raisin' worms

[Salty]

Yesterday, during his birthday party, my 87 year-old dad informed me that he wants to start raisin' worms. I'm like !!!!!! He's already got an old chest-type freezer and it's loaded with compost and whatever else....all he needs is worms. Any you guys got any do's or dont's or places where I can buy 'em? He wants "night crawlers". I searched online, but, a worm is a worm to me.

[Red Devil]

If he's already got a compost pile, there is a good chance worms are already in it. We had a compost pile when I was a kid and we threw grass clippings and leaves in there and the worms were just there. Didn't have to add any. We would also use a pitch fork to turn the compost over instead of a shovel. That way you wouldn't chop the worms.

[Gerald]

I use to keep worm in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. I think I had some holes on the side of the bucket up near the top.

Dug a hole under some bushes to keep it in the shade and left the bucket several inches above the ground. I kept the soil damp and put in a little corn meal as feed.

Always had plenty when I wanted to go catch some bream.

[swamp snorkler]

coffee grinds work good as food too......red ants kill them

["W"]

Damn salty.....your dads 87 and your 105....how did that happen

[flounder_smacker]

my grandpaw had a bunch of pigs on the farm and all around the slabs where the poo would wash off you could dig two shovel fulls and have 3 pounds of worms and they were huge. my dad would joke that they were so big we wouldnt catch any fish cause they would be scared of them. i guess the worms were eating the left overs in the poop that adsorbed into the ground. so get a bunch of pig poop and mix it in there.

[Keywest18]

My grandma had two chest freezers for worms. One for red worms and the other for wigglers. Keep them in the shade, keep them damp and feed them "mash" its some kinda chicken feed. I cant think of the name but Im pretty sute its a bitty feed for small chickens.you can also put cardboard over the top to block sunlight and it will slowly decompose and the worms will eat it. I use to wet pieces and lay them down a few days before a fishing trip. Never failed

[Wag]

I have a worm bed made out of a rubbermaid....I am raising red worms, it pretty much supplies all the neighborhood kids with worms to fish with. To set one up, here is a pretty good example which you can use to set up your dad's, putting in newspaper for bedding, etc......

Setting up a worm bin using a plastic container - YouTube

Setting up a worm bin using a plastic container - YouTube

[Salty]

So, I'm assumin' the worms do not have to be refrigerated?

[swamp snorkler]

nope......the worms in my yard aint refrigerated

[weedeater]

My grandpa use to have his in an old chest freezer with just a sheet of plywood for a lid, it was all under a shade tree

[wtretrievers]

Originally Posted by weedeater

My grandpa use to have his in an old chest freezer with just a sheet of plywood for a lid, it was all under a shade tree

Please explain to Salty that the chest freezer was NOT PLUGGED IN!

[wtretrievers]

BTW..........I'm paying attention to this cause I'd like to know also. Started a worm bed for my lovely bride just the other day after I was on the tractor spreading dirt & look behind me & she's in a bikini, flip flops with a butter bowl picking worms out the dirt so she can fish in the pond
You might be a redneck if

["W"]

Originally Posted by wtretrievers

BTW..........I'm paying attention to this cause I'd like to know also. Started a worm bed for my lovely bride just the other day after I was on the tractor spreading dirt & look behind me & she's in a bikini, flip flops with a butter bowl picking worms out the dirt so she can fish in the pond
You might be a redneck if

High tech worm-bed box
http://www.wormpoop.com/WormBed/WormBed.htm

[Salty]

Thanks W and Wag for the links. Very informative.

I have one question, tho. The guy in Wag's vid said to drill holes for releasing gasses, etc. Isn't it impractical to try to drill holes in a freezer? If the worms have to breathe...they're gonna be in a bind.

[Gerald]

Just make some cuts in the gasket to allow some air flow.

[Goosepond Monster]

Originally Posted by wtretrievers

BTW..........I'm paying attention to this cause I'd like to know also. Started a worm bed for my lovely bride just the other day after I was on the tractor spreading dirt & look behind me & she's in a bikini, flip flops with a butter bowl picking worms out the dirt so she can fish in the pond
You might be a redneck if

Sounds like you have a keeper for sure.

[BananaTom]

I made a worm bed once. We used cow manure, and washed it clean in a cattle water trough. Then introduced the worms and feed them chicken mash as mentioned above. Aslo covered with card board. The worms would eat the card board.

When I would take the card board off and introduce the mash, the dirt moved big time, as the worms raced to the top to feed.