My red worms died from excessive heat

It has been in the triple digit heat index here In Alabama for the past month. All my red wigglers died as their container home was outside in the sickening hot. I made a new container for the garage where it is much cooler. My friend David (G-3) mailed me some Mississippi red worms to get me started again. I want to publically thank him on this forum for his act of kindness. I appreciate it. Anyway here are a few more tips for those raising them.

Description:* These are relatively small worms, 1-3 inches long, and very skinny too. Although they are small, they can eat nearly 1/2 of their weight in food every day.*

Make sure they have a moist environment with composting food ready for them so that they can rehydrate and nourish themselves.* After the worms have settled in feed them only when they start running low on food. You shouldn’t have to add any water since most foods already provide a lot of moisture content. There should never be any standing water at the bottom of the bin.

Yeah, worms go deep into the ground and seek shady spots this time of year to protect themselves from the heat. If they can't go deep of get to a shady spot they'll expire.

On the bright side though, that mass of rotting worm flesh would be a great base for a catfish stink bait!... if you could stand the stench yourself.

Lots of great people on this site and G-3 is one of them.:)

Are you guys trying to give me a big head? :D Thanks friends....I try to do my best in all things and I try to help others.

Good job G-3,lol.My Africans would love it there.While it's hot that is.

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Originally Posted by G3 Fisherman

Are you guys trying to give me a big head? :D Thanks friends....I try to do my best in all things and I try to help others.

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Yeah. Thanks again.

Hey GCD those other carcasses and stench were tilled into the garden. The tomatoes and bell peppers seem to love it.

Here are some more for you son

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/46/14...d6d0699b25.jpg

yeah I had several thousand worms die on me one year and you talk about a stench you will never forget. Kind of made me think of the stench Andy must have smelt in the sewage pipe in shawshank

There's really something about the stench of rotten worms and rotten shrimp that really draws the catfish in. They both make an excellent chum if you can keep from hurling before/during putting it out.:eek:

Here in Mo where we get heat indexes above 100 and cold temps below 0 I have my worms inside. The live in a five tiered worm bin in the basement. Absoluely no smell and the tiers get rotated as they eat through them. all the castings get collected and saved until it is time to plant tomatos and peppers the next Spring.

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Originally Posted by moswampy

Here in Mo where we get heat indexes above 100 and cold temps below 0 I have my worms inside. The live in a five tiered worm bin in the basement. Absoluely no smell and the tiers get rotated as they eat through them. all the castings get collected and saved until it is time to plant tomatos and peppers the next Spring.

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Yeah,

I had to rethink outside worm bins after this summer! Mine are in the garage now. They will be fed cornmeal and damp newspaper.

I keep my worms in a OMAHA STEAK Styrofoam box in the garage. Here in Central Florida it is averaging 90+ degrees every day.
I put 8 quarts of peat moss in the box and feed the worms corn meal on the top of the moss. I placed newspaper on top and try to keep moist. I found that the worms want to crawl out of the moss whenever it gets excessively warm in the styrofoam box, so to counter act the heat I place a 12 ounce water bottle that has been frozen, on top of the newspaper. The coolness keeps the worms below the newspaper and the cold bottle sweats and helps keep the humidity in the box. No holes for ventilation as I check on the worms every day, and replace the frozen water bottle when it starts to get the least bit warm.

I keep mine in a thick walled styrofoam ice chest. Thats a great Idea about the frozen water bottle....I bet one of those blue ice packs would be good also.

why if some one can tell me did this thread get moved, seems like there are several other threads on crickets, red wigglers and such on the main board, I dont care that it is moved, just trying to compile a list of why stuff gets moved, and some related or exact post dont, no offense intended,not trying to stir the crusted over bucket, just an inquiring mind trying to learn!

I like the water bottle idea also

I moved it because I thought it might get better/more help here on the Live Bait forum.

I move things randomly, I don't read all the posts, and when I want to move one, I do!

It's still in both places, it should not matter one iota!

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Originally Posted by beagle man

why if some one can tell me did this thread get moved, seems like there are several other threads on crickets, red wigglers and such on the main board, I dont care that it is moved, just trying to compile a list of why stuff gets moved, and some related or exact post dont, no offense intended,not trying to stir the crusted over bucket, just an inquiring mind trying to learn!

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