buckaroo
Well-Known Member
I have been reading on this, I think I will get a plastic tub, peat moss, and couple dozen crawlers. Maybe by spring they will multiply! Anyone done this and have anything to add? I will keep them in my basement
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Growing nightcrawlers
- Thread starter buckaroo
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DaveB
Well-Known Member
My Wife has these large planters with high quality dirt and plenty of flowers. I dumped containers of worms into them and the worms all died.
Dug some worms up from the yard, dumped them int he planter, and voila they loved it and each other because there were worms top to bottom. Big fat healthy. We brought the planter into the house in Winter and they died, stunk up the place too.
My experience tells me there is a whole lot more to raising worms than appears to be the case.
I wish you luck.
Dug some worms up from the yard, dumped them int he planter, and voila they loved it and each other because there were worms top to bottom. Big fat healthy. We brought the planter into the house in Winter and they died, stunk up the place too.
My experience tells me there is a whole lot more to raising worms than appears to be the case.
I wish you luck.
BirdDog123
Well-Known Member
I don't know much about growing nightcrawlers but to your point on them dying in the winter: one good way to control the temp in a plastic tub like that is to stack another tub underneath, fill with water, and put a fishtank heater in there.. then you can control the temp. Maybe that might keep them from dying off.
buckaroo
Well-Known Member
What I've read is to use peat moss, add food scraps and coffee grounds ocassionaly and keep soil slightly moist, supply air thru holes in lid
buckaroo
Well-Known Member
Unless freezing temps, I would think they would live, most people have worms in fridge
monsterbuck07
Well-Known Member
My dad started it beginning my of summer with worms, all are still alive and they have multiplied, not gonna lie I was impressed.
DaveB
Well-Known Member
From just this small sample there are differing pieces of information.
There must be books and probably a TNWorm forum or something like it.
I just had an idea, I bet the State agricultural Extension office of some state will have worm growing brochures. There has to be the best night crawler, best red worm, best food, all that kind of stuff.
I bet they have banned and locked threads and guys who swear on Kansas red nose night crawlers vs the infamous Illinois black tips.
There must be books and probably a TNWorm forum or something like it.
I just had an idea, I bet the State agricultural Extension office of some state will have worm growing brochures. There has to be the best night crawler, best red worm, best food, all that kind of stuff.
I bet they have banned and locked threads and guys who swear on Kansas red nose night crawlers vs the infamous Illinois black tips.
I kept them with mixed results 50 years ago. There were all over my yard, so after a rain it was no trouble to take a flash light and pick up what I needed to store in the box. I don't know if they reproduced or not, but I always had night crawlers.
At the time, there was a worm bedding product call Buss Bedding that worked better than dirt or peat moss to keep them in. It likely is long gone, but is worth a google search.
At the time, there was a worm bedding product call Buss Bedding that worked better than dirt or peat moss to keep them in. It likely is long gone, but is worth a google search.
choupique
Well-Known Member
You're not that far off. Most of the commercially sold nightcrawlers are exotic and/or invasive species from Europe and Asia, btw.
Hmm. That would be a FIBT, yes?
DaveB":1an0bbzc said:
Hmm. That would be a FIBT, yes?
BirdDog123
Well-Known Member
DaveB":i2yakiph said:
hahaha!
SilverFox
Well-Known Member
We raised redworms for years. Used drums cut in half and a couple old freezers filled with peat moss. We fed them chicken laying mash. We kept them outside and covered the tops with screen wire like for your porch. Keep them damp but not soaked. I would imagine keeping wigglers would be about the same but we have never tried. It doesn't get as cold in SC as here but we never worried about freezing. We had some under a large grapevine and others under a large oak but all were open to air and rain... with holes knocked in the bottom with a metal punch about dime size to drain excess water.
When we first started new drums we would soak the peat for a week or so to make sure it was wet all the way... pretty much flooded it every day a couple times with the water hose. After that let it dry for a day or 2 before adding worms. Usually only added water in the summer when it was really dry and hot and then only a time or two a week. Winter you may not have to add any if you get rain every so often.
When we first started new drums we would soak the peat for a week or so to make sure it was wet all the way... pretty much flooded it every day a couple times with the water hose. After that let it dry for a day or 2 before adding worms. Usually only added water in the summer when it was really dry and hot and then only a time or two a week. Winter you may not have to add any if you get rain every so often.
