TroubleShooting: Compost Bin: Part 2 of 3

This is the second part of my "Compost Bin" series and today I'm going to address any potential problems that may occur and how to fix those problems.

Bin Smells:

1. Overfeeding:  stop feeding for 2 weeks
2. Non-compostable scraps present:  removal of these scraps
3. Food scraps exposed:  bury food completely
4. Bin too wet:  mix in dry bedding; leave lid off
5. Not enough air:  fluff bedding; drill more holes in lid

Bin attracts flies:

1. Food scraps exposed:  bury food completely
2. Rotten food:  avoid putting rotten food in bin; remove any
3. Too much food (especially citrus):  don't overfeed worms

Worms are Dying:

1. Bin too wet:  mix in dry bedding; leave lid off
2. Bin too dry:  thoroughly dampen bedding
3. Extreme temperatures:  move bin where temp is between 55 and 77 degrees F
4. Not enough air:  fluff bedding;  drill more holes in lid
5. Not enough food:  add more bedding and more food scraps

Worms crawling away:

1. Bin conditions are not right:  leave lid off and worms will burrow back into bedding

Mold forming:

1. Conditions are too acidic:  cut back on citrus fruits

Bedding drying out:

1. Too much ventilation:  dampen bedding; keep lid on

Water collecting in bottom:

1. Poor ventilation:  leave lid off for a couple of days; add dry bedding
2. Feeding too much watery scraps:  cut back on coffee grounds and scraps with high water content

The problems listed above are the most common and simple ones you may have with your compost bin.  However, if you are having other types of issues, there are lots of websites out there that talk about "vermicomposting" so I would suggest looking at those.

Upcoming post:  Part 3 of 3   Harvesting your castings for compost