Post by Jay Blair on Jul 28, 2006 14:03:43 GMT -5
This time of the year everyone in the northern hemisphere seems to voice concerns of helping their worms to contend with the hot summer conditions.
These are the three that I have found effective in my USDA Hardness zone 7 and 8 environments.
For 60 qt bins outside, I simply place two liter soda bottles into the bedding with the lid removed so that the 1 1/2 liter of water in the ice can also water the bin as it melts.
The worms will naturally select a climate area between the ice cooler and the outside boundaries where they are comfortable.
In temperatures between 90 F / 32 C. to 106 F / 40 C. I have found this effective for up to 12 to 24 hours between cooler replacements.
I re use the cooler jugs but wash the outsides of them and place the 1 1/2 liter water filled 2 liter bottles upright in sealed plastic bags to prevent any contamination to frozen foods in my freezer.
I freeze them upright with the lid slightly loose to allow for expansion as the water freezes without pushing the bottle out of shape or bursting it , making it useless for reuse.
This also works for larger bins or above ground windrows, but requites many more bottles to meet the the one bottle /60 qt volume ratio and is therefore less efficient.
For larger bins I either bury them below the heat line as if burying a casket or construct swamp cooler covers by using an old absorbent cotton batt filled quilt or thick spread and four 5 gallon buckets with lids.
I cut 4 inch holes in the lids of the buckets and stuff the corners of the cover through as wicks to reach the bottom of the buckets when the lid is put in place and the quilt or spread is covering the bin.
Once the buckets are filled, you can use wire stakes driven into the ground to hold the cover draping closer to the ground, increasing the effectiveness of the cooling chamber created by the quit water evaporation swamp cooler. Refill the buckets daily. Climate inside the swamp cooler will be 15 to 20 degrees cooler and requires low humidity conditions to be effective.
For all bins and beds if you can afford the water costs, constant water misting is of course the easiest , least labor intensive and most effective means. It is also the most costly means of temperature control.
WARNING : swamp coolers and constant water misting increase the potential of snakes in dry climates.
These are the three that I have found effective in my USDA Hardness zone 7 and 8 environments.
For 60 qt bins outside, I simply place two liter soda bottles into the bedding with the lid removed so that the 1 1/2 liter of water in the ice can also water the bin as it melts.
The worms will naturally select a climate area between the ice cooler and the outside boundaries where they are comfortable.
In temperatures between 90 F / 32 C. to 106 F / 40 C. I have found this effective for up to 12 to 24 hours between cooler replacements.
I re use the cooler jugs but wash the outsides of them and place the 1 1/2 liter water filled 2 liter bottles upright in sealed plastic bags to prevent any contamination to frozen foods in my freezer.
I freeze them upright with the lid slightly loose to allow for expansion as the water freezes without pushing the bottle out of shape or bursting it , making it useless for reuse.
This also works for larger bins or above ground windrows, but requites many more bottles to meet the the one bottle /60 qt volume ratio and is therefore less efficient.
For larger bins I either bury them below the heat line as if burying a casket or construct swamp cooler covers by using an old absorbent cotton batt filled quilt or thick spread and four 5 gallon buckets with lids.
I cut 4 inch holes in the lids of the buckets and stuff the corners of the cover through as wicks to reach the bottom of the buckets when the lid is put in place and the quilt or spread is covering the bin.
Once the buckets are filled, you can use wire stakes driven into the ground to hold the cover draping closer to the ground, increasing the effectiveness of the cooling chamber created by the quit water evaporation swamp cooler. Refill the buckets daily. Climate inside the swamp cooler will be 15 to 20 degrees cooler and requires low humidity conditions to be effective.
For all bins and beds if you can afford the water costs, constant water misting is of course the easiest , least labor intensive and most effective means. It is also the most costly means of temperature control.
WARNING : swamp coolers and constant water misting increase the potential of snakes in dry climates.
