Storing Night Crawlers ???

[SkunkedAgain]

So at my age I ought to know how to take care of worms, but unfortunately I don't... I have a bait fridge that smells of rotten worms so bad I can't stand to open the door.  I have tried filling a cooler with soil and half burying it in the shade, it dried out on me, then I tried to slightly dampen it, so of course it got too wet and the worms rotted.  I have had limited success with the worm boxes and media you can get at sporting goods stores... Basically I'm a failure at keeping worms good and I never seem to remember the night before to go catch a new batch... Does anyone know a simple fool proof way to keep some worms around that will last?  I don't have a problem catching some, it's just keeping them alive until I get a chance to go use them... Most of my trips are local and I don't go past any service stations to pick up a carton of worms on the way, so looking for a homemade keep me some bait ideas...  I appreciate your help... Jeff

[Piscophilic]

So at my age I ought to know how to take care of worms, but unfortunately I don't... I have a bait fridge that smells of rotten worms so bad I can't stand to open the door.  I have tried filling a cooler with soil and half burying it in the shade, it dried out on me, then I tried to slightly dampen it, so of course it got too wet and the worms rotted.  I have had limited success with the worm boxes and media you can get at sporting goods stores... Basically I'm a failure at keeping worms good and I never seem to remember the night before to go catch a new batch... Does anyone know a simple fool proof way to keep some worms around that will last?  I don't have a problem catching some, it's just keeping them alive until I get a chance to go use them... Most of my trips are local and I don't go past any service stations to pick up a carton of worms on the way, so looking for a homemade keep me some bait ideas...  I appreciate your help... Jeff

I keep mine in the original cartons, but I do keep them in a compact refrigerator. They usually last 2 to 3 months. If they start to dry out, I fold up a small piece of paper towel, to about the same size as the carton, and wet it and place it on top. I don't leave it sopping wet, just good and damp.

[EyLayo]

I keep mine in a disposable styrofoam cooler in my basement cold storage room. Filled halfway with dirt and small twigs from the garden. I mix in a couple handfuls of paper shreddings. Then topped off with wet leaf litter. This keeps the moisture up and gives them plenty to eat. When I need more worms for the next trip, I just take another handful of leaves down with me. I never put worms back in the cooler. Once I've taken them out fishing, they stay in the small portable container. Placed in fridge and topped off until next trip. They last several months and even start reproducing. I often find several smaller ones in the cooler that I know I didn't put in in the spring. Let me know if you want a cooler. I have enough to share

[Jmorfish]

I can't remember the last time I bought nitecrawlers..I catch my own..for 2 or 3 nites after a decent rain they're easy pickins out in the garden..my Dad taught us kids how to do this when we were young'uns, lots of years ago, and it's kinda fun going out there in the dark, with a flashlite, trying your stealth approach before they zoom back down their hole...sometimes if it's really wet, they are, or are almost all the way out, and then it's too easy...I just use a 1 lb plastic empty butter, or sour cream container..I put a half dozen nail size holes in the cover, mix some garden soil (damp, not wet) with some compost to 'lighten' the mix, catch about a dozen juicy nite crawlers, put a little fresh grass or clover on top, put the lid on, and into a lower container in the fridge...can stay at least a couple months, as long as you don't freeze them or have them too wet...guluk..

[SkunkedAgain]

Thank you guys so much for all the great ideas... Right now I'm wondering if I can use a combo of all of the ideas... See if I can get my bait fridge so I can use it again, find a styrofoam cooler and fill it with a mix of good light soil and compost...cover with moist paper shreadings or leaves and remember not to return unused worms... I'm guilty of doing that and too often dead rotting worms is probably what starts the decay of my collection... I think I also need a bigger container or less worm density... I'll go catch 6-7 dozen and try to keep them in a gallon can so they are probably over crowded... Thank you guys very much for the ideas and help... I'll see if I can keep them for more than a week this next time... Later Jeff

[Coho975]

Thank you guys so much for all the great ideas...  Right now I'm wondering if I can use a combo of all of the ideas... See if I can get my bait fridge so I can use it again, find a styrofoam cooler and fill it with a mix of good light soil and compost...cover with moist paper shreadings or leaves and remember not to return unused worms... I'm guilty of doing that and too often dead rotting worms is probably what starts the decay of my collection...  I think I also need a bigger container or less worm density... I'll go catch 6-7 dozen and try to keep them in a gallon can so they are probably over crowded... Thank you guys very much for the ideas and help...  I'll see if I can keep them for more than a week this next time... Later Jeff

Whatever you decide to use for media, remember they need to eat too.  Pour a small row of cornmeal on top of your beeding, don't mix it in.  When they've eaten all that put some more in.

