Earthworms?

[capsicum]

I have had a few people ask me how to raise their own earthworms (or if I sell them). So now I am curious. What eats earthworms and how would I raise them myself?

TIA!

TK

[meow_mix450]

they eat dirt i believe i cant remember. Not sure how they breed though. But you can always go to a fishing store to get worms

Meow

[capsicum]

I don't think there are any bait shops locally...I used to sell superworms and crickets to fishers :rolleyes:

But, I will keep looking ;)

TK

[meow_mix450]

o that stinks, well good luck

Meow

[lostwithin]

earth worms are simple too keep, they decompose matter easiest way too do it is layer soil and dead leaves the worms feed on the dead plant matter and break it down into soil. As for breeding too avoid getting technical if you have more then one worm they will breed. the are hermaphrodites. so all you need is a bunch of them some damp soil and rotting plant matter for them too eat. I plan on setting up a colony for my Wood turtle. But I have too get worms first. I can’t find a bait shop.

Devon

[Cruciform]

Check hardware stores and corner convenience stores. Some carry them or will usually know where to go in your neighborhood :)

[CamHanna]

I tried to breed 'night crawlers' for bait a couple years ago and seemed to end up with fewer worms than I started with. I had great success with 'red wigglers' however and they seem to breed well. I kept them in my basement and used table scraps as feed. I found that excessivly moist foods and greasy foods lead to problems. Moist foods flood the worms and greasy foods stink when they rot. I'm not sure where you could get 'red wigglers' but I found mine in my grampa's manure pile. I've seen them for sale from time to time from places like Lee Valley and garden centres.

Good Luck
Cam

[capsicum]

Thanks everyone! I am going to call up my local Art Knapp and see if they by chance carry anything that I can use ;)

TK

[Thrush]

I believe that Canadian Tire often sells worms!

[capsicum]

Thanks :) I am going to call tomorrow to find out, and will call everyone I can find, lol!

TK

[wetlander]

Make sure the worms are cool but not cold. If you can keep them around 65 F they will do well to warm and they will die and get stinky

[wetlander]

Make sure the worms are cool but not cold. If you can keep them around 65 F they will do well to warm and they will die and get stinky

[Linds]

Originally posted by capsicum
What eats earthworms and how would I raise them myself?


I eat worms... :p :flick: LOL, but I don't think that matters. They are a good food source for all sorts of animals such as amphibians, birds, fish, insectivorous lizards, etc. I would be wary of actually feeding bait shop worms without finding out for fact that they haven't been fed any sort of additives to enhance their appearance, taste, growth, etc. Marisa posted this link a while ago... http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2133.html

[rwg]

Garter snakes eat worms as well. Red Wigglers are reportedly toxic to garter snakes...perhaps to other animals as well? Night crawlers are recomended for garters.

[CamHanna]

I couldn't find anything about 'red wigglers' being toxic. Could you provide a link?

[rwg]

"Don’t use red wigglers (Eisenia), which are the worms used in vermicomposting and are sometimes sold as trout bait: they are reportedly toxic, or at the very least foul-tasting" - Jonathan Crowe (http://www.gartersnake.info/articles/000256_understanding_garter.phtml)

"Their slime is slightly toxic for garters so it's better to feed on nigth crawlers " - unknown (http://www.bnhof.de/~rattau/thamfutt.htm)

There's a few others.

[VI Reptiles]

Man, the easiest way to get worms is to dig up a pile of manure or if your a gardener and while your planting a tree or shrub look around and you should find some in the dirt. Heh, i can go in our huge conposting pile and find like 10 in a shovels scoop! Now that you mentioned it im gonna sell earth worms now! Not like alot of people are gonna buy them......

[LISA127]

My blue tongued skink likes to eat nightcrawlers.