If I made raised worm beds with open bottoms, filled them with rich loose soil, kept them moist and covered. Would worms move into them.
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If I made raised worm beds with open bottoms, filled them with rich loose soil, kept them moist and covered. Would worms move into them.
I don't know if they would move into them,but,if fed right I'm sure they would stay once they were there.
I would think you would have to stock it with some adult worms for breeding stock. This way you will have the kind of worms that you want. I raise red worms and I have mine bedded in a old Pepsi drink box. I feed mine dry dog food weekly and water them. I am in the process of setting up another one using a old freezer.
I have this in the back room full of African Nightcrawlers.I bought like 250 of adult worms last December and just ran out of big ones the other day.But,it must have 1000 little ones in there.They take a few months to get big,but at $17.00 for a couple dozen Canadians I'll take care of my own.
AZ,
Its your seup vented? And also would your setup work also for just the nightcrawlers? I'm here in Oklahoma, and I live in a small town and we cant always keep a bait shop open for whatever reason.....so I'm really kickin round the idea of raisin my own.....I normally buy mine 2 to 4 dozen at a time and keep them in the frig and they last a good 6months or more if we dont use them faster.....Thanks for any input!
Thanks,
AC
I have 1/8 inch holes all over the sides and top.Probably 100's of them.That's the only vents in mine.Canadians need some very cool temps.My Africans thrive at 80 degrees.So,what's comfortable for me is comfortable for them.
$17 for a couple dozen canadians? Where are you getting them, Donald Trump's bait shop. Around here in Ohio crawlers are about $2 a dozen.
In Arizona $3.99 a dozen.No picking crawlers here.
Thats funny!Quote:
Originally Posted by bttmline
Tom
Home - Hoosier Crappie and Catfish Guide Service Indiana
Or more! Hard to find good ones too!Quote:
Originally Posted by azslabber
Anywhere is Trumps baitshop out here,lol.That's why I raise my own,I'm a millionaire,Ha.
Thats one good thing about living in northeast ohio. Have picked my own crawlers for all my life. Nightcrawlers ( canadians ) do not exist too much south of Columbus Ohio. Last two nights it poured here and I was able to get 600 or so to restock my bait fridge. That should last me until freeze up in the winter.
The Canadian worm must be kept in temperatures between 36 and 42 degrees. They must be fed and their bedding kept moist but not soaked. I check my flats every other day for dead ones and remove them. If the dead ones remain they will kill off your entire supply. I personally prefer the juvenile nightcrawler for bait. Nick named them "
baby nights ". Most walleye fishermen up here prefer the " snakes " which are nightcrawlers 6 inches or longer. Ones I prefer are about as long as your little finger and about 3/16 " thick. An aberdeen #6 hook placed lightly in the head and a small split shot has caught me more fish and a wider range of species than the average guy would think.
All though people will argue with this you cannot raise the Canadian nightcralwers like you can the Africans and the redworms. Primarily they are picked up on golf courses , sod farms and other similar places in Canada. I believe about 95 % of the nightcrawlers used in U.S. come from Canada. For some odd reason people of Greek nationality dominated the worm picking labor force. At present people of southeast asian are now starting to become the most dominant population of labor.
Some interesting but not important facts about Canadian nightcrawlers:
1. Once they leave their original hole they only have death to look forward to.
2. It can take as long as 15 years for a nightcrawler to get to over 6 inches in length
3. Under ideal conditions they can live as long as 25 to 30 years
4. Almost everything in nature eats nightcrawlers. One golf course we used to pick we had to keep our eyes on our flats. The raccoons loved chomping on them.
5. They have futures in the stock market just like pork bellies.
6. When I was in business I seen a flat of nightcrawlers vary between 15 dollars as a low and 85 as a high. Droughts in northern U.S. and Canada would cause the price to soar. A flat of worms is normally considered to be 38 to 40 dozen. A flat is a sytrofoam container 13" X 13 " X 4" deep.
7. Best book to read about Nightcrawlers : The Nightcrawler Manual
8. Worst way to fish your worm. Thread him on the hook.
9. Best way hooked lightly thru the head allowing him to move in such a manner that is alluring to the fish. Second best way is to use a 2 or 3 hook harness.
10. Soaking night crawlers in cold ,oxygenated water overnight cause them to swell up and become extremely lively. If I remember right they are 94 % water.
OK I AM FINALLY OUT OF WIND.
I'll take three flats,lol.I grew up in Pennsylvania and as a kid used to go out every night in the summer and catch and sell nightcrawlers to a guy that used to buy furs in the winter time.I would get $0.01 a piece,lol.
HAYS47 - Hey, that was an informative post. I did not know that much about crawlers, Thank you:D
Dang G3, git them worms out of that box and clean the thing up. That box is prolly worth at least $500. I know it makes for a great worm bed, but fridges and freezers are free on Craigslist.Quote:
Originally Posted by G3 Fisherman