How to keep worms

[LucG]

I've been doing alot of fishing recently, and have spent alot on worms buying by the dozen...

 

I plan on buying a flat or two of worms, but am unsure on how to keep them. I prob wont have acces to a fridge and the only other place I can store them is in a cool damp shed.

 

What type of box, soil mixture etc should I use? What could they be fed?

 

If anybody has succesfully kept worms, please give me some insight on how you managed. I really dont want to buy 500 worms and have them die before I can use them.

 

Thanks

[ChrisK]

Dig a hole in a shady area in the back yard and put a box or container of some kind in the hole(at least 18" deep and provide drain vents in the bottom of the container. Personally I would use a rubbermaid container like the ones you use to store linens and stuff in with the snap top...Place a brick on the lid or bunjee cord so the skunk and coons don't pop it open and have a feast.

http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/in-ground-worm-bins/

http://www.cstx.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=3077

 

Good Luck !!

[Fisherman]

If you have an old beer fridge or understanding wife, then no problem, cool&damp, not wet, is the most important. If you can find the worm bedding that could be bought at CTC, (schredded newspaper), mixed with water and drained, it will keep and nourish worms for the whole summer. I used t pick about 20 dozen in the spring at the local golf course, never had any go bad.

[Roy]

Worms will not die if they are kept cool and damp. A fridge is ideal however if you can find a cool place which never gets sunlight you should be ok. You can keep them in the soil you bought them in but I prefer wet, mulched up newspapers. Transfer the worms a handful at a time checking for dead or mangled ones and discard those. Make sure the mulch is all moist and you'll be good to go. Keep a cover over the container to ensure the air doesn't dry it up. You can moisten the mulch when needed with water but I prefer throwing in a few ice cubes. You never need to feed worms BUT, sprinkling used coffee grounds will turn them into killer snakes....they get very fast, strong and lively.

 

Oh, plastic or non porous materials are bad as worm containers.....use wood if you can. The worms will last you through fall easily.

 

Good luck.

 

DANG! Fisherman beat me to it.

[Terry]

in Newmarket they just euthanize everything with worms

 

 

 

over the top...maybe I went too far..LOL

seemed funny at the time

 

but not for the animals

[wankerjohn123]

in Newmarket they just euthanize everything with worms

 

 

 

over the top...maybe I went too far..LOL

seemed funny at the time

 

but not for the animals

 

I have the same issue..

going up to a lodge for a week and have 500 on order.

A friend has a really huge styrofoam container, (SIZE: a bit bigger than a microwave)

we were thinking of using that.

probably make some holes in the top for air. We have no fridge.

Like I heard before.. use shredded newspapers, a bit of soil, some freezer packs wrapped up.

Should this be ok?

 

Thanks

[Roy]

I have the same issue..

going up to a lodge for a week and have 500 on order.

A friend has a really huge styrofoam container, (SIZE: a bit bigger than a microwave)

we were thinking of using that.

probably make some holes in the top for air. We have no fridge.

Like I heard before.. use shredded newspapers, a bit of soil, some freezer packs wrapped up.

Should this be ok?

 

Thanks

 

As long as they don't freeze.

[solopaddler]

I have the same issue..

going up to a lodge for a week and have 500 on order.

A friend has a really huge styrofoam container, (SIZE: a bit bigger than a microwave)

we were thinking of using that.

probably make some holes in the top for air. We have no fridge.

Like I heard before.. use shredded newspapers, a bit of soil, some freezer packs wrapped up.

Should this be ok?

 

Thanks

 

I usually always bring a flat of worms on my fly ins.

 

Repack the worms in moistened bedding (shredded newspsper kind) and keep them in your styrofoam container.

 

Obviously you'll have smaller worm boxes to fill and bring in the boat with you.

 

Store the worm container in a totally shaded spot outdoors with a sopping wettowel draped over.

Evaporation works wonders.

 

Check the bedding occasionally making sure it stays moist.

 

I've kept worms like this many times with no refrigeration on week long trips.

[wankerjohn123]

Hey

 

Thanks Roy and Solopaddler!!!

[BillsTheBassMan]

Great thread - I've learned a lot that will save me lots of money in the long-term! Thanks to all who contributed.

 

I have a 6-year-old nephew that has the fishing bug and who also really likes bugs. I'll get him to harvest as many worms as possible and I will give the buried wood box with coffee, earth, and shreded moist newspaper a shot.

 

How many worms can live in a standard size rubbermaid box? If there are too many will there be die off?

[dsn]

I bought a worm kit before from BP. It came with Frabril's worm bedding and a strofoam box with a lid and tiny holes on the top of the lid. Cost me a bundle $101.00

 

But all you need is strofoam box with a lid. That keeps the temp cool inside when it's hot outside. Kinda like a the box of worms you buy.

Buy the Frabril worm bedding at Canadian tire... the large worm bedding goes for $7.99. It already has worm food mixed in with the bedding so you won't need to worry about the worms not getting any food.

 

Just garb a hand full of worm bedding mix it with distilled water or water that has no chlorine in it. Mix it well making sure all the bedding is wet. Then squeeze out the excess water. All you need is enough water to dampen the bedding. Then break up the bedding into smaller peices to fluff up the bedding.

