I'm still sorting out what type of worm bin will work best for me and how best to manage a bin in general (how much food, where to put it so that it stays as cool as possible, as we get some pretty hot summers here and it would have to be outside, also I've realized that I accumulate a LOT of scraps daily. I dont have room to freeze it all and I could compost it outside, but I figured, if I'm going to compost it, I might as well make an inground WORM den, entice the locals to come for a snack, maybe take up residence?

So my thinking was to dig something like a trough, a long somewhat narrow trench, filled in with all the right stuff (bedding, compost, scraps etc) and that I could literally move the "herd" (assuming there is one) from one end to the other as I had more food scraps etc. and harvest what they leave behind as I go?

Question: what depth would be best

This trench would be smack down the middle of my garden so I'm wondering what would work well to cover it all over with? to keep critters out?

I was thinking I could lay a long strip of chicken wire over the top at ground level, and then maybe cover that with chunks of hay or straw? that way it could be easily moved aside to add ingredients to it but would create a barrier for unwanted visitors? I even considered framing some chicken wire onto some long 2x2's so that I could lift if up all at once...

well any comments, thoughts, suggestions would be welcomed.