Eat, defecate, and make worm castings are the three functions of your composting worms. If you can have it, life is good. As a worm farmer, it’s your responsibility to ensure that the worms have everything they need to thrive. To optimize the worms’ productivity, the temperature in a worm bin must be controlled.
You’ll learn how to increase or reduce the temperature within your worm bin in this post, as well as the recommended temperature range for red wiggler worms. Buy a basic compost thermometer if you don’t already have one so you can keep track of the temperature of your worm composting bin.
Composting Worms Temperature
Temperatures that composting worms prefer are the same as ours. The optimal temperature is between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss some worms into your worm bin. They will be cold if you are.
Your worms will be hot if you are. While your composting worms will survive temperatures beyond this optimal range, strive to maintain the temperature between 60 and 80 degrees F, as this is when they are most effective. Techniques for increasing or decreasing the temperature in a worm bin can be found below.
Read also: How Many Composting Worms Do I Need?
How To Reduce The Temperature in a Worm Bin
In the summer, worm composting outside might be difficult, especially for those who live in a hot climate. Please keep your worm bin indoors if you live near the equator. If you live in a warmer climate, consider some of the ways listed below to keep your worm bin cool during the summer.
1) Preserve your worm bin in a shade
2) Airflow should be improved
Opening additional holes in your worm bin or removing the lid for an amount of time can accomplish this. If you opt to detach the lid, keep an eye out for the family dog rummaging in the bin or the household chickens indulging themselves in a meal.
3) Ensure that the bedding is kept moist
To maintain their skin hydrated and allow them to breathe, composting worms require humid carbon bedding. Heat rapidly dries out bedding. To maintain the bedding moist, use a watering can or a spray bottle. The temperature of the worm bin drops as the water is gone.
Recommended: Check out the list of materials that can be put in a compost
4) Make use of a fan
Raise your worm bin’s lid and direct a fan at the bedding. Evaporation will rise as a consequence of the greater airflow, and also the temperature will drop. If you’re going to use a fan, make sure the bedding is damp.
5) Add ice
Add some ice on top of your worm bin if it gets too hot (for example, if you mistakenly changed it into a hot compost pile). If you have an indoor worm bin, use caution when applying ice. Note that when you add ice, you’re also adding water, which must eventually evaporate.
How To Increase The Temperature in a Worm Bin
To raise the temperature in a worm bin, follow the steps below:
1) Cover the bin with the lid
Keep the lid on your winter worm bin to retain temperatures. Protect the worm bed with a tarp if it doesn’t.
2) Insulate the bin
Insulating your worm bin might be as easy as putting hay bales around it or as complicated as gluing sheets of blue board insulation foam to it. Insulation can assist maintain your worms warm regardless of how you go about it.
A worm bin was created out of a busted chest freezer. It’s easy to use and has insulation built in! Coolers from the past can also be useful.
Read also: Can you compost weeds?
3) Construct a huge winter worm composting bed
I’ve discovered that huge worm composting systems are more resistant to climatic variations than smaller ones. As a result, a smaller worm composting system’s temperature is more easily controlled. This is particularly true in cold weather while trying to keep a huge system warm.
You don’t have to worry about injuring your worms if you bring a lot of food leftovers at once to a region. Worms can wander around and locate a site that is nearer to their preferred temperature because the system is so big.
4) A Worm Bin Heater is a great way to keep your worm bin warm
It’ll be wonderful to use a seed-starting heating mat as a worm bin heater. Simply place the mat on top and plug it in to keep your worms warm throughout the winter.
