I have successfully raised worms and taught vermicomposting for years and I do not find it hard and I live in Florida. There are several different ways. I do bins and one thing to remember is they DONT want it hot like a compost pile or you will cook them. Just using kitchen scraps and torn newspaper to feed mine. An inch of of DAMP wet layers of newspapers tucked in on top keeps them cool and keeps other bugs out! I started with a fancy bin then was taught how to make my own cheap one from a rubbermade bin,Guess what the cheap versions work great.(google how) So now I love to tell others and have even gone into schools and started the classrooms on the way to wormdom! Oh the other thing is to use red wigglers if you are keeping them in a bin. Red wigglers are ok in bins and eat,poop,and reproduce alot. Don't try this with regular earthworms you find on the sidewalk. For more info you can also check with your extension service . Happy Vermicomposting! tanya

Welcome Aussie from Oz! I have only limited experience, but that experience is in Alaska, so I am 'sensitive' to temperature issues with worms. As sbryce pointed out, the PRIMARY issue is really just TIME. Even at an ideal temp of 70F/21C, I would expect it to take monthS - PLURAL - for "things" to get "cooking" worm-wise in your bins. (My bins are at 72F and it was AT LEAST 3 months before they started showing signs of "increase".) I have found that reported "doubling" times AND how much compost worms - like Eisenia fetida - eat per unit time are GREATLY exaggerated by those who would part one from one's money. "Keep on truckin' " as we used to say in the '60s when we were encouraging people to stick with something. I have only one 'thing' to add: others with far more experience than I recommend "LEAVE THEM ALONE". I would add my limited-experience voice to theirs in that recommendation. Paul

So glad folks appreciate insects, spiders, bugs instead of spraying them with insecticides. Around the yard of my new house there are hardly any insects except ants and an ocassional mosquito or fly. The cute little green lizards have disappeared that were here back in late winter. I am afraid that neighbors may be over using insecticides. I have complained to some of the neighbors that my squash plants are not being polinated due to lack of insects. Some of these neighbors go completely berzerk at the sight of one bug. There are some annuals and perennials, roses and veggies blooming in my yard and there are other plants that will be blooming soon. Its nice not to have any insect problems in my vegetable garden but something is very wrong without having hardly any insects around.

You might want to consider a worm farm system. These systems can allow you to manage you compost and worm production in a more systematic way. I suggest avoid the smaller systems you find at large chain stores. These smaller kits don't seem very well equipped to deal with the large amount of green compost waste generated by typical households. I suggest for the average household, you consider a domestic worm farm system in the order of 240 litres capacity or more, that works on the never fill principle. As well as producing what they call worm castings or 'worm poo', which is basically like refined garden soil, worm farm systems also have the ability to produce liquid worm concentrate, that can be diluted with water and used as plant fertilizer. Worm farm systems are a very environmentally responsible way to manage green waste. There are certain food waste that should not be place in worm farm systems, ( such as citrus fruits and peels and other acidic food waste etc.. ) however worm farm systems can handle most other plant based food waste, like vegetable scraps, banana peels etc... These worm farm kits usually come with worm farm care instructions to guide you through the process of establishing your worm farm. Regards, WormsRUs www.wormsrus.com.au Here is a link that might be useful: WormsRUs - Worms & Worm Farm Systems