Worm bins do not smell if set up correctly. There are a few key items to keep in mind.

Is there enough oxygen in your worm bin? A lack of oxygen will make your worm bin smell.

Did you add to much food to your worm bin? If you have uncovered food, or too much food your bin may smell. I try to keep the food rotated in the bin. Ad food to one side at a time and add it consistently rather than all at once. If you are handy with a knife, or don’t mind “wasting” electricity chop the food up as fine as you can.

Is your worm bin too wet? Too much moisture can be a problem. If your worm bin looks wet then it probably is. A healthy worm bin should be damp — not soaking wet.

Is there some bad food in there? I remember once time a stray piece of chicken sneaked into my worm bin. I could see worms crawling out and it smelled really bad. Get the foreign food object out of your bin and your worms will snap right back.

Is your worm bin too hot? If you bin is outside and it is hot, then your worms may be hot too. Make sure it is not in direct sunlight (especially in Arizona!).

OK, so I have a problem.  What do I do now? Here are my standard steps to heal a smelly worm bin:

  1. I always stop feeding the worms if there is a problem.
  2. Check to see if there is too much food. If there is a lot of food in there, take some out. If you really can’t throw it in the trash, place it in the freezer. But keep in mind. You may be generating too much food for your bin if your worms are not keeping up. You may need to let your worms increase or find a second bin.
  3. Make sure the whole bin is covered with bedding. Sometimes I’ll place one or two sheets of newspaper over the top to make sure the whole area is covered.
  4. Don’t add any more water.
  5. Step away from the bin…and give it time to come back. Check the bin for a few days to make sure the smell is gone or going away. Then let your bin sit for a good week or two. If you really must feed your worms feed them small amounts of coffee, tea, or cornmeal for a little while.

If you are still having problems, tell us about them. We’ll try to help. If you want to learn a whole lot more about worms, check out Worm Farming Secrets. Worm Farming Secrets will take your worm bin to the next level