Worm composting is an excellent way to recycle food scraps and create nutrient-rich compost for your garden. However, when it’s time to harvest the finished compost, you might find that some of your hardworking worms are still hanging around in the lower trays. Since you’ll want to keep as many worms as possible in your system, here are a few simple tricks to encourage them to migrate upwards before you collect your compost.

1. Bait Them with Fresh Food - Worms are naturally drawn to fresh food sources. To encourage them to move up to the active tray, place some enticing food scraps—such as banana peels, melon rinds, or pumpkin—on top of the compost in the upper tray. Leaving the lid off for a little while can also speed up the process, as worms will instinctively move towards the moisture-rich food supply.

2. Use the Light Trick - Worms are very sensitive to light, which makes this an easy and effective method to coax them out of the finished compost. Simply pile the compost on one side of the bin and expose it to light for a short time. The worms will quickly burrow deeper or wriggle towards the darker, food-rich trays above, leaving your finished compost worm-free.

3. Time It Right - If your lower tray is dry and well-finished, worms will naturally start looking for fresher material to move into. Keeping food scraps in the upper tray ensures they have a reason to migrate upwards, making the transition easier. Checking moisture levels and maintaining the right balance of bedding and food will also help encourage movement.

4. Manual Collection - If you still have a few stragglers, you can always gently pick them out and return them to the upper trays. This hands-on approach is simple but effective, ensuring that no worms are lost in the harvesting process.

By following these tips, you can keep your worm workforce happy and thriving while successfully harvesting rich, garden-ready compost. Happy composting!