Moving Worms

Here is a question from Shelly on a topic I know others are interested in as well. Just so you know, I’ve only included the first little bit of Shelly’s email for the sake of saving space here. She also provided some great info about her current set up (she has a mature Can-O-Worms) and some ideas about how she might move everything.

Dear Bentley,

Thanks to all of the wonderful information on your website, I’ve had a
successful worm bin in our basement for just over a year now (March,
2009).

My fiance and I will be moving in June/July from Maryland to Georgia.
I was trying to find some information / advice on your website about
how to successfully move a worm bin system, especially if the worms
may need to be out of their worm bin for several days. I didn’t find
anything on your website. If you have posted about this, could you
kindly point me in the right direction? If not, I would love your
advice / pointers about how to make this move successful (i.e.
successful = keeping the worms alive).
…

Great question, Shelly
Similar to your second idea (included in original email) my suggestion would definitely be to transfer everything from the Can-O-Worms to a large bin type of system for the move. A bin will provide a lot more stability and make for a much smoother ride for the worms in general. I would make sure this bin had LOTS of air holes in the upper walls and lid, but definitely no drainage holes of any kind. I would also make sure to add a lot of new moistened bedding before adding the contents of your other worm bin. This will provide plenty of neutral habitat and will also help to cushion the worms a bit more. Speaking of cushioning, I would definitely sit the bin on a thick blanket if possible so as to help reduce the severity of the vibrations during the ride.

I like your ideas re: using frozen food to keep the bin cool (again, mentioned in Shelly’s original email), but I would probably be more inclined to steer away from food and simply use ice packs instead. The last thing you would want on a long hot journey is lots of liquid and waste materials melting in your bin – once everything thaws you could end up with trouble.

Aside from the moistened bedding mentioned above, I would likely add a really thick layer of dry bedding up top and simply sit little ice packs (ziplocks with ice cubes or frozen water bottles) in this zone. You could keep a bunch of them in a cooler (and exchange them as needed), or simply plan to stop at gas stations and grab ice along the way.

Assuming this isn’t a REALLY long journey, I don’t think you need to be overly concerned about “food” for the trip. Unlike with little kids, you certainly don’t need to put together a special travel pack full of snacks and beverages for your wormies. As long as there are still some things to munch on from the original bin they should be totally fine. Maybe as a treat (to reward them for not saying “are we there yet?” a billion times – haha) you can cut up a piece of cantaloupe or melon and add that before you set off on the journey. Again, just be careful with the amount, since you don’t want excess microbial activity and moisture release while you are on the road.

Anyway – hope this helps!

Written by Bentley on May 6th, 2010 with 3 comments.
Read more articles on Reader Questions.

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