Worm Bed?

[jgp12000]

Well I went my favorite bait store yesterday and a large box of big reds was...$7.55 after tax.I have a worm bed already built that I haven't started yet.I didn't think there would ever be a time that bait would be so expensive. The bed has legs and and perforated lid with weed fabric stapled to it.I have heard to put the legs in coffee cans full of old oil to keep the ants out.I once raised mealworms in a clear tote full of  shredded newspaper and wheat germ.You have to replace the newspaper every so often but it is easy.Does anyone have any ideas or experience doing this? Can you start a bed from bait store worms or could they be hybrid worms?

[PacRat]

My grandpa's worm bed was an old military footlocker burried half it's depth in the ground in a shady spot. It was full of all their   kitchen compost, coffee grounds, peels, paper towels, etc. The worms loved it. We just added and subtracted when we fished. All the leftover went back in. It had night crawlers and red wigglers. One time he had me pick up some fresh stock from a big bait supplier in the LA area (Rainbow? maybe). Seemed like he always had more than we could deplete except for that one time when he wanted to freshen the stock. Other than that, it was always leftovers from the bait shop. Seems like they breed like crazy.
-Mike

[oldmanjoe]

 All i got is a compost pile in the shade full of worms .

[Bill B]

My dad always planted his left overs in the flower garden and eventually they migrated to the lawn.  The night before fishing he turned on the sprinklers for 5 minutes then went out back and picked the next days bait.  No special care needed. 

[Wompus Cat]

My Old Man and a Neighbor made a Worm Rod that you stick in the Ground and hook 110 to it to get the worms to come to the surface.
Never saw any worms pop up but it sure got the Ground Hornets in A Frenzy .
Never saw two Fat Guys Run So Fast..................

[Shellbelly]

I always threw leftover worms in the compost and they multiplied.  Drought in central TX was hard on 'em.  Tap water wasn't the best solution either.  Rainwater seemed to always help produce the most.  Most of the homemade beds I saw were big old chest freezers.  The problem with those was the nice little "home" in the compressor compartment.  A whole new food chain starts in there. There's nothing quite like a pet coon, is there? 

One guy swore by moth balls to keep critters, including ants, out of his freezer worm bed.  Put 'em in a can and keep 'em in the compartment. 

[JasonGotaProblem]

I thought you wanted DC current (and a ring of probes or at min 2 pairs of each terminal) to get the desired effect.

I've never used live worms as an adult. Though i suspect theres a reason they are popular.

Most worms reproduce asexually. They get too big and split in half and you got 2 worms now. As such I don't see how they'd be any different coming from a bait shop or elsewhere.

[Alan Matsuno]

It depends on the worms vs. your local temperatures.

Different worms require different temperatures.

[philaroman]

I thought you wanted DC current (and a ring of probes or at min 2 pairs of each terminal) to get the desired effect.

I thought you drove rebar into the ground (deep...  in advance...  strategically located)
then, smack the !*?# outta' the end sticking out w/ a big@$$ mallet...  no juice -- just vibration
a little research of that vague bit of trivia memory yielded "worm grunting" -- fun 4 whole family

[Wompus Cat]

Super DOOPER WORM GETTER

[oldmanjoe]

    I thought i heard something like early bird and nightcrawlers  .

[Swami805]

Earth worms are hermaphrodites but most need a mate to reproduce. If you cut an earth worm in half the head half might regenerate a tail but you won't get 2 worms. The breed pretty quickly when conditions are good
You could simply dig a pit, fill it with a lot of organic matter and soil, keep it moist and dollars to donuts you should have plenty of worms without adding any initially as long as there's some around
The vast number of earth worms in North America and not native but introduced at some point long ago, like many small creatures that we think belong here, honey bees are a good example

[Wompus Cat]

Heres a lil Worm From Down Under

[mhc]

Heres a lil Worm From Down Under

That's why I don't get up early. 

Mike

[Wompus Cat]

Heres a lil Worm From Down Under

That's why I don't get up early. 

Mike

I would have to save up for a while to just buy a HOOK to put one of them on .