Red Wigglers

[stefanie]

I recently purchased a starter culture of red wigglers and put them in a rubbermaid container. The next day I found about 10 escapees, the lid was snapped secure, but I guess the rim has enough of a gap that they can actually climb up the sides and out. It's about 1.5 feet deep too. Is there anyway I keep these guys from climbing up? Perhaps a scent of some sort that will not harm them, but discourage them from climbing the walls of their bin. I never had this problem with earth worms.

Thanks.

 

[brian]

I've heard a low wattage light bulb helps

 

[jennifer]

It's normal for some of them to escape. But if the conditions in the tub are good, most will stay and reproduce.

 

[joseph]

Might also depend on what species you've got. I heard a few other species sold for bait are more likely to go exploring. I've had som(a dozen or so) e leave the bin during rains but that is about it.

 

[peterj]

Is your substrate wet? It might help if you have some holes in the lid. Red wrigglers will leave the substrate if it's soggy and move easily over most wet surfaces. If the humidity in the container wasn't as high they'd be less likely to climb. If you've worried about them escaping through holes make a big hole and glue some flyscreen over it.

 

[peterj]

I've recently been using moisture holding crystals (sold for potted plants) to keep the substrate moist and 'mop up' excess water. Seems to work pretty well.

 

[fishkeeper]

What is the substrate? If the worms don't like it, they will leave. I usually get a few escapees when it rains here(even though the bin is not getting wet it seems to make the worms restless).

 

[peterj]

The crystals are available commercially (eg this stuff), but it's the same stuff that's in disposable nappies (along with wood fibre) so I make use of the ones that are wet but not soiled (yeah, I know icky - but by the time you get to your fourth baby you get over it). I just add the stuff to whatever substrate I'm using - leaf mulch and dirt for outdoors, coir peat and shell grit for indoors (don't wanna stink up my office ).