Raising worms

[LedHed]

Anybody raising worms?

I'm trying something new - got a pound of mixed worms from florida.

Pound BED RUN WORM MIX = $31.00
Bed run means, whatever size the pitch fork pulls up -
Adults, Juniors & Babies.
The worm counts will vary between 600-1000 worms per pound.
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RED WIGGLERS (Eisenia Foetidas)
AFRICAN NIGHTCRAWLERS
RED WORMS

Think there is some jumpers in the mix as well. Have them in 2 totes and 20 gallon barrel. Using these for bait so only feeding them Purina worm food and some scraps ((coffee grounds and crushed egg shells).
My buddy Keith does the African crawlers for Havasu. He raises some monsters. Too big for me - that's why I'm trying this experiment.

 

[Jig Man]

Not at the present, but I usually have one going around the house some where... I don't remember ever buying worms!

 

[Kdog]

I've raised European nightcrawlers for quite a while. My Worm bed is 5 tier, wooden with a cover the bottom tier/base has a screen bottom, all others have egg crate lighting panels as bottoms. Worms move freely between the layers depending on food, moisture, and who knows what else. 3 days after completely refreshing all beds, worms will be in all 5 layers even though I only feed on the top layer

I use spanghum moss, coconut coir, and dead leaves usually 1/3 of each. But occasionally use 50/50 spanghum/coir. Ph is checked when I set the beds then about 1x week and I try to maintain it at 6.5 and when needed limestone calcium carbonate or egg shells for help stabilize. Purina worm food or chicken laying mash along with scrap veggies and some cornmeal is about all I feed and usually feed every 2-3 days.

I feed weekly, and once a month dump the containers for sorting larger worms >6" go into bait bucket or garden. They breed year round and you gotta keep sorting as they have a limited life and from experience know that 7-8" is about the max they will get.

They are a great warm weather bait and do well in my basement without refridgeration or special heating or cooling.

Although I catch a lot of nightcrawlers in early spring and prefer them, by the end of May they are usually used up and I no longer have a refridgerator for bait so cannot keep them alive after temps start hitting 70's.

The euros can stay in a bait bucket 80 - 85 degrees all day with no obvious sign of deterioration unlike my beloved nightcrawlers which without being kept in an ice chest wilt and die.

 

[moswampy]

I have had a five tier vermiculture tower for years with the original one pound of wigglers in it. Rarely do I use them for bait. I rotate towers keeping the castings and use them as fertilizer in the garden. I use all shredded paper for bedding and feed vegetable scrap that I rub through the food processor


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[JSC]

Just a couple of things ... LH those African NC .. (really from Central America) are great .. they are so strong they can tear themselves off of the hook .. some think they are tender .. but being strong is what does it ... While in the retail Biz would get some in and had to buy in large qtys .. If I had to hold them long I would use shredded news paper and cardboard to feed them in the cup .. (the paper/card board were soaked in water for some time before placing in the cup) .. they can really eat a lot .. these and red worms were the only 2 I could use the paper feeding with .... They Cannot Stand Temps below about 45 .. tropical worm. Wigglers (I think you called them "Jumpers") never could raise them unless you had an acre or more to devote to a bed for them .. To get the Africans your right size just harvest them early .. down south Fl where the guys raised a lot of them they all ways sold the smaller ones and people like me who wanted the larger got them ... Less feed and not to let people to get spoiled on the larger ones .. They had a big kill of them a few years back .. Glad to see they are coming back ...
Good Luck

 

[hookup]

Led - you finding any difference when fishing a worm vs a cricket?

