Vermicomposting ?

[staceyshoe]

Thanks to lots of help here, I'm seriously considering vermicomposting. I just finished "Worms Eat My Garbage" and feel like I have a handle on how to get the system started. I just have one last concern---I live in Ohio where it's hot in the summers and cold in the winters. I'd like to keep the worm bin in the garage. Is that possible in this climate?

I am very hesitant to keep it in the house because my dh and ds both have severe mold allergies. I've been reading about how to prevent mold growth (making sure it's not too wet and using little/no fruit scraps), but I don't know how my family would react to even the normal healthy microbes in compost. I would hate to cause health problems by bringing the worm bin inside. Does anyone else know how someone with mold allergies might be affected by a vermicompost bin in the living areas of the home?

[jamireles]

My worm bin goes thru different stages of mold growth, depending on what scraps are in there and how busy the worms/other critters are. I have never been able to get rid of all the mold. We did have ours in the house for a while, but decided to move it outside.

What we did was bury our bin halfway into a shady area next to our house. It keeps it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I remember a site where I guy buried his in the ground and covered it with several layers of straw, and he had no problems with the worms freezing. I can't find the site, though....

I think you would be able to keep the bin in the garage in the winter as long as you can insulate it if it gets to cold. It doesn't get very cold where I live, so I haven't really had that much experience regarding freezing temps. It did get down to 20 degrees for several days last year, and my worms were just fine.

Hope this helps some!