At 120F in the bins, worms have reached death temps plus about 20 degrees. Without a way to maintain moderate temps, worms will not survive.

The worst mistake ever suggested to newbie wormers is: "plug aeration holes w/ screening materials to prevent escape". This suggests that wormies will be satisfied with conditions if no escape is possible. Such is not the case. Those aeration holes give us...the worm herders...a "window" into how the conditions in the resort are treating the worms. WORMS WILL NOT TRY TO LEAVE A WELL-FUNCTIONING BIN. They don't go looking for greener pastures unless things are really bad in there.

I had similar experience once after leaving a plastic tote bin in an enclosed car in the summer heat all day. Dead worms all over the insides of my car. (Here in Texas lately parents have been doing the same thing to their infant children).

Anyway, if you can't control the above 90f temps, be content with some smaller indoor bins. (It ain't bad)

chuckiebtoo

Your new bin seems like it could be simplified, but you have good points. Larger bins tend to have more escape areas for when a feeding zone heats up, while deeper and buried bins allow the worms to dig down where it's cooler.

If you need to do an emergency cooldown, and your bin has good drainage, you could spray the bin with water. The water separates ready nutrient and thermogenic organisms and results in the temperature before spraying being the peak temperature. I've never gotten the temperature back up after spraying without re-feeding. With the extra moisture and fast cooldown, the worms can get in there and act like control rods in a nuclear reactor, absorbing enough stray energy so that the temperature doesn't run away again.

If you live in a hot environment, certainly keep your bin in a permanently shaded spot. Put something as a thermal shield on the bin, and then have an air gap before the actual bin so that whatever heat is on the surface can blow away in the breeze.

Don't have a barren mulch zone for when the food gets hot. Worms want the food and dead mulch wouldn't be much help by it's self. Instead, mulch the top of the compost in the bin. Only feed one area at a time but mulch the whole thing. When you have new food, rake the entire top of the bin over to one end and feed the other, then mulch the whole thing again. This leaves partially eaten food mixed with mulch on one end, new food that may not be ready or is too hot on the other end, and mulch covering that helps keep flies down, moisture up, heat down, and gives the worms a good place to drop their loads. Worms like to poo at the surface, and I prefer when they do it in the mulch topping.

If you want specifically a 110 gallon container for worms, this is what I use. It is extremely strong, whereas I don't think that poolside chest has as much strength.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tuff Stuff 110 gallon tub

I also have bins that are in a hot environment, often going over 100 F. The worms have done well in larger containers that I keep quite moist. I do not use any cover on the containers: the evaporative cooling of the bins would be defeated. Without a cover on, I find that the worms are happy to stay in the material. When I did try covers, the worms often would be climbing up the sides. I find that the center of the material in these large containers does not get too hot for the worms during the day. I suspect that at night the worms explore the outter portions of the containers that have cooled down. The high temperatures really speed the decomposition of the materials I use in the bins, including lots of weeds, as well as our kitchen scraps. I have several of the exact same Tuff Stuff 110 gallon containers linked above, and they worked very well for the worms. I now use smaller containers, about 27 gallons, because they are easier for me to manage. Instead of stirring in my new food, I periodically just put the food at the bottom of an empty container, and dump the contents of the old bin on top. This exposes the bottom material which tends to be quite wet, and avoids having a long-term anaerobic situation.
Renais

Welcome to the forum. You have been given great advice.

I like your bin design. It is a little deep, but the earth will buffer the bin temps.

There is a worm business located in Reno that has an easy design similar to yours. Good free bin design @ sierrawormsolutions. Check it out.

I would leave the bottom open except hardware cloth for critter protection. Worms usually will only leave an intolerable bin. Let them escape downward, and they will return when things are better. Also allows drainage.

Make sure you paint the bin orange and black for good luck. GO GIANTS!

Good luck and happy wormin'

Pete

The last time I saw a Giant, it was being eaten by a Lion.