03-08-2019, 12:49 AM
Years ago I used to have a worm box that I kept in a potato pit so it was in a cool place during the summer. It was a wooden box with screen mesh on 2 of the bigger, opposite sides, with one of those sides being a tight fitting lid. For the worm bedding I used sphagnum moss that I occasionally picked up in the Uintas. I tried feeding the worms cornmeal, but all that ever did was grow white, sticky mold. So I just used the moss plain. I kept the box in the pit with the lid down, because worms always migrate to the bottom of whatever container they are in. When I opened the lid the worms were right there on top, and easy to grab. And the only maintenance was to pull the box out once in a while and run a little cold water on it. The excess water drained right out the other side of the box. It was extremely handy.
Now to the real point of my post. To keep the worm box stocked with 6-12 dozen all the time, I would take advantage of good rain storms and go gather worms right afterward. It was very convenient and easy to get them that way. But the most incredible thing was how fresh and healthy they stayed, compared to when I would hunt them in my yard, pinching them half to death when coaxing them out of the ground. No joke, when I would grab the rain-caught worms to put them in a smaller container for a fishing trip, I could barely keep them in my hands because they were so feisty and wriggly. They practically fought back. (Sometimes putting them on the hook was a challenge too)
It was also very nice to be able to grab and go on a moment's notice. And it was much better than roaming around the yard late at night, pinching worms, when I would rather be in bed sleeping before getting up early for a fishing excursion. I highly recommend you take advantage of the easy pickins when it rains.
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Now to the real point of my post. To keep the worm box stocked with 6-12 dozen all the time, I would take advantage of good rain storms and go gather worms right afterward. It was very convenient and easy to get them that way. But the most incredible thing was how fresh and healthy they stayed, compared to when I would hunt them in my yard, pinching them half to death when coaxing them out of the ground. No joke, when I would grab the rain-caught worms to put them in a smaller container for a fishing trip, I could barely keep them in my hands because they were so feisty and wriggly. They practically fought back. (Sometimes putting them on the hook was a challenge too)
It was also very nice to be able to grab and go on a moment's notice. And it was much better than roaming around the yard late at night, pinching worms, when I would rather be in bed sleeping before getting up early for a fishing excursion. I highly recommend you take advantage of the easy pickins when it rains.
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