How will I keep my worms cool this summer?
It’s about to get really hot here in Texas for a few months. This means it’s time for me to consider how I’ll keep my worms happy and eating and pooping. Worms like temps between 40 and 90 degrees. My worm bin in the garage is already right at 80 and we’re not even in the dog days of summer yet.
The school worm bins are going to be even tougher because they’re outside. So, what will I do? I’ve done some research and this is what I’ve found.
For one thing, you could move your worm bin inside when it gets really hot. Mine is right inside the garage. It’s a matter of moving it maybe 5 feet to right inside the house when it gets really hot. I’m sure I’ll do that when we start having 100 plus degree days.
Over at the school, I moved the worm bins to where they are in the shade. This isn’t quite as optimal as moving them inside, but it’s the best I can do over there. Maybe it’s the best you can do at your house too. Having direct sunlight on your worm bin is a sure route to crispy worms. Move your bin at least into the shade.
Moisture is also helpful. Have you ever sat outside at a restaurant that had a misting system? The evaporation of the moisture from your skin felt cool? The evaporation of moisture from your worm bin will help keep it cool too.
Something else I’m going to try is that, before the school year ended, I got buckets of scraps from the school cafeteria and ground them up in my food processor, put them in ziploc bags and froze them. I’m planning to feed these chunks of frozen food to the worms. I believe the coolness of the frozen food, not to mention the moisture of it, will help alot. I’ve read of people putting frozen water bottles in their worm bins and I’m sure I’ll do that too.
Do you have any other suggestions for keeping a worm bin cool in the summer?
