Worms Escaping From the Bottom
The first few days of running the Urban Worm Bag will likely result in worms exploring their surroundings and some may even end up finding their way outside of the Urban Worm Bag. Finding worms outside of your Urban Worm Bag or other bins may be alarming, but it does not mean that you are doing anything wrong.
Leachate is normal to see in the first few days, but you do not want to see it on an ongoing basis. Worms are attracted to moisture, so if you end up adding too much via watering or by adding lots of water-laden food waste without adding a bunch of dry bedding, then that excess moisture makes its way to the bottom and "pulls" the worms down with it. For the new 2021 Version of the Urban Worm Bag, worms could potentially make their way past the velcro bottom and on to the floor.
Leachate is normal to see in the first few days, but you do not want to see it on an ongoing basis. Worms are attracted to moisture, so if you end up adding too much via watering or by adding lots of water-laden food waste without adding a bunch of dry bedding, then that excess moisture makes its way to the bottom and "pulls" the worms down with it. For the new 2021 Version of the Urban Worm Bag, worms could potentially make their way past the velcro bottom and on to the floor.
If worms are escaping out of the bottom, we suggest removing the bottom of the Urban Worm Bag. Expect to find worms in the removable bottom which you should put back in the top. Leaving the bottom removed will provide more airflow, allow excess moisture to escape, and ultimately dry out the bottom to keep most of the worms toward the top.
If possible (and this could be a bit awkward), try to shine a light on the bottom of the Bag. The worms will find the light repellent and this will tend to keep them inside the Bag.
Worms Escaping From the Top
You may find that worms are crawling up the walls of the Urban Worm Bag and some may escape between the zippers.
As mentioned above, worms are attracted to moisture, so if there is condensation on the walls or lid, the worms will happily explore these surfaces.
If worms are escaping out of the top of the bin, you can try placing a cotton ball in between the double zippers on top.
There are many reasons why you might find worms escaping, but it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong.
For more information, please read the following blog post and view the accompanying YouTube video!
https://urbanwormcompany.com/why-are-worms-crawling-up-the-walls-of-my-bin-are-they-escaping/