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks for that tip, I'll try the corn meal, I've always assumed the mulch would take care of the feeding... Thanks J

[packfish]

I keep 3 to 400 worms in rubber maid containers with the store bought worm bedding. I have one 32 quart container inside another with 2 frozen quart juice bottles at the bottom, separating the two , the top one has very small holes drilled in it and the lid does also. since it is in the garage and a freezer is near . every morning I switch out the ice bottles. keeps them all summer and fall. when it gets towards winter any I have go to the garden.

[SkunkedAgain]

I keep 3 to 400 worms in rubber maid containers with the store bought worm bedding. I have one 32 quart container inside another with 2 frozen quart juice bottles at the bottom, separating the two , the top one has very small holes drilled in it and the lid does also. since it is in the garage and a freezer is near . every morning I switch out the ice bottles. keeps them all summer and fall. when it gets towards winter any I have go to the garden.

Wow, that sounds like a busy process... Pretty sure I'd never be able to keep up with that one, but good to know that it does work... I like the big container idea...   So I've been seeing boats on Hyrum every day lately, have any of them been you?  If so you catching anything?  Aren't you headed to Cascade this week too? Best of luck on that trip... Later Jeff

[MrShane]

I keep mine in a disposable styrofoam cooler in my basement cold storage room. Filled halfway with dirt and small twigs from the garden. I mix in a couple handfuls of paper shreddings. Then topped off with wet leaf litter. This keeps the moisture up and gives them plenty to eat. When I need more worms for the next trip, I just take another handful of leaves down with me. I never put worms back in the cooler. Once I've taken them out fishing, they stay in the small portable container. Placed in fridge and topped off until next trip. They last several months and even start reproducing. I often find several smaller ones in the cooler that I know I didn't put in in the spring. Let me know if you want a cooler. I have enough to share

The reason your worms are reproducing is from being downstairs alone in a dark basement!

[BearLakeFishGuy]

My go-to since I have been a small kid is a styrofoam cooler (with a couple of small holes drilled in the top) with tree leaves and nothing else. I wet the leaves down before putting them in the container. Just damp....not dripping! I do "pack" the leaves down before adding the worms. Not hard, but just to eliminate most of the air spaces from the leave layers. I keep it in my garage (about 6 months of the year) or basement cold storage (in winter and during July/Aug). It is surprising how much heat the worms can take in those leaves. I mist the top layer of leaves occasionally with a spray bottle, but maybe 3-4 times/YEAR. I tried the cornmeal, and it just got moldy and smelled bad. The worms eat the leaves and I'll switch out the leaves in the fall if I have any worms left. Simple, easy, low maintenance.

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Scott, do you use dropped leaves from the fall? or do you use green ones? This sounds almost to good to be true, I can do this and so I'm going to try it... I'll bet the worms are clean and you don't get all dirty from the soil... I really like the idea... Once upon a time I used to use spagnam moss and it kept the worms really nice if you could keep the temperature right... This sounds like that only easier for me to come up with materials... Thank you for passing this on, it's much appreciated... Jeff

[EyLayo]

I keep mine in a disposable styrofoam cooler in my basement cold storage room. Filled halfway with dirt and small twigs from the garden. I mix in a couple handfuls of paper shreddings. Then topped off with wet leaf litter. This keeps the moisture up and gives them plenty to eat. When I need more worms for the next trip, I just take another handful of leaves down with me. I never put worms back in the cooler. Once I've taken them out fishing, they stay in the small portable container. Placed in fridge and topped off until next trip. They last several months and even start reproducing. I often find several smaller ones in the cooler that I know I didn't put in in the spring. Let me know if you want a cooler. I have enough to share

The reason your worms are reproducing is from being downstairs alone in a dark basement!

Ha, indeed!

[catdaddygar]

Cut the bottoms off 3 or 4 cardboard egg cartons. Cut them into small pieces and soak them in bottled water not tap water because of the Clorine. Then squeeze the water out of the cardboard. Put it in your worm container, add some leaves, old ones from last fall if you can get them. Never use water that has Clorine on the worms if possible. Add some corn meal and keep them in the fridge if possible and your on your way.

[SkunkedAgain]

Cut the bottoms off 3 or 4 cardboard egg cartons. Cut them into small pieces and soak them in bottled water not tap water because of the Clorine.  Then squeeze the water out of the cardboard. Put it in your worm container, add some leaves, old ones from last fall if you can get them. Never use water that has Clorine on the worms if possible. Add some corn meal and keep them in the fridge if possible and your on your way.

