a-blog-by-a-dog



           Digger

Well, this winter is one for the record books.  We've been bundled up for several days now, which is very unusual for our area.  This extended cold snap can create many problems for the vermicomposter or worm farmer and we are no exception. 

How to Raise Worms or Vermi-compost in Cold Weather

The good thing about red worms and European night crawlers: they can tolerate cold weather.  But not freezing temperatures.  We are taking  measures with our worm farm operation to make sure our worms survive this winter blast.

Here are some steps we are taking to lessen the damage and keep our worms happy and alive.  You might want to consider these steps for your vermi-composter, as well:

• Drastically reduce the amount of worm feed. (Good news for me, they are increasing the amount I'm getting.  That's about the only good thing about Winter for me and my four-legged friends - all-you-can-eat!)
• Supply heat to keep the temperature above 40, at least.
• Keep bright lights on during the cold snap.  Worms tend to crawl when it gets too cold, which is not a pretty sight.  Smelly, but not pretty.

As for me, it's a sunny window with a pile of blankets....and a hot, steamy bowl of leftovers.  I'm not crawling anywhere.