flies in wormery

[Littlepurpleprincess]

I've had a wormery for a few months but it's got tons of flies in. I also haven't seen an actual worm in there for quite a while and I'm concerned that there all dead. It is still composting but very slowly, I haven't put anything in there for a while. The compost is very damp.

What do I do?

Every few weeks you should give it a good mix - stick your gloves on and get stuck in. Also get some torn up egg cartons or scrunched up newspaper and mix in - this creates air pockets for the worms. If you have a rummage you might be able to see any signs of life?

Ok. If I don't find any, where do I buy more? Do I just plonk them in the top?

We got our worms from here , it comes with new bedding etc.

I'd probably start again - clear everything out and put it on your compost bin - then use the kit.

Actually you can just buy the worms plus bedding probably easier as not sure what bin you've got.

I've got one of these www.wormery.co.uk/

I gave it a good mix and added lots of shredded paper but couldn't see any worms. It's got a tap on the bottom so I've been making sure I drain the liquid off everyday for the last few days.

How can I get rid of the flies?

If I start again, what do I do with the soggy, almost-compost that is in there now? it's about a third full.

[hopeless at gardening emoticon]

Are they little flies? They're harmless from what I remember. But you can prevent them by making sure the old food is not on the top (you can cover with damp shredded newspaper).

I'd use the compost in the garden - dig it in around your plants as it should be good stuff.

ok. Thankyou for your advice. Think I will try and get it to dry out a bit more then use in the garden and start again.