Harry: After reading your post I decided to check on my collection of 3 gal bins and see if the worms are still alive. Haven't checked on them since oh I don't remember, maybe a month or more. The last time I checked, I fed them a little bit more than needed (wasn't planning to do feeding during miserable weather) and top up with shredded newspaper. BTW, I've got ca. 15 or so of these 3 gal bins and 3 - 6 gal. pails. I boxed then inside an enclosure 23"x28"x8' of insulation foam (1.5") and have one of those reptile cable heater (50 Watts). I also happen to have a spare thermostat but since this enclosure is not really air tight, I suspect the heater stayed on 24/7. I was planning to tinker more around the corners but haven't got to that so there's heat loss there. But it was warm enough in there it seems. The worms are not lethargic, and all the food and most of the bedding are gone and I am surprised the bins are not as wet as usual and the VC is nice and crumbly.

How often do you change the hot water bottles? I use 3 gal containers (same as the bins) to store worm food (juicing pulp) and they're all frozen solid. They're in a corner outside the house.

When my son comes for a visit, I'll try to remember to get some pictures done of the foam "box" and post them. I'm useless with all these computer stuff.

Good to here from you Otis.Well I think that we've seen the worst of the winter weather. Feeling quite spring-like to me right now @ 10C and I don't see anything below -3C in the foreseeable future.

To answer your question, I was using the 1gal milk jugs (with hot tap water) almost daily. Also used some Roxul insulation either right on top of the bin contents with the jugs on top, or reversed with the hot milk jugs in direct contact with the bin material and the Roxul above the water jugs. Now that it's finally warmed up a bit I checked the outside bins today to find good worm numbers and activity.

Brought my 22"x34" plywood bin inside about a month ago when the forecasts started predicting minus 7 to 10C temps with no end in sight. That bin was just starting to freeze/frost up along the outer edges. Once it started to warm up, which took a few days, I moved most of the contents to one end, mixed the remaining castings together with some "fresh" food and shredded newspaper. Within 2 days many of the worms had already moved down to the fresh material. It's been just over a week since and the newer end is just thick with worms.

Now that it's a bit milder outside I'm wondering when my wife is going to ask me to move the bin back outside? The worms certainly aren't complaining!!

Harry

wow Otis, that is quite the collection of worm buckets! How many do you have on the go? Have you got those in your garage? Great job with the insulation but then how do you access the buckets to feed the worms? Can you explain a bit more your about your routine? How do you even come up with enough to feed them??

Harry

I used 2 sheets of 4 x 8 ft. and cut each into 23" x 25" widths, taped and in some places strengthened with aluminum L brackets (taped, not screwed) so I end up with 2 - L pieces; 23" horizontal & 25" vertical.

As seen on pic. #1, the 2 pieces are just fit together w/o being fastened, hence the heat loss I mentioned before. You can also see the plywood where the buckets sit, protecting the foam from wear and tear. For the ends I used leftover foam, sized to fit the 20x25" hole. I was planning to make several U wooden (plywood) brackets to keep/clamp the 2 L pieces in place and reduce heat loss but I got lazy. U - Brackets size: 3"-23"-3".

This contraption will be used for winter time only and feeding is rather cumbersome, involving lots of lifting. First remove the 2 sides and this huge L shape (top & front). Then I can put individual buckets to the lower-front part of the bench for feeding. There's a lot of moving and shuffling involved, hence the protective plywood bottom. I have dated all the buckets so there is no problem to keep track. The CB corners are to keep the 2 pieces in place and reduce some heat loss. When not in use, I think I will put the 2 giant Ls inside each other to save space. They are on my upstairs deck (on the left side under skylight)

I don't remember how many 3 gal bins I've got. I think somewhere between 15 - 25. These are my breeder bins. And yes, I have enough food to feed them. Juicing pulp; and I have Rabbit pellets (food not poop) and Layer Mash in stock as back up. There's still my VB48, 96 gal Schaefer bin, 15 gal. RM and 3 - 6 gal. buckets to feed.

Now you see why I haven't fed them for over a month.

Since we are having nice sunny weather today, I have fed them all.

Otis, why do you use those pails (look like ~3 gal) as opposed to larger totes? Ease of handling, faster castings production, experimentation with different feed stocks etc.?

How many worms (and what type) do you have in each container.....about 1 lb.?

Harry

Harry: As the name suggests, (Breeder Bins), that's what they are. I breed the worms in them. I set up the bins periodically as the need arose. Start with layers of cardboard at the bottom, then add a piece about the size of the bottom with spent wheat grass mat and seed with about 50 EFs. It seems to me that the population growth % is higher in small containers. Either faster or larger in numbers I can't tell. In about a year's time the 3 gal bins will hold a min. of 0.5 lbs. of worms and it is also a full bin. The bottom 3 or 4 inches would be finished VC. I find this a faster way to grow worm population.

Ah yes, I just noticed that you mentioned they were breeder bins in your earlier post. Do you move the worms into larger bins once you've filled each 3 gal. bin up?

Harry

Harry: check your e-mail.