My worm bin went sour and I almost gave up on composting

I live in a studio apartment in Austin and started a worm bin last spring. Everything was going fine until about two months in when I noticed a weird smell coming from under my sink. I opened the bin and found a slimy, gray mess with fruit flies buzzing everywhere. Turns out I was adding too many citrus peels and not enough dry bedding. I had to remove all the rotting material, rinse the worms gently in cool water, and start fresh with shredded newspaper and cardboard. It took about a week for the bin to settle down, but the worms survived and are back to producing good castings. Has anyone else had a bin go anaerobic on them and find a quick fix that worked?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela8901mo ago

Honestly, that citrus thing is brutal because the acidity just nukes the whole balance.

the_phoenix1mo ago

So what are you even adding back in to try and fix the balance?