I started my red wiggler bins years ago in the common rubbermaid type rectangular tubs and have various number going at all times. The number may fall to a couple after harvesting the compost; it gradually rises over weeks and months as I add more and more kitchen scraps. Anything but meat goes in there; coffee grounds and paper coffee filters, paper towels, crushed egg shells, chunks of old cabbage, avocado pits. Most of it is unrecognizable quickly.
During our winters I bring them into our unused garage to keep them from freezing solid. In summer they're in partial shade and within range of the garden sprinklers. Our climate is way too dry for the worms to survive without some supplemental moisture.
I drilled multiple 1/8" holes in the tubs for drainage, tore up newspapers into 2" wide strips to line the tub bottoms and cover the food waste, added a handful of wigglers, and that's it. Rather simple setup; I always have tens of thousands of red wigglers and gallons of rich black compost.
No smell, no pests. One year black soldier flies moved in but did not persist long. Amazingly even visiting black bears and raccoons leave the tubs alone.
Harvest is easy enough. The worms congregate in the top several inches close to the freshest scraps additions. Just scoop them up for fishing or fish feeding. The bulk of the composted material is below the area of most activity and can be separated well enough.
Give vermiculture a try.
