Photo: Brigitte T-S

Preparing Your Worm Tower for Winter: Tips for Worm Overwintering

Winter is just around the corner, and it's time to prepare your worm tower for the cold. With a few simple steps, you can ensure that your worm bin survives the winter, even during extreme cold spells. In this article, we share helpful tips for winterizing your worm tower, so your worms can survive and the composting process can continue smoothly.

1. Ensure Your Worm Tower is Functioning Well

Make sure your worm tower is working properly and not too wet. If the contents of the tower are relatively on the dry side, this helps provide insulation. In particular, brown (carbon-rich materials), such as dry leaves, offer good insulation and are very beneficial for the worms. If you don't have enough leaves, you can also use worm bedding to fill the tower and help the worms safely get through the winter.

2. Choose the Right Location for Your Worm Tower

The location of your worm tower is crucial for successful overwintering. Choose a sheltered spot, such as against a wall or under an overhang, to protect the worms from the harshest cold and help maintain a more stable temperature.

An ideal location is in the garage, where the temperature usually doesn't drop too drastically. If you don't have space or prefer not to use a garage, you can also keep the worm tower outside, but make sure to take additional steps to protect it from the cold.

3. Wrap Your Worm Tower During Extreme Cold (see photo)

If a harsh winter is on the way, you can wrap your worm tower to provide extra protection for the worms. Use insulating materials like bubble wrap or burlap sacks to wrap the bin. Be sure to allow enough airflow to ensure the worms don’t suffocate from lack of oxygen.

Good airflow is essential for the health of your worms, even during the winter months.

4. Worm Survival During Freezing

In some cases, your worm tower may freeze completely. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean your worms are lost. Worms can adapt to cold temperatures by producing substances like sugars and proteins in their bodily fluids that act as antifreeze. This natural antifreeze prevents ice crystals from forming in their cells.

Even if your worm tower freezes, there is a good chance the worms will survive until spring. When temperatures warm up, the worms can recover, and you may even notice young worms emerging from their cocoons in the spring.

5. What to Do if Your Worm Tower Freezes

If your worm tower freezes due to extremely cold temperatures, it doesn't mean the end for your worms. Worms can survive in their cocoon, which protects them from the cold. Additionally, adult worms can remain dormant in frozen conditions and become active again once temperatures rise in the spring.

6. Why Winterizing Worms is Important

Worms play a vital role in composting. They break down organic material, producing valuable compost and worm castings that you can use in your garden. So, make sure to care for your worms during the winter months, so they can continue their work and your G.F.T. (fruit, vegetable, and garden waste) processing stays efficient, even in the colder months.

Conclusion: Worm Towers and Winter

With a little care and attention, your worm tower can survive the winter just fine. Ensure it’s in the right location, protect it during extreme cold spells (especially if freezing occurs during the day), and remember that worms have natural antifreeze mechanisms that help them survive cold temperatures. Even if the worm tower freezes, your worms are often stronger than you think!

By following these tips, you can rest assured that your worm tower will keep running through the winter, and your worms will be ready for the new season when spring arrives.

Browse our selection of worm towers and get prepared for winter!