bury all food scraps. Build a fruit fly trap.
Worm bin is too wet	Overfeeding. Worm bin started too wet. Not enough air flow. No drainage.	Feed less. Mix in dry worm bin bedding. Add ventilation holes. Add drains.
Worm bin is too dry	Dry bedding added. Too much air flow/ventilation.	Spray worm bin with spray bottle of water. Add several sheets of soaked newspaper to the top of your worm bin to act as a moisture blanket.
Worms are leaving the bin	Extremely bad conditions inside bin. This is rare.	Correct bin conditions. Worms will only leave if things get really bad. See other solutions. Shine light on bin to encourage worms to burrow in bedding.
Composting worms are dying	Extremely bad conditions inside bin. This is rare. Way too wet, way too dry, no food. Extreme temperatures: way too hot, way too cold.	Correct bin conditions. Worms will only leave if things get really bad. See other solutions. Correct worm bin temperature.
Rodents in your worm bin	Outdoor worm bin with exposed food scraps/overfeeding.	Move worm bin inside. Keep worm bin sealed. Reduce feeding amount. Cover all food scraps with bedding.