Comments on: Wooden Worm Box in Texas Heat

By: Merilyn Baker

Merilyn Baker — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:33:07 +0000

I started my bin in central Florida last June. A 12x12x18 inch plastic one with 4 half inch holes in the bottom. I glued window screen over the holes. Set in in another plastic tub that was big enough to allow several inches of clearance all around. Kept a few inches of water in the big tub. Set the worm bin on bottles to keep it out of the water. Put it where it would be shaded all day.
Didn’t have any trouble with overheating. Might have been the evaporation effect and double shading. The water kept the ants out. I did lift the bin out and change the water in the tub once a week. That cleared out out the mosquito larvae.

By: Andres

Andres — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:28:39 +0000

Great idea Kuan! Also, another key thing is Moisture moisture moisture. The specific heat of water is greater than air…so, it takes more to heat it up. Also, the bedding helps. I like to use coir because it holds in moisture really well. Also, freezing your veggies before throwing them out helps keep the bin cool.

to keep out fire ants, make a cup of simple syrup w/ a tbsp of borax. I use baby food lids and put the mixture in that. Ants eat it and die. simple at that…you can also use Orange oil mixed w/ soap and corn meal.

By: Kuan

Kuan — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 01:39:24 +0000

Sarah, welcome to vermicomposting. I’m in Kansas and it is hot here too. What I did the last 2 summers was freeze a couple 2L soda bottles with water. I go to work at 6:30am so I put them in the bin on top of the bedding. I do wrap them in a few layers of wet newspaper though. When I get home at 5:30pm, the bottles are all water, no more ice due to the heat but still cool. The condensation will help wet some of the beddings. I see lots of worms congregate around/under the bottles to keep cool. I then refreeze the bottles for next day use. I also wet down (not sopping wet, just moist) the bin with my hose when I water my tomato plants in the evening. Evaporation will help cool the bin down like sweating cools down our skin. So far my worms seem to be doing OK in the last 2 summers. HTH.

Kuan

By: Larry D.

Larry D. — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 03:42:21 +0000

I would say the box will be eaten by termites.You can’t use any poison.So it will be gone within a year i’d guess.Better to build a small block bin with a little of it in the ground.Plus the fire ants will take over a wood box in a heartbeat! And a block bin with a foam top will be protected from rain and some heat.In Florida the termites will eat one in a month easy!

By: Gustavo

Gustavo — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 01:27:09 +0000

Sarah, this is what I do: I add something to make the bin’s walls more thick, like wood board or cardboard – if you use cardboard you’ll have to change it often, so I prefer some thin wood planks. Just put it here, the compost/food will hold them in the walls. In addition, always let a 5 cm layer of mulch, It helps A LOT.

By: Andres

Andres — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:24:31 +0000

I live in Austin and I keep my plastic bin indoors in the mechanical room (in between the garage and the house). This little room houses my HVAC. It gets a little warm in there in the summer time because of the attic. In order to avoid the gnats and fruit flies, I freeze my food before putting it in the bin. I also don’t use a lid on the bin because that just increases the moisture and gnats.

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 02:24:34 +0000

Mine are doing ok outside so far, plastic and everything. I water my bins at the same time I water my garden. I have them in full shade, a car port or under a thick bush/shrub should be enough with a couple waterings a week. Heather (the Texas Worm Rancher) Rinaldi may have some ideas for you, she is also here in Dallas.

By: Ted C

Ted C — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:36:43 +0000

Now that I’m a bit more confident in my worming skills, next month the whole batch will be outdoors till Sept.
I have an old basement with natural stone walls. When it gets humid in New England, I know it because, my basement floor sweats. Last year the moisture gave me some issues.

The East corner of my home, behind a wooden stockade fence, will keep them in the shade all day.

Have great one everyone