New wormerry - worms escaping layer

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feeder
Junior Member
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Joined:Wed Jun 23, 2021 10:19 am
New wormerry - worms escaping layer

Post by feeder » Wed Jun 23, 2021 10:24 am

I have added worms to a new wormery (other brand) according to the instructions, but the worms are escaping from the working tray containing the newspaper and coir. They go upwards into empty trays, and downwards into the sump.

Is this normal? Do I need to move them back each day? What will happen when there is water/juice in the sump?

WillyWorm
Senior Member
Posts:699
Joined:Sat Jun 06, 2015 9:10 am

Re: New wormerry - worms escaping layer

Post by WillyWorm » Wed Jun 23, 2021 1:51 pm

Hi, this is a very common problem during the first week or two. If we just stop and think what our worms have been through over the last day or two, the it will be no surprise. Suppliers worms live in a large containers from which our worms were removed and stuffed into a small container (often a plastic breathable envelope). They then get put in a van and are bounced around sometimes for 24 hours or so. They arrive at our address where we place them in our new sterile worm bins, which contains different bedding and maybe different food. Added to these issues it’s just possible the supplier sorted out all the mad delinquent worms from their stock to send out to some poor inexperienced worm keeper 🥴
Seriously the move for worms is very stressful and the first two weeks are the most difficult in a worm keepers career.
Let’s try to keep your worms at home. Firstly recover all the worms you can back into the first tray. If possible place some damp cardboard under your bin. This won’t stop them escaping but you will find any escapees under the cardboard the next morning. Remove any spare trays from the top they just provide more things to explore. You should have a barrier (an old T-shirt, tea towel even a piece of cardboard cut to size will do, in the bottom of the bottom tray. This will prevent a lot of the escapees getting into the sump, if possible leave a light on above your bin overnight, worms hate the light and won’t venture out if one is on. You could put your bin into a large black bag and every morning collect the worms and return the to the bin. Try not to disturb your worms to much during the first couple of week, they will need very little food for a while, not until they settle, so apart from returning escapees there should be little need to disturb them.

Hoe that helps
Willy

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