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Red slimey worms
luctongirl
Posts: 6
I don't know if theses are a problem or not, so I thought I'd ask.
I have a compost bin used for garden waste, old plants, a few grass cuttings, vegetable peelings, egg shells , used tea bags.. occasional shredded paper etc.
Every time I lift the lid there are dozens of red slimy worms under the rim. I'm not sure what to do about them if they are a problem . but they do seem to be rather smelly.
I'd be glad of your comments, reassuring or otherwise.
0
Posts
They're fine, they'll be helping to break down the stuff in your compost bin - you can't make compost without worms. They do move around the bin from time to time - who knows why they want to be under the rim sometimes
they're not desperately communicative - but they'll go back into the compost and get on with the job before long. 
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thank you. It is the the fact they're red, slimy and smelly that had me wondering, not like the usual brown earth worms..
Try and get a good mix of green (vegetable matter) and brown (shredded paper, cardboard, dry leaves).
And treasure your muck worms!
I get those in the rim too.only noticed it this year and just got my best batch of compost ever.
I'm sure I saw a TV show which said those are the ones you REALLY need in the compost to keep it healthy. Dunno why they congregate in the rim though..... Maybe like welsh onion said it's when the bin is too hot because I only notice that in the summer. I bet they get right back in there and chow down once it's nighttime!
They come up for air when it is too hot.
Luctong, if the bin is smelly, get a compost stirrer (about £10 on-line) stir the compost up a bit, take a newspaper and separate all the sheets, scrunch them up and put them in and try to stir them in to the compost.
Do this again a few days later.
After about 10 days it should not smell nasty any more.
Are you putting large amounts of grass clippings in all at once? This can cause the bin to become anaerobic/smelly/slimy. The aim is for an aerobic system, so air must be incorporated and you need the balance between greens (nitrogen) and browns (carbon).
So always add scrunched up newspaper in layers with your grass cuttings and other greens.
I already have a good mix in the bin, everything suggested has gone in, shredded papers, dry leaves.. It is the worm slime that smells - maybe the fact it is -slime - and it is hot. I use a large leaf to wipe them back into the compost then rinse the lid with a jet of water - not in to the bin of course .
At least I am reassured they really are nothing to worry about - not an alien species eating all our natives .
They are absolutely the worms that should be in your compost.
If you are adding even a little water, it could turn the bin slimy.
artjak I am not putting water in the bin, it is the worms themselves that have the slime - on second thoughts it could be heat from the rotting procedure condensing on the lid , the compost itself doesn't smell, except rich earthy sort . Maybe it has got too hot in there and as someone suggested up thread " they are coming up for air ".
The bin itself is baseless and on bare earth.
Welshonion, I'm wiping them back in to the bin so I don't squash them when I put the lid back on..there are dozens of them under the rim of the lid. They are free to wander at will when I have finished.
I am now looking forward to the best compost I've ever had .
I watched a video on worms and compost also worm farming,it said if the worms are coming to the top they are looking for other food or the bin is too wet,if its too wet it will smell,im no expert on worms but it said do Not force them back into the bin there is something wrong or they would not be under the top, it advised putting fresh dry food in along with some cut up paper or cardboard to help it keep dryish, im only passing on the info i personally don't know the answer, good luck,