I was starving my worms!

I've had one of those 4 tray worm condo towers for years now. Love it! I keep it in the basement, it's clean, doesn't smell, they process kitchen scraps into worm tea and a dark rich clean compost.

Every winter I cut back a little on how often I was feeding them because I read in numerous places they are less active when it cools down. The basement gets pretty cold in the winter, so I figured that applied. I usually drop some extra bedding in but less food during colder months.

This year, I ran out of bedding so just layered some extra newspaper on top for the heat. Well the worms were happy with that, started partying and becoming amorous so now I have a population explosion in mid winter. I can't feed them fast enough. They are creating their own heat! LOL Instead of looking for them in bedding, there are tons of them everywhere, all balled up and between layers of paper. Talk about taking over the world!

Reading about this permaculture stuff is great, experiencing and observing first hand is much more fun!

Helen

East Texas zone 7b here and my worms are just as active in winter if not more than summer
and higher nitrogen or protein food can make heat for them
smaller containers you have to be careful not to run them out of the bedding
I keep mine in 55 gallon blue barrels out side under cover in chicken barn unheated and not cooled.

When i first bought my place in NE AZ i brought worms with me. I didn't know where to put them so i dug a hole and filled it with cow pats, carboard and paper. I figured the food would keep them in place.

It snowed that second week of APRIL(!) And at that time the roads were so bad that i was afraid of being stranded by the gloopy clay so i ran for it.

When i returned many months later i checked the pit and found a rattle snake skin.

I had invented a snakes heaven: worm buffet.

LOL Kevin! I have been known to 'plate' a few for the early Robins in the spring. Fortunately my husband loves me and doesn't put me away for being silly like this