Fishing Forum

We buy several boxes of bait worms {Evergreen large Canadian Nightcrawlers} and I can't keep the ones that are left over after fishing alive. I put them in a big styrofoam ice chest when we get home with shredded newspaper that I keep damp layered on top then close it shut with the lid. I put cheap potting soil from the store in it and feed them cornmeal every other day and dampen the newspaper at that time. They are just disappearing. I keep them outdoors and it's very hot and humid here in south Louisiana, could this be the problem? Any suggestions would be helpful. It's getting expensive to buy worms each time we go fishing. They are living when I put them in the ice chest but disappear a few days later. What am I doing wrong? We go catfishing in fresh water bayous. Thanks for your time and have a nice day.
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I would suggest keeping them indoors and allow a little bit more oxygen. You don't want to over moisten the newspaper shredding either. They need only a very light moisture.

Make sure that your cornmeal doesn't have artificial additives either.[cool]
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I live in Washington state so we have different weather challenges here. If you are talking about the styrofoam box of like one or two dozen worms I keep mine in the refrigerator. I have had them still alive and wiggly after three or four weeks. I do have a fridge in the garage so the wife 'O my life does not have to deal with them, but if I had to keep them in the kitchen fridge I would just leave them in the bag they came in from the store.

Just my $0.02
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I bought me a worm container and bought some worm food, and i keep them in that, it comes already ready, you dont need to add anything, some of the different ones call for adding water but this one i use doesnt, i keep the whole container in my fridge and they stay alive forever.
tip: if you ever use half worms dont put the other half back in with the other worms because it is not healthy for them, at least i read that somewhere, i use to and i've noticed they are healthier now that i dont anymore.
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Where did you find these worms homes? Sounds like just the thing I need. I have a old fridge in the garage but need to get electricity out to it.
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If by home you mean the container i keep them in, you can pick em up at any sports store or fishin store i would think, they have a lot of different variations. I dont have any pics of mine or i would show ya one.
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I agree, where it is hot, it is best to keep them inside a fridge, the lettus crisper is a good place... I would be cool and skip puttin them in there around turkey day... LOL

Woldnt want to get the wrong gibblets in my stuffin... [sly]

but if you like gumbo, then I guess its all good....LOL [laugh]

but ya, a spare fridge in the gerage or shed is ideal, keep the worm cool, keep the beer cool, just dont but them to close to the tequilla..[angelic]

with a set up like that, just keep them in the same container they come in and your good to go, just so long as you dont get them hot on the water...

Worms will escape styrofome containers if it gets uncomfortable in there... they do it by nignt... to stop them from escaping you need to take a little bit of salt water mix, dampen a rag or sponge and lightly go around the edge of the lip of the container before closing. that will keep them in, but not nessisarily alive....
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Check your worms occasionally and remove any dead worms. If there are dead worms in with the living worms it will kill them all. Red worms are easier than night crawlers to keep and they also eat garbage and turn it into nutrients. You can also feed your worms different things to change their color. Keep the crawlers in a cool damp place. I think it is too hot down there to keep them in a foam container.
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excilent point, one bad worm can kill the whole container of worms almost over night... When one worm starts to rot they all will.. cant tell ya how many times I have made that mistake... I know better, but still keeping the checking worms in mind is easy to over look...

I have found adding decaying not molding wood chips to worm containers will soak up any extra water from condensation and worm sweat... I call it sweat, it is actualy potty fluids....
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