Google Wiggly Wagglers Hank. Bit pricey. OH avoided them last time we ordered but, when delivered, not the red wiggly ones I expected to get.

Same happened in my compost. There were a lot of those cute little mice tunneling in our compost container and we wondered if they were indulging in 'fine dining'.

There are legions of woodlice and a big ants nest and very little rotting down going on. The mice have been discouraged.....much to my regret. The ants do bring up fine soil and heat up their eggs under the black plastic lid....try a dose of pee every so often...that can help too....so they say.

I wouldn't bother buying any brandling worms,Hank..mine is like that too this year..I'm sure nature will right itself eventually..lots of woodlice,like Dorjac has..which is something I haven't had before..probably sheltering from the wet ..can't say I blame them..just keep turning it occasionally,and not letting it dry out..urine is very good,but if you prefer,just some water..:o)

Bloomer's advice to not let it dry out is good - if the heap is too dry, the worms will disappear. The red worms you mean are brandlings, and they're available from fish bait shops, but no point in buying them - if the conditions in your heap were right, they'd be in there, so clearly its the conditions which need altering.

Could your bin/heap have become too acid? This is something that will cause the number of brandlings to reduce and is usually rectified by mixing a little lime in with your compost or organic material as you put it in the bin.
You really shouldn't need to buy any as usually covering an area with a black plastic sheet will produce evidence of lots of them as they seem to appear from nowhere. Placed in an overgrown area this is one way to get a new stock of them.

Thanks yet again for all your help, but for you guys I wouldn't have a clue

Let us know if it improves,Hank...it should do before too long..

Have already done as bertie suggested- stretch a black plastic bag on the soil etc and have located a suitable receptacle for the ah- liquid suggestion

All sorted then :o)

Just run a check on our compost Hank. With my trusty shovel and found there ARE plenty of worms now. Maybe in our case the cute mice were the reason. They have plenty other places than our disgusting detritus to make a home anyway. The ants are preparing to leave home too.......shame, as they help to churn the compost.

I've always found that they make their own way into the heap. Once they have finished at the bottom they move upwards leaving the base empty. Mice do eat them but they'd be turning the heap for you to get at them.

Our 25 year old heap has a concrete base. Worms get in through amazingly narrow gaps. Our problem is, with increasing age, we can no longer get in and press down the heap as we used to or turn it over as easily. The mice are welcome back in the winter. The next young person to visit may be asked to jump on the heap for us.

I'd no idea one should get into the compost in to compress the contents of the bin, maybe I missed that instruction.
I've just turned mine over with a fork. Must I really get in and jump up snd down ?

Compressing it isn't something I've heard of doing either, Hank - turning as frequently as possible creates a hotter, quicker heap though, because you're getting air into it.

Thanks, B., that's what I thought. Sorted !

When he's jumped he can lean in and turn it for us.....simples.....otherwise there is nowhere to turn it to. We are older and can't do the things we used to be able to do.

Ain't that the truth Dorjac... just out of interest, you can buy longish 'stirring sticks' (compost stirrers) which might mean you don't have to climb into the heap to turn it, if that helps.