Hi sbryce; This is just a suggestion I have never had to deal with temps as hi as you have.
Try putting the ice directly under the bin in a container to catch the condensation and insulate with newspaper. the worms may work to the level of comfort they need. The ice water in the bin may be too much of a shock for them. remember they can handle temps up to 85 deg F so all you need is to keep an area in the bin at that temp and they will croud to it. the other method you could use is the ice wraped in paper so direct contact to the worms skin is not possible.

This may be a stupid idea but If you were to start loosing your herd I would collect the worms and stick them in the fridge

Are you in good with the maintence man maybe there is a corner in the basment they could live until things cool off

Ice under the bin may not be practical. I have worms crawling out the bottom of the bin by the dozens. (The bin has a catch basin that I clean out about twice a week,)

I put a bottle of ice in the bin last night, and changed it this morning. The worms are now crowded around the bottle. Now, 5 hours later, the ice is already melted. I still need to get through August. Temps could break 110 F in August for a week or two. Things should be back to normal in September.

Can you have a fan blowing over the surface of the bin? That may not help the ambient temp much but if the surface is cooler than the bottom they can come closer to the top.

Can you take the bin outside under a tree? Heat and humidity can raise the heat index well above the temp read. Air moving across the bed can help plus the ice. Putting in the frig might not be a bad idea.

Hi sbryce; How many worms are you trying to keep cool and what are they in. If need be to keep them alive you can put them into a different type of bin until the temps are no longer a problem. a, plane plastic storage bin works great if you need to cool with ice. Put some water in a glad freezer bag and freeze then put in worm bin you can even use 2 or 3 just insulate so worms don't get a frost shock from direct contact. The main thing is to give them a plact to be comfortable and carry on normal activities. I had to use cold water bottles one sommer 07 I think to keep mine happy for a spell. Ice is more of a shock so yuo have to temper it some. I also wet down lots of new news paper bedding so it woule make a temporary evaporative cooler on top of the bedding with the top off the bin with a fan blowing over it. Keep them in the shade and do whatever will work for you. You may have to move the worms so precautions can be effective. Just get the temps a little below 85 deg F and all will be ok for the worms.

I have somewhere between 3 and 4 pounds of worms in a 14 gallon Rubbermaid tote.

When I put a bottle of frozen water in the bin, the worms swarm it. I think the key is going to be to keep a frozen bottle in the bin at all times.

What's the surface area of your bin? Could the worms be to crowded?

Buy a portable air conditioner from Home Depot. You and your worms will be happier.

Other than that, you'll just have to keep putting frozen water bottles in the bin. Keep one or two in the freezer at all times, and have one in the bin keeping it cool. I would alternate sides of the bin when you place the bottles, so that you aren't freezing out the worms themselves.

I second the idea of putting them in the fridge. At bait shops they keep them in a fridge and they seem fine. Unless you want to change ice all summer.

I freeze all my worm food, and that helps. I also throw in some ice cubes once a while in-between feedings. Other than that, if you have the option to move your bins to a cooler place in the apartment, that might help.

Thin out the worms, friction of worms and microbes are creating heat because it is too condensed. Microbes create heat as the eat along with worms eating the microbes as organic matter breaks down. Thin the bin then give extra's worms away or sell them., maybe even start a new bin.

I started with 3 ten gallon bins now I maintain a 7x3x2 standing flow through bin in my shop with auto casting extraction. Worms survive wide temps but the anaerobic state of material is what makes the smell.

Why is it 95 degrees in your apartment? I would want to leave too if it was 95. Are you able to lower the temp inside?

So everyone knows, the problem was largely solved when the maintenance guy fixed my cooler. Temps in my apartment now usually stay between 74 and 80 F. I also keep a light on over the bin. I have found that I can use a desk lamp with a 15 watt bulb to keep the worms in the bin. I'm not icing the bin anymore. The worms still try to escape if I turn the light off and the temp goes above 80 F, but that seldom happens and is easy to resolve.

Boy, I bet you and your worms are loving the cooler temps! My bins are covered but I still have to go and clean out the lower bin once a week because several curious types drop down through the holes to check things out. I think it is just the nature of the game.

I clean out the lower bin once or twice a week. I get dozens of worms down there. Next time I harvest, which may be soon, I may separate them into two bins. I already have a second bin with few worms in it, who were stragglers from the last time I harvested.

My father used to keep worms in old refrigerators all summer, kept the temp right around 60 F and the worms just loved it. He swore that temp was ideal as the worms would gorge preparing to overwinter, seemed to work for him although at the time I was more into girls than worms lol