I doubt they are done for the year yet, UF! They will continue mating so long as the weather is above about 78F. They do even better in the 80-90F range. Here in southwest Florida, I saw outdoor egglaying begin to decline in November. There was sporadic egglaying through December and January. I kept records of my egg harvesting throughout the past year and the reproductive rate really ramped up again beginning in early February. You can easily keep a colony alive through the winter here and your idea about using a hole in the ground is a good one! Keep the colony fed over the winter and they will emerge in the spring to kickstart things for you (and continue to compost your food waste in the interim!)Originally Posted by urbanfarmer