Okay I need more clarification on this one please.  Why the bottom only?  Do you have a picture of this?  Is the cardboard in egg cartons different than regular card board?  I assume this might have something to do with the waxes they put on some cardboard.  (I get the chlorine part from the water, so I assume rain water would be good to use.)  So I've been making compost for our  market garden, so I have a big pile of compost from leaves, grass clippings and vegetable waste, will this work in place of the leaves?  If not I think I seen a big gob of leaves that didn't break down in part of the pile, I can get those... Maybe it was good I missed turning that spot.  I'm looking forward to this new experiment, sounds like we'll be getting close to an inch of rain over the next few days, so might be a good time to catch some crawlers... Thanks for the ideas... Jeff

[catdaddygar]

I only use the bottom of the egg carton because it doesn't have any dye in it. I wouldn't use any vegetable waste or regular card board , or grass clippings they won t hold the moisture as good . About the leaves in your compost pile if you add any fertilizer to help decompose the compost I would shy away from that. If you have a gob of leaves and you don't use fertilizer you could probably use that. I also use a small playmate cooler to store my worms in my fridge, go to Desert Industries and buy one there . As for the rain water I would just as soon use the bottled water to be on the safe side. You can also use some top soil out of the garden . Don't forget the corn meal to feed them with. Hope this helps it just the way I do it a,poor man s mix.

[SkunkedAgain]

Thank you and it sounds good... Lots of rain over night, maybe a good crawler morning when it gets light... Thanks again... Jeff

[BearLakeFishGuy]

Hey Scott, do you use dropped leaves from the fall? or do you use green ones?  This sounds almost to good to be true, I can do this and so I'm going to try it... I'll bet the worms are clean and you don't  get all dirty from the soil... I really like the idea... Once upon a time I used to use spagnam moss and it kept the worms really nice if you could keep the temperature right... This sounds like that only easier for me to come up with materials... Thank you for passing this on, it's much appreciated... Jeff

I use leaves from the fall or the ones you rake up in the spring after they layed in the yard all winter.  Something about the leaves is easier to keep the temp cooler.  I tried the commercial worm bedding (moss) but it dried out pretty quickly and required more maintenance.   I learned this method from my old neighbor, Guido Poli, back in MI.  He always had 10-12 dozen worms in a big cooler and just kept it in the shade under his camper or in the crawl space under his house.  The old boy knew something for sure.  Yes, they DO NOT get your hands all black either.  I hate the black dirt worms come in from the store.

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Scott, do you use dropped leaves from the fall? or do you use green ones?  This sounds almost to good to be true, I can do this and so I'm going to try it... I'll bet the worms are clean and you don't  get all dirty from the soil... I really like the idea... Once upon a time I used to use spagnam moss and it kept the worms really nice if you could keep the temperature right... This sounds like that only easier for me to come up with materials... Thank you for passing this on, it's much appreciated... Jeff

I use leaves from the fall or the ones you rake up in the spring after they layed in the yard all winter.  Something about the leaves is easier to keep the temp cooler.  I tried the commercial worm bedding (moss) but it dried out pretty quickly and required more maintenance.   I learned this method from my old neighbor, Guido Poli, back in MI.  He always had 10-12 dozen worms in a big cooler and just kept it in the shade under his camper or in the crawl space under his house.  The old boy knew something for sure.  Yes, they DO NOT get your hands all black either.  I hate the black dirt worms come in from the store.

Hey Scott, I tried it out today, worked great so far...  I picked up 4 to 5 dozen today and put them with a bunch of soaked leaves (rain water) in a styrofoam cooler and then took them fishing with my nephew... We had a blast on Cutler today, probably got 15 to 20 cats and two were 25 plus... It was soo much fun having good bait and hungry fish... Only problem was I wasn't dressed for the rain, we went out after the first storm cleared and it looked like sunshine, so I didn't take my rain gear so the fishing was pretty good till we got so wet and cold we had to call it a trip... Thanks for the tips on the worms, don't have very many left to try the long term lasting of the container, but maybe I'll go get some more tomorrow so I've got some ready for the next trip... Thank you... Later Jeff

[Totallyswede]

I too struggle with night crawler / worm storage.  After reading this thread I thought I'd give it a go, but first needed to run the concept by the Boss (wife Julie).  She had a coworker at the U who produced a video on the matter and suggested I consider using the technique outlined in the video.  Check out the video link below!  Fish Beware!

https://youtu.be/2tyQPLh-tTM?si=W-42-Pb23f-mGAg_