Let me try to answer some of your fears:
1.How hot and cold is your garage? I live in Arizona and some of mine are kept in a 18 gal tote on the porch both winter and summer.
2. A well maintained bin will smell like fresh earth. If it does get out of balance most of the time it is from to much food or water. This is easy to fix and can be corrected in a few days.
3. As long as they do not freeze they will be OK. As far as heat goes I have seen people use ice bottles, evaporation and several other methods.
You as a candidate are great, you have the want and the desire to do this.
The only problem I can see is you will end up like the rest of us and become addicted to them. Good luck and I hope I helped with a few of your fears.

Hi, Rebecca. The temperature of worm bin contents (bedding & vermicompost) are usually different than ambient air temps. My wormery stays between 55-70F even though night temps can drop to the high 30s. Decomposition activity of newly added food generates some heat.

My area doesn't get very hot in summertime, but I have read of local worm sellers who raise their worms in garages that reach 100F. Their worm beds stay relatively cool without any cooling measures. As long as the bin stays out of direct sunlight, vermicompost stays much cooler.

I agree with lostmarbles that you're a great candidate for vermicomposting. What type of worm bin were you considering? Have you read about flow through systems? Below is a link to a small flow through bin.

Andrew in Berkeley

Here is a link that might be useful: Mini flow through worm bin

The only bad candidate for vermicomposting is someone who thinks of it as a garbage machine that can be turned on. A so-so candidate may be someone that thinks X pounds of worms = Y pounds of garbage and that's that. Just remember it's a living system, try to learn what you can, and ask questions. It is very possible to have a system that does not smell. It's the balance between what you put in the bin and what you're worms can consume ... castings have no foul odors. If you're very concerned about smells start really slow with the feeding. Good luck and have fun.

IMO, the number 1 criteria for whether the average city or suburban resident should be vermicomposting is this: Do you generate a significant amount of plant-based kitchen waste?

The reason I say this is that a lot of people don't cook much these days or make their own coffee or consume many fresh fruits and vegetables, which are the primary food sources for composting worms.

I'd say the number 2 criteria is that you don't have room in your yard for a conventional compost pile or composter, since these are much easier to manage and more versatile.

I can't really comment on the temperature issue since I live in a fairly temperate climate. I keep my composter in the garage and things do slow down in the winter, presumably because of the temperature, but the worms survive and do their job year round.

My composter does have an odor, but not usually the kind you'd notice from across the room, more like the kind that's noticeable when I'm standing next to it and especially when I'm picking through the compost. The odor changes depending on what I've put in there. I wouldn't put my composter in my house but I could imagine a small-scale composter that was carefully managed might be OK indoors (as long as my wife didn't live there).

You didn't say where you live but if your laundry machine doesn't freeze then it isn't very cold in the garage and worms could definatly go out if got stinky if not all the time

I have never really got stinky but mine is in the basment so not in my face all day either it runs 45-55 there in the winter in the summer I kick them out into the shade and the worms do work faster

You might want to wait until we pry the mouse and keyboard from your hands, but it does seem a way more ecological way to handle things than the present method commonly in use.

~ Ashes To. Dust