I had the same issue with the other half refusing worms in the house- he doesnt even like house plants (pots full of DIRT?!?!) Does he have a hobby? Mine built worm homes (as he called them) when he spent $$$ in the garage! About the time I was travelling 30 miles with him to pick up yet another junk car to go in the driveway/garage, he conceded that the sunroom or shed would be too cold, and the laundry room would not offend him too badly.

To actually help answer your question, I am not sure about the temps and survival, but they do eat less when it's cooler

I would say that it gets just as cold if not colder sometimes with the wind chill bringing the temp down into the negatives. Last year was the first year with the worms, so I took some inside in a rubbermaid tote. Too my surprise the next spring, my outside bin was full of active worms and doing better than my inside bin.

I gave them plenty of leaves, straw and shredded paper for bedding, then feed when I felt like going outside. Their box is on the north end of my house, under a tree, so they were exposed to all the elements. During early spring, I did dump in some dog food, to help heat the box. Must take caution if doing that, since it can heat too much and kill the worms.

Worst case, the adults die and the eggs hatch the next spring when the bin warms up enough, but being in your shed, they should be fine. Just note that the cold weather will make them slower at eating.

Thanks for the encouragement. I have a thick layer of paper under them for insulation and I think I will hope for the best. There are also tons of eggs so if they hatch next spring I will be just fine. Maggie

I have had an outdoor worm bed for many years. It's constructed of cinder blocks and filled with horse manure, autumn leaves. Most winters the top six inches freeze solid and I do not disturb the worms except if there's unusually warm temperatures. I don't know if the worms (red wrigglers) burrow into the soil or if the next generation hatches in the spring. All I know is that by the time the bed thaws out, it is full of worms. So I wouldn't worry about overwintering your worms outdoors.

Has anyone tried building a large box made out of Styrofoam sheets to sit all your bins in?

It could keep the bins warm with one small heat source inside. I was thinking that to build the box all that would be needed is duct tape. No tight fit so some fresh air could get in. And I could take it apart in the spring and stand the parts in a corner for the next winter.

I have some leftover foam panels and would need to get one more to make a 4'x8'x4' box. I used it as insulation in my house last fall. It kept the house warm-enough ( 60's ) all winter while i put in fiberglass insulation.

Outside it got as low as -20, worst winter since 1949, five feet of snow.

I am thinking ahead to next winter, this winter i only have the one small bin and its in the house. But i am hoping someone has tried the foam box ( or will try it this winter ) and can tell me how it turns out. I will definitely want to keep the Styrofoam around if it will workout.

I live in Ontario, and when I had my house, I wintered my worms one year outside. My then-hubby build a wooden frame around my bin, and lined the wooden frame with styrofoam sheets. We left a space between my rubbermaid worm bin and the wood, which we then stuffed with straw.

Straw was laid on the top of the bin, and a lid was added. I didn't feed the worms all winter, but did give them lots of food and LOTS of leaves, which would break down and create heat.

In the spring I opened it up and my worms had survived....even though the marriage didn't. LOL

So it can be done, and I didn't use any additional electrical heat.

Sherry

Hi Maggie
I live in Mission and gather that you are not too far away. Don't worry about your worms over the winter. The first batch of worms I got were in an old bathtub, outside in a field, in the middle of winter with only 2 or 3 sheets of cardboard over them and a half inch of snow. There were lots of them and though they were pretty lethargic, they were thriving. Don't forget that as the Organic Matter rots it creates heat. A layer of manure, even the store-bought stuff will give them enough heat to keep them happy. Don't let them get too hot.
They do slow down in the winter so be careful not to overfeed them and turn the bin into soup. If there is OM in the bin that is recognizable then I would hold the food and give them some monthly. They won't starve, they will just reprocess the bin again. When the temps rise, start to feed them.
I just finished my first flow-through bin and am very excited about what results I will get. I have to be patient. (something I learned from the worms)
Bev

Thanks for all the great advice from everyone. I am feeling much more confident now. I am thinking of wrapping the bins in some of that foil looking material used to insulate hot water pipes. I spotted it the other day at the hardware store. I will probably use styrofoam for the top. I will let you all know how it goes! Maggie

I was really glad to read this, as it's been getting down into the 30s here in Austin lately.