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Worm Farming?
#12568052
01/08/18 12:36 AM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,478
TXMulti-Species
OP
Extreme Angler
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OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,478 |
After many purchases at Wal-Mart, Bass Pro, and various tackle shops, I've decided that it's much more economically feasible to farm my own worms rather than buy them ~20 at a time from the store. I've already got a design planned, but was wondering if anyone had any information regarding what species I should go for (red wiggler, nightcrawler, etc.) and if they would survive the extreme varying temperatures of Texas. I'd like to fish with them year round, so ideally they'd keep in the Summer and the Winter. Any tips would be appreciated.
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: TXMulti-Species]
#12568116
01/08/18 01:25 AM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,975
Smithaven
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,975 |
Your best bet is African Nightcrawlers. They are suitable for the Texas climate. Most of the on-line worm farms have breeder stock. Avoid Canadian nightcrawlers. They cannot take the heat. Red wrigglers are OK with the climate, but they are a little small for best baits.
I might add though that you are getting into a tough task. Raising worms will make you lose your religion. The bed is always too wet or too dry, and all sorts of parasites can attack your worms. I have tried to raise my own bait on and off for seventy years without notable success. Good luck!
. Seventy five years of chasing the elusive sunfish.
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: TXMulti-Species]
#12568153
01/08/18 01:50 AM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,349
scruboak
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,349 |
I almost did the worm deal a few times. If you fish daily may be worth it , but if 1 time a week unless you are composting and trying to improve a garden it is a big waste.
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: TXMulti-Species]
#12568187
01/08/18 02:24 AM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,724
Flippin-Out
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,724 |
My favorite is to order a bulk supply of bait economically from a place like Speedy Worm. I've had excellent results for panfish with mealworms (actually larvae) that can be kept in the refrigerator for months. I buy 1000 at a time for a very economical price. (FYI, extra large size works best.) My grandkids say I have "special worms" that work really great....
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: Smithaven]
#12568209
01/08/18 02:38 AM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,478
TXMulti-Species
OP
Extreme Angler
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OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,478 |
Your best bet is African Nightcrawlers. They are suitable for the Texas climate. Most of the on-line worm farms have breeder stock. Avoid Canadian nightcrawlers. They cannot take the heat. Red wrigglers are OK with the climate, but they are a little small for best baits.
I might add though that you are getting into a tough task. Raising worms will make you lose your religion. The bed is always too wet or too dry, and all sorts of parasites can attack your worms. I have tried to raise my own bait on and off for seventy years without notable success. Good luck!
African Nightcrawlers? You'd imagine that they'd sell those for bait rather than the Canadian ones, as I've noticed those die rather quickly in the warmer months. I'll definitely look into them, thanks. I'm hoping it'll be (at least somewhat) easy, but I'm prepared to put in some work as long as it'll be saving me money.
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: Flippin-Out]
#12568218
01/08/18 02:40 AM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,478
TXMulti-Species
OP
Extreme Angler
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OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,478 |
I almost did the worm deal a few times. If you fish daily may be worth it , but if 1 time a week unless you are composting and trying to improve a garden it is a big waste. I fish pretty often, and I've got a garden that could definitely use some compost, so it'll be dual-purpose. My favorite is to order a bulk supply of bait economically from a place like Speedy Worm. I've had excellent results for panfish with mealworms (actually larvae) that can be kept in the refrigerator for months. I buy 1000 at a time for a very economical price. (FYI, extra large size works best.) My grandkids say I have "special worms" that work really great.... I might just do something similar if farming doesn't work out, I've got a spare mini fridge that I don't mind dirtying up.
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: TXMulti-Species]
#12568245
01/08/18 02:54 AM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,724
Flippin-Out
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,724 |
For mealworms to remain alive and enter a dormant state, they need to be stored in an airtight container. If the container isn't airtight, they will dehydrate in the refrigerator and become crunchy mealworms (useless). I use a large tupperware container, so the refrigerator stays clean and there's absolutely no odor.
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: TXMulti-Species]
#12568269
01/08/18 03:10 AM
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Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 416
sae
Angler
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Angler
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 416 |
I have raised crickets ,red worms meal worms and black soldier fly larva .I think the s.j. f. larva is the best.they are tough,stay on the hook good, have caught as many a 3 bream on the same bait. very hardy ,heat tolerant.Will live off of food scraps, chic starter ,range cubes,any compost material not meat or fat.Ihave caught bass, carp, drum, cat's and non stop sunfish ,2 or 3 on the same worm. Black warrior has some good vids 0n you tube about them .HE IS THE MAN.