 

[Bucko]

I've never heard of African nightcrawlers before, but they interest me. I fish a lot of catfish, sturgeon, and walleyes with crawlers. I used to pick my own crawlers and kept them in a cooler in the basement. In seventh grade I was sitting in class and my mom showed up at the door. I could tell she was really mad... all she said is that I was going home. The car ride home was uncomfortably silent. We walked in and she told me to clean my mess in the basement. Yup, I didn't put the lid back on them and most crawled out. 2 hours of scouring the floor and a day of of school. I didn't get to keep them in the basement over winter anymore after that.... lol

 

[papaperch]

LH- got me to thinking. I have a 1950 style small bomb shelter that is underneath my back porch. Even on the coldest of nights it doesn't fall below 57 or so. Its wired for electricity and also has a sump pump. Thinking of putting a worm tower in probably using the Euro or African worms. Little bit of plumbing and I could move my minner tank in there too.

Only downside is will have to re-model a bit. Change entrance door from a flat pull up to a walk in entrance. Pressure wash entire enclosure to clean then install some paneling to make easy to keep clean. Convinced wife that we could also use as storm shelter as a tornado retreat once fixed up since our house does not have basement. Its awful dirty right now but shouldn't take too much effort or money to turn into something really useful.

 

[LedHed]

Great feedback. Thnx

Seen the towers on you tube - might try that also.

HU - don't really fish the jigs with worms - mostly crickets. Doing this worm thing for Havasu - everything eats the big worms out there.

So far - haven't had any problems - feeding every other day.

 

[Bucko]

My brother in law's grandpa used to have a worm farm. Most of the equipment is at his parent's place. There are these long cylinders with holes in them. He said they are sorters. I guess they put them all in there and it spins. They fall through the holes and are gathered in a pan below. Then any that didn't fall move to the next cylinder and so on. Looks pretty interesting.

 

[hookup]

HU - don't really fish the jigs with worms - mostly crickets. Doing this worm thing for Havasu - everything eats the big worms out there.

I've fished Mission Viejo lake a few times and we use crawlers, blown up with air, then soaked in corn scented juice.

 

[StumpHunter]

Back in the 80's I had 40 beds, all made from a 55 gallon drums cut in half long way from bottom to top. I used peat moss for bedding, the worms will feed on the moss. To start a new bed I would wet the moss then hand squeeze the water out. Fill the half drum to within 3'' to the top, pour the worms (500) into the drum and let them dig down off the top. I would use cornmeal and put a thin layer over the top (just enough to cover) then put a burlap sack on top and wet the burlap lightly (wet burlap weekly to keep moist) . I would never feed them again for 90 days, after 90 days I would harvest to big worms to start a new bed. These beds would be full of eggs and small worms and every 60 days I could harvest them to get the big worms to sell. You can also take a bed after the 90 days and split it in half to make two beds by adding new peat moss to 1/2 of the bed and you will have two beds with enough eggs and small worms to harvest in 60 days.

 

[reefmo]

This is exactly what I do... works awesome. Tons of reds whenever I need them... and if I dont well, they just keep doing there thing making castings. Found that even the castings, if tilled into soil seem to seed the soil with more reds.

I have had a five tier vermiculture tower for years with the original one pound of wigglers in it. Rarely do I use them for bait. I rotate towers keeping the castings and use them as fertilizer in the garden. I use all shredded paper for bedding and feed vegetable scrap that I rub through the food processor


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[LedHed]

Yeah Bucko - seen the harvesters on you tube (again - can't believe all the info on there). Wonder how much one of them costs???

hu - Wonder if you get the corn flavor if you feed the worms corn tortillas.... Hmmm

Still a money maker Ronnie...

Need to try some at the deeper parts of Perris Matt - downsize the jigs... I'm really interested in the vermiculture for the garden this year too.

 

[Bucko]

Yeah Bucko - seen the harvesters on you tube (again - can't believe all the info on there). Wonder how much one of them costs?

hu - Wonder if you get the corn flavor if you feed the worms corn tortillas.... Hmmm

Still a money maker Ronnie...

Need to try some at the deeper parts of Perris Matt - downsize the jigs... I'm really interested in the vermiculture for the garden this year too.

Not sure the cost but I've been eyeing it up and might have to resurrect that contraption. The price of crawlers around here makes me think there's a buck to be made..... 4.79 for 18 count this past summer!