October 2nd, 2017
(updated May 25th 2020)
The Worm Man BLOG
https://thewormman.com.au/the-worm-man-blog/
Hi Everyone,
A question that often comes up is what is the temperature range that worms should be kept in.
Another common question is then, what sort of thermometer should I buy if I am buying one?
People want them for worm farms and also for hot composting.
(I’ve included the figures for the most common worm species at the end of this post for your reference.)
So…..it really depends on where and what you are measuring…….
For instance:
You may like to measure the bedding temperature of a CFT or a bin.
You may ALSO like to measure the air temperature around your system, so that you can get a feel for what the bedding temperature does in relation to air temperatures.
You may also like to measure the temperature IN your house as well as outside.
And for very little money, you can buy a digital thermometer for any of those purposes.
WHAT To Measure For Worm Farms?
For worm farms, you need to measure the BEDDING temperature.
This will be different from the AIR temperature, which is what we humans tend to look at.
(the temperatures for different worm species are further down the page.)
Measuring the air temperature at the location of the worm farm – or the bedding temperature in a deeper system like a compost pile, CFT or WEDGE:
I like to measure the temperature of the bedding in my farms – but I also like to monitor the air temperature in the main location of my systems (my shed).
This is so that I can get a feel for how a system is changing temperature compared to the air temperature of the environment. The environment has a huge influence on the temperature of our farms – and also influences how much you can feed.
But remember, the BEDDING temperature is what matters to the worms.
To monitor temperatures, I generally use a similar unit to the following one.
This is exactly like the one that I use, but yours may look different.
It’s important to look at it’s features.
Note it has a sensor on a wire.
It runs on AAA batteries instead of button ones that run out too quick.
They can be found on Ebay for about Aus$10-15 delivered. (COVID messed up all the pricing.)
These are often called indoor/outdoor thermometers, as that is how the 2 temperatures it reads are labelled.
Indoors is the unit itself, which is also where it measures humidity. Outdoors is the wired probe.
The benefits of this one are that:
– it has a neat probe on a wire that is meant to read the “outdoor” temperature – I use that one to read bedding temperatures and it can be taped to a wire or metal rod to measure deep temperatures, like in a compost system, CFT or WEDGE.
– it also reads humidity (how wet the AIR is) – this allows some understanding of if the farm may be drying out, or whether misting water onto the surface of a hot farm will work to cool it
– it has a maximum/minimum temperature reading, so that you know what the temperature got up to or down to while you were away
– it uses “AAA” batteries – they last a LONG time (one of mine has been going for over 2 years!)
– it is VERY easy to read
– mine have been ULTRA reliable – I have about 10 of them, they all read to within a degree of each other and my expensive dial type deep compost thermometer.
– it is not weather proof, so if using it outdoors, you will have to bring it back under cover after use
Here are two – all care no responsibility, I have not bought from these sellers and the units are slightly different to mine in look.
They have gotten a little dearer since COVID came along. Do your own searches.
$7.99 (button battery)
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HYGROMETER-THERMOMETER-TEMPERATURE-HUMIDITY-METER-INDOOR-OUTDOOR-DIGITAL-HOME/142966798483?hash=item21497c3893:m:mdJcNPt4iO49hBrv7Ni7weA
$12.75 (AAA battery):
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Outdoor-Indoor-Digital-LCD-Humidity-Hygrometer-Thermometer-Meter-Probe-Cable-AU/162960653241?hash=item25f1363bb9:m:mZ_yCyavJbGGJ49L-8o5s_A
Measuring temperatures in a deep system like a hot compost pile or wedge – or deeper in a CFT:
To read temps deep in a compost pile, CFT or in the wedge, for instance, it’s easy to make a little piece of heavy wire, like from a coat hanger, or a metal rod, into a longer probe. That’s what I have done. It works very well.
You just tape the probe wire of the thermometer unit to the end of the wire. Then you can (carefully) plunge it into the depths of the bedding/pile to get deeper readings.
If you want to be rougher with it, you could also silicone the probe into the end of a piece of conduit – but I haven’t needed to do that.
WHAT TEMPERATURE Should You Look For?
Temperature requirements of the different worm species:
This information is a guide only.
Worms have been known to get frozen and re-thaw and live. But don’t do that on purpose !
Personally I have found that at around 88-89° F ( 31-32° C ) that both euros and africans will leave their bedding. Sometimes they mass on the edges or front of a breeding tray – sometimes they will drop to the floor – even in full daylight – to try to find a cooler spot. Reds and blues seem to stay in the bedding and just perish.
Reds (E. fetida / E. andrei)
Min. 38° F ( 3° C )
Max. 95° F ( 35° C )
Ideal 70-80° F ( 21-26° C )
Blues (P. excavatus / P. spenceralia)
Min. 45-50° F ( 7-10° C )
Max. 90° F ( 32° C )
Ideal 70-80° F ( 21-26° C )
Africans (Eudrilus euginae)
Min. 45° F ( 7° C )
Max. 95° F ( 35° C )
Ideal 75-82° F ( 23-27° C )
Euros (E. hortensis)
Min. 38° F ( 3° C )
Max. 90° F ( 32° C )
Ideal 60-70°F ( 15-21° C)
The temperature of your bedding (and the air temperature that contributes to it) are MUCH more important to monitor than pH, which seems to be the thing people fixate on, but is a LOT less necessary.
So – that’s the skinny on thermometers – and measuring the temperature of your worm farms.
Winter & Summer Tips:
In winter, armed with a thermometer, you may be able to carefully over feed one end of a farm to provide some heat for the cold weather.
Remember, large additions of food can heat the worm bin up, so be careful with that in summer.
In summer when it’s hot, check out my hot weather tips sheet:
www.thewormman.com.au/hot
Thanks very much for reading my blog – and HAPPY WORM FARMING !
Regards,
Brian Donaldson
TheWormMan.com.au
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