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: sae]
#12568290
01/08/18 03:24 AM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,478
TXMulti-Species
OP
Extreme Angler
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OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,478 |
For mealworms to remain alive and enter a dormant state, they need to be stored in an airtight container. If the container isn't airtight, they will dehydrate in the refrigerator and become crunchy mealworms (useless). I use a large tupperware container, so the refrigerator stays clean and there's absolutely no odor. Good to know, but what I was talking about is that there's no way I'm keeping worms next to my food. I have raised crickets ,red worms meal worms and black soldier fly larva .I think the s.j. f. larva is the best.they are tough,stay on the hook good, have caught as many a 3 bream on the same bait. very hardy ,heat tolerant.Will live off of food scraps, chic starter ,range cubes,any compost material not meat or fat.Ihave caught bass, carp, drum, cat's and non stop sunfish ,2 or 3 on the same worm. Black warrior has some good vids 0n you tube about them .HE IS THE MAN. Interesting, I'll check it out. But a preliminary check tells me that black soldier fly larvae stink, and worms don't. That may just be one of the deciding factors.
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: TXMulti-Species]
#12568623
01/08/18 02:53 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 12,214
Cast
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 12,214 |
Stay away from the Africans, they are escape artists. Red Wigglers and Canadian Crawlers inside and you'll be fine. PM sent.
Cast I have a short attention spa
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: TXMulti-Species]
#12568714
01/08/18 03:48 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,327
Meadowlark
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,327 |
My set-up in a compost pile benefits the garden as well as provides bait through the cooler months. Mid-summer here is really tough on worms. Red wigglers have the best chance at survival, but even they struggle in August.
I just restock a few in the fall for coverage until the next summer.
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: TXMulti-Species]
#12568730
01/08/18 03:59 PM
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 817
Coreywms
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 817 |
I started a worm farm with two 5 gallon buckets & shredded newspaper. I just keep it under my computer desk. It doesn't smell. I started it with about 15 leftover red wigglers from walmart. Now I have a 5 gallon bucket full of worms.
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: TXMulti-Species]
#12568767
01/08/18 04:26 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,462
PKfishin
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,462 |
I don't raise worms for fishing anymore but use them in my garden and compost. You could cut your cost dramatically by getting them by the thousand at Uncle Jims Worm farm and making a compost pile for them to live in. https://unclejimswormfarm.com/order-stuff/composting-worms/I use these in my garden. If you make a compost pile with leaves, vegetable scaps and coffee grounds you'll have more worms than you can use.
John 21:3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee.
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: PKfishin]
#12569800
01/09/18 02:58 AM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,478
TXMulti-Species
OP
Extreme Angler
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OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,478 |
Stay away from the Africans, they are escape artists. Red Wigglers and Canadian Crawlers inside and you'll be fine. PM sent. Thanks! I just read about that earlier. I'm still gonna give em a shot, all they'll need is a source of warmth for the winter. I'm not so sure Canadians will make it through summer, if all else fails I'll have to use Canadians in the winter and Africans in the summer. My set-up in a compost pile benefits the garden as well as provides bait through the cooler months. Mid-summer here is really tough on worms. Red wigglers have the best chance at survival, but even they struggle in August.
I just restock a few in the fall for coverage until the next summer. The extreme temperatures in Texas are what worries me. We can go down to 20s and 30s pretty regularly and get all the way up past 100. It's going to take some work regardless of the species. I started a worm farm with two 5 gallon buckets & shredded newspaper. I just keep it under my computer desk. It doesn't smell. I started it with about 15 leftover red wigglers from walmart. Now I have a 5 gallon bucket full of worms. I'm not too keen on keeping them inside, the garage or the shed is as far as I'll go. I don't raise worms for fishing anymore but use them in my garden and compost. You could cut your cost dramatically by getting them by the thousand at Uncle Jims Worm farm and making a compost pile for them to live in. https://unclejimswormfarm.com/order-stuff/composting-worms/I use these in my garden. If you make a compost pile with leaves, vegetable scaps and coffee grounds you'll have more worms than you can use. I've actually looked at that site several times! Not too bad on prices, and a good bit of info as well. Thanks!
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Re: Worm Farming?
[Re: TXMulti-Species]
#12574462
01/11/18 11:42 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 9
WhiskerFisher
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 9 |
I've had good luck the last 3 years with Canadians. I bought a few tubs that had good, meaty worms in them from a bit shop, took them home and cut them all in half. I found a large tub with a lid that fit, lined the container with newspaper and added organic composting soil with earthworm casings as dirt. Put worms inside,and keep lid partially open at all times. I keep the container in a spare refrigerator down in one of the crisper drawers. I've only ever lost one batch due to over-moisturization... so now the only moisture they get is used coffee grounds once every few weeks. You know they're unhappy if they start hanging out on top of the soil often. Every few months I re-dirt them and add fresh newspaper. I will add shredded newspaper on top at any time if I notice they have gone through what was in there. I now have worms that resemble snakes more than worms, lol. When I fish them, I have to cut them in half in order to use them because they are too long whole. My current batch is over a year old and still strong. When I take them fishing, I use a small-medium sized ice cooler loaded with a few icepacks and maybe a bag of ice if it's real hot outside. Never been an issue for me!
Last edited by WhiskerFisher; 01/11/18 11:43 PM.
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