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Okay I know the fridge is the best place to keep worms good for a longer period of time, but suppose my wife threatens my life if I put worms in the fridge, not saying she would do such a thing, but just suppose this were the case. What other ideas do you have for keeping your bait good for as long as possible... I don't have a garage so a second fridge out there won't work either... I'm getting tired of catching bait and having it rotten a couple days later when I try to go fishing... Anyway thanks for the thoughts... J
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A BFT member gave me earthworms as he left and I continued ice fishing two seasons ago and they are still alive!
I bought them some earthworm bedding and put them in two rectangular food containers that have two sections. I've put different food and moisture in each, but the earthworms are healthy in both. The plastic cover seals tight, but still allows the earthworms to crawl over the divider into their favorite section should they have a preference, but I always find them in both sections even though they can move between the two over the divider.
I used a propane torch to heat a piece of coat hanger wire red hot at the end to make lots of perforations in the lids for the earthworms to get plenty of air yet not escape. I put a cut down cup in one section with water and that earthworm bedding had more moisture. That way the worms can choose their favorite moisture by crawling over to the drier side should they prefer that. I feed them lettuce, spinach, celery, vegetable leaves and use a vegetable peeler to give them carrots, cucumbers, apples and other treats. They are very healthy earthworms and not one died.
It got hot last summer, but I had the earthworms on the indoor shop (no air-conditioning) floor under boxes of heavy food storage that was also thermal mass like the ground and concrete slab. They never experienced the full heat of the day. Similarly, they didn't get too cold in winter. They're healthy and fine.
I should do the same for red wigglers because they would propagate from what I read on the internet, but so far I have no baby earthworms. I don't know why. I give them everything that I know to do for them.
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Thanks Ron that's impressive to keep them alive for that long. That bedding must be good along with the care. Thanks J
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The boy worm needs to buy dinner for the girl worm first.
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I have one of the small counter top fridges, that will fit almost anywhere, that I keep all my baits in.
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I have a small fridge in my man cave also. Keeps the worms longer and the beer cold. When I was allot younger our landlord had an old broken fridge laid on its back that was always shaded. Filled with bedding and leaves and grass clippings. He gathered night crawlers and also shocked them, he never went without bait. An old ice chest or cooler would also work.
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Heh, that wasn't the earthworms I gave you at AF boat harbor back in like 2014 was it?
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I need one of those if I could find a cheap one. Thanks J
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Hey Rod, I have a good spot to bury a cooler, maybe I ought to sacrifice one of my old beater coolers and try it. What works best to keep the worms in. Somehow just plain old dirt doesn't last very long for me. Also do you have to keep it wet? Later J
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Yes but just moist. I put ice cubes in my worm box when I go fishing for moisture and keep them cool.
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i used to own a frabil worm habitat that kept them alive for quite a while, they sell the bedding too. worth checking out
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[quote BHuij]Heh, that wasn't the earthworms I gave you at AF boat harbor back in like 2014 was it?[/quote]
Yes! Thanks again for the earthworms! They're fine and healthy although it would be nice if they proliferated.
Seems they should have, so I wonder if they have been deliberately made sterile like some fish that are stocked. Any wormoligists here who says that word in Latin?
Now that I see how easy and trouble free it is, perhaps I should capture some earthworms from the wild and get them started in larger trays.
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Maybe you just need a worm farm. You can buy one, but I'll be a crafty sort like yourself would jerry-rig something.
[url "https://jet.com/product/detail/45f0d095cbe34f0dab3f1df47ee92710?jcmp=pla:ggl:gen_home_garden_a1:lawn_garden_gardening_a1_other:na:na:na:na:na:2&code=PLA15&ds_c=gen_home_garden_a1&ds_cid&ds_ag=lawn_garden_gardening_a1_other&product_id=45f0d095cbe34f0dab3f1df47ee92710&product_partition_id=161682192780&gclid=COOR1JqziswCFYkCaQod3HEA_g&gclsrc=aw.ds"]Worm-Farm[/url]
(and really a second fridge would be the way. $25-30 bux easy used. Doesn't need a lot of space, just an outlet)
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That's a good idea if you have the bedding material. Not so nice on my garden dirt. Which is probably why my worms rot so bad. Man were they ever stinky last night. Couldn't get that smell out of my nose or truck. So does anyone have a do it yerself recipe for bedding? That stuff from the store is way too expensive for me. Later J
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I bought one of them too and the bedding and it worked great at first, but I must not of had it in a cool enough spot and they died and ruined my $20 investment and the plastic on the container broke and I'm not a happy camper. Threw it away this spring. May not have been the Fabril brand but it's the common worm box in the stores. Pats minnow idea would work great for the day trip. He uses an insulted container for soup or hot beverages that he gets cheap at the DI. Anyway, thanks for the tip, I know in the right conditions they're great! I'm just harder on my stuff than most. Later J
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Hey Yote, I need to learn how that farm works, they would probably be good to have around. I think a small used fridge for my shed is probably the answer, I'll have to look for one, but after the tax guy yesterday, it will be awhile. Later J
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You could shred news paper and I like mixing in leaves.
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Will that work? I'll have to try it. Thanks. J
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I should tell my buddy that those guys are still kicking; he'll get a laugh out of it. I doubt any worms from Walmart have ever had a life so good.
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When I was little we buried a cooler in our back yard under a tree so it was in the shade all the time. We put some drain and air holes in it, but not so big the worms could get out. Then we would fill the cooler with about 1/4 full of dirt and the rest would be Pete moss with some grass or leaves on top to hold a little moisture in. The worms would last forever. When they got low we would water the lawn and wait till evening and mix up our homemade concoction and spray it on the yard and watch the worms wiggle out. When we would go get the worms out of the cooler they would always be in the layer of Pete moss.
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