Why do worms try to escape?

by Earthdave
(Paris, France)

I have had a worm bin in my Paris apartment for about two months, with few difficulties. They were in the unfinished attic briefly but now live in the tiny spare room at about 17 degrees Celsius, low room temperature.

The problem is that the worms are constantly coming up to the lid and trying to slip out, or going down through the drainage holes into the catch bin where the leachate is. I've found some dry worms on the carpet below.
What causes them to do this and how can I fix it? The temperature seems fine, warm in the middle but not hot. I don't add citrus or coffee grounds or anything that I can think would cause a bad pH. I used shredded white paper and some dry leaves to start the bedding.
There is no strong smell so I don't think I am overloading it, although there doesn't seem to be anywhere that doesn't have food scraps when I lift the bedding.
Thanks,
Dave

Answer from BigTex Worms

Maybe your worms want to come live with me in Texas and that is why they are trying to escape! Just kidding.
Sounds like you are doing everything right. Just to make sure, you are using red wiggler worms right?
Have you had a lot of rain there? Fluctuations in barometric pressure can cause them to try to leave. OR vibrations. So if you have them sitting next to a fan or something that vibrates it can cause them to stress.
Worms in the bottom drip pan are normal, I have tons of worms down there all the time, that is nothing to worry about. BUT lets explore to find out why they are trying to escape.
If you think it might be ph, you can order a ph meter. If you used leaves, they often can cause acid to the bin.
All this being said, I have a few escapees all the time. It is nothing unusual for me to find a dead worm or two on my barn floor weekly. So if it is just one or two from time to time then dont worry about it. And my worms hang out on the lids of my bins all the time. I think they go there to mate!

Let me know if any of this helps or not.
Liz
BigTex Worms