Maggots and flies in your worm bin
Finding maggots in your worm bin can be a shock. I know, because I’ve had them in my own bins quite a number of times, in the early years of my worm composting journey of nearly 30 years. The good news first: most maggots don’t attack worms. Small white housefly maggots and fruit flies are mainly a nuisance. The bigger, tougher, grey-brown larvae of the black soldier fly are a different story. They compete with your worms for food and can take over a bin quickly if you let them.
On this page you’ll find all my articles on maggots and flies, sorted so you can quickly work out which visitor you have and what to do about it. Most problems come down to the same few causes: food lying uncovered on the surface, too much food at once, or a bin that’s too wet.
START HERE
Not sure what’s crawling in your bin? Start with “Maggots in a worm farm: which ones are harmful?“, then follow the fix for your type.
Seeing beetles, mites, ants or other small creatures instead? Go to Bugs & critters. And if you want to stop problems before they start, my free Worm Bin Checklist shows the 5-minute weekly check I use myself.
