Setting up a Can-O-Worms

[Iona Bayley]

We've recently purchased a Can-O-Worms and have started it up with 500g of Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei, stored in our garage. The worms have started to consume the small amounts of 'food' that we have added. The problem we've having is that some worms keep escaping each night. I've been told by the worm supplier that if I put the Can-O-Worms in a light place for a few nights this will solve the problem....which it does, but this isn't a long term solution and instead the worms seem to be accumulating in the bottom container. The bedding material is the coir that was supplied with the worm farm so I can't imagine that it would be too acidic, but have followed advice and sprinkled on a small amount of garden lime. Now i'm wondering if the bedding it either too wet or too dry....how can I tell? Any other advice very welcome!

[Megan]

Hello Iona, I had a similiar problem with my worm farm when it first arrived and your supplier's advice is sound, I've relocated mine from the garage to outdoors. I also remade their bed (see my blog) and topped with shredded newspaper and a layer of hay. Touch wood, no more escapees recently, they are staying put. I try to keep the newspaper only just damp, not soaking wet but don't allow it it completely dry out and mist it every couple of days. Keep the hay on the top dry, it's supposed to discourage the worms from surfacing (but won't stop them inching up the sides)!

[Iona Bayley]

I've done the same and added moist shreaded newspaper on top of the bedding, which seems to have considerably reduced the number of escaping worms, but there are still a good dozen or so getting out of the gaps between the trays each night....dead by the time I pick them off the garage floor in the morning. Also I still have the issue of my wormies accumulating in the bottom of the Can-O-Worms each day where the liquid is supposed to collect.....is this normal or will this behaviour disappear over time? I have been opening the tap each morning so that there is no risk of them drowing...and am getting a dribble of liquid each time, which I assume is a good thing.

[Megan]

Since moving them outside, the worms have settled down but there are still a few persistent escapees that insist on crawling up the sides, less than a dozen at a time and usually only after it's been raining. I've not had many heading down into the bottom tray but then I've lined the bedding with dampened cardboard as well as shredded newspaper under a bed of leaves - quite an obstacle course! I haven't had any liquid accumulate yet either, so perhaps your bedding is too damp? I've still got them outside, our garage has no windows so is very dark. If it's not convenient to put yours outside, try putting them under a window if you have one in your garage. Apparently they don't like the light.

[Iona Bayley]

I moved them closer the the garage window last night as I can't put the unit outside at the moment & placed a ring of newspaper in the gaps surrounding trays and then replaced trays....no escapees :-) I'm not sure if this is because the bedding has had time to dry out a bit or because the newspaper stopeed them, but it worked. But there were still some worms in the bottom although not as many as before....on advice of the worm supplier I have placed some moist shreaded newspaper down there so they don't dry out. I think I might add some more damp cardboard to the bottom next and see what happens....the round bit of card that came with the Can-O-Worms packaging fits the bottom of the tray, but they are still wriggling around the edges of it at the moment.

[Karen Bee]

Hi Iona,

Only time I ever had escapees was from a bucket (in transition from a worm-farm I had to leave behind), with only wet paper as a 'lid'.  They started escaping after about 5 weeks.

In my case it was either: too wet or overpopulation. This was an inside situation too, but I have never had worms escape from Can-of-Worms kept outside. Regarding the tap - you can put a bucket under it and leave the tap on, if you wish.