 

Then put your worms into the strofoam box along with all the bedding close the lid place it anywhere , where its cool.

 

The worms should be check every month to see how they are doing remove any dead ones if nesscessary. You'll need to replace the bedding everything 3 months I think. Instructions are on the bedding package.

 

I have noticed is that the worms do stay alive long and I have kept them this way through out an entire winter season in normal room temperture setting.

 

They do however shrink in length over time.

 

Hope this helps

 

dsn

[BillsTheBassMan]

I bought a worm kit before from BP. It came with Frabril's worm bedding and a strofoam box with a lid and tiny holes on the top of the lid. Cost me a bundle $101.00

 

But all you need is strofoam box with a lid. That keeps the temp cool inside when it's hot outside. Kinda like a the box of worms you buy.

Buy the Frabril worm bedding at Canadian tire... the large worm bedding goes for $7.99. It already has worm food mixed in with the bedding so you won't need to worry about the worms not getting any food.

 

Just garb a hand full of worm bedding mix it with distilled water or water that has no chlorine in it. Mix it well making sure all the bedding is wet. Then squeeze out the excess water. All you need is enough water to dampen the bedding. Then break up the bedding into smaller peices to fluff up the bedding.

 

Then put your worms into the strofoam box along with all the bedding close the lid place it anywhere , where its cool.

 

The worms should be check every month to see how they are doing remove any dead ones if nesscessary. You'll need to replace the bedding everything 3 months I think. Instructions are on the bedding package.

 

I have noticed is that the worms do stay alive long and I have kept them this way through out an entire winter season in normal room temperture setting.

 

They do however shrink in length over time.

 

Hope this helps

 

dsn

 

Do the worms reproduce in storage?

[dave524]

The best two products I know of for keeping worms are the old " Oberlin Bait Canteen " and a bedding called " Buss Bedding". The bait canteen was a pressed fibre that was best presoaked and would keep the worms cool through evaporation, the bedding was a finely ground newprint by the look of it.

[fish_fishburn]

The small red garden type of worms reproduce quickly in captivity but as far as the bigger dew worms go, I don't think they do.

[Garnet]

Bury a cooler, just CT $30 cooler some were that always has shade.

 

Why buy worms! It's raining today and tonight worm pickin will be easy.

Rule 1 Don't pick off sidewalks or roads. They have road rash and will die in cooler.

 

Rule 2 never take worms fishing and return to cooler just release in yard.

 

Feeding regular dirt and ground up newspaper, Go to yards sale and buy blender and don't over do newspaper and a few handfulls of yard grass.

[wankerjohn123]

Thanks for all the great info guys, helped me a lot.

 

 

Cheers,

John

[Motorhead]

I haven`t bought worms in years.... I just plug in my shockers and in 10 minutes no matter how hot outside or the time of day and I have at least 2 dozen.... lots of fun...

[BillsTheBassMan]

The best two products I know of for keeping worms are the old " Oberlin Bait Canteen " and a bedding called " Buss Bedding". The bait canteen was a pressed fibre that was best presoaked and would keep the worms cool through evaporation, the bedding was a finely ground newprint by the look of it.

 

You wouldn't believe it - your Oberlin comment triggered my memory. I went to the garage and found an Oberlin Bait Canteen that my grandfather used to use (back in the 60's and before). I believe they were made locally here in Kitchener (as kitchener used to be called berlin) I'll have to check the label but Im 99%. Regardless, it isn't very big and can't possibly sustain the amount of worms I'd want to maintain. I'll give it a shot just for homage-sake. Do I just do the newspaper thing with it and keep it in the garage?

 

Ryan

[dave524]

You wouldn't believe it - your Oberlin comment triggered my memory. I went to the garage and found an Oberlin Bait Canteen that my grandfather used to use (back in the 60's and before). I believe they were made locally here in Kitchener (as kitchener used to be called berlin) I'll have to check the label but Im 99%. Regardless, it isn't very big and can't possibly sustain the amount of worms I'd want to maintain. I'll give it a shot just for homage-sake. Do I just do the newspaper thing with it and keep it in the garage?

 

Ryan

 

I still have a large one, little over a foot square, good for a gross of worms. Best bet is to soak it well, laundry tub over night. I've also ussed well wetted spaghnum moss as a bedding , not peat moss, keep the box and bedding moist and the worms will be cool through evaporation cooling. I'd be inclined to keep them on a concrete basement floor rather than the garage, might be a little cooler.

[dsn]

Do the worms reproduce in storage?

 

I have never seen them reporduce in my styrofoam box that I kept them in. But I have used some of the worms and cut peices off them and used that and put the other half back into the styrofoam box. They did regenerate and the wound or cut end of the worm closed up and the worm was fine. Use the tail end not the head and it will survive !!

 

If you leave the head of the worm and just cut anywhere below the clitellum or use lower half the worm below the clitellum the worm can still recover and heal nicely. This is what I have noticed time and time again.

The Earth Worm

 

 

The worm only heals over. I 'm not sure if it grows back the enitre length again.

 

dsn