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Organic Gardening

THE BIG CHILL… Protecting Worm Bins in Winter

Those hard-working worms are cold-blooded creatures and cannot regulate their body temperatures like we humans can.  The red wigglers used in vermicomposting cannot tolerate freezing temperatures and will die if their bin becomes a frozen block of compost and veggie scraps.

Moving your worm operations into a frost-free place, such as a garage or basement, is a simple way to keep your worms happy.  Or you can insulate your bin with soil, straw, dry leaves, dry bark, or compost….  Dry fluffy materials create many small air pockets that trap warmer air and keep colder winds at bay.  If your bin is in a sheltered location but you want a little extra insulation, you can slip a Planket (plant blanket) over your bin.  Or you can bury the bin in the garden and cover the top with a layer of dry fluffy material, or use Styrofoam or unopened bags of soil or peat around, under, and over the top to provide insulation. 

Worm activity usually slows down during winter months; in really rough weather worms will hibernate to stay alive.  The warmer the air around your bin, the livelier—and hungrier—your worms will be.

By Emily Wilkins
Skylights Fall 2010, Vol 25, No. 3

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