If you have recently bought a dozen fishing worms, you know how expensive they have become. At 50 cents or more, apiece, worms have really become expensive. If you buy a container of a dozen but only use some of them, what do you do with the rest?
Saving earthworms for the next fishing trip is easy. You do not have to make a composting bin; you just want to keep the worms fat and happy. I am not interested in keeping worms forever, just as a few months will do.
Most anglers just keep their unused worms in the Styrofoam container, that the worms came in. The lid usually has small holes in the top and the media/dirt is dark and moist. The worms will be dormant and clumped into a ball when you buy them. They can survive in a refrigerator for a few weeks.
To keep the worms healthy, you need a bigger dark colored container. A big Folgers Coffee container works well. I like the one with a handle molded into it. The black lid is easy to perforate with several small holes. You don’t need a lot. Worms live under the soil where little air is found.
I place some dry leaves in the bottom, then soil, then leaves, etc. You can also use store bought worm soil. Wet the leaves and soil before adding them to the container. You want the media to be moist but not dripping. If you squeeze the leaves or soil, you want no dripping, just damp.
Even though the worm container will be stored in the fridge, the decaying media will create enough warmth to keep the worms comfortable. Add used coffee grounds or cornmeal as food.
If you have dead or partially used worm pieces, discard them. One dead worm can wipe out the entire bin. Dead and decaying worms give off a gas that kills live worms.
Check the worms weekly to make sure that they are happy and healthy. I mix/shake the bin and look for any dead ones. Keep the soil damp using the spray bottle.
Only use non chlorinated water. Water from the sink is fine, just allow it to sit for a day or so in a jug so the chlorine will evaporate away. Keep a spray bottle for any future dampening.
Keep a paper towel on the top. Moisten the layers and keep the worms in the dark. If you are finding worms on the top, it may be because you have to many worms in the container. A Folgers container will hold 3-4 dozen comfortably.
When my garden is in production, I use a similar container with small drain holes also drilled in the bottom. When I find worms while gardening, I toss them into my container using the same soil and dry leaf media. The worm can is buried in the ground so that just a few inches are exposed. Now I have instant bait when I need it, without having to buy them or dig up my garden.
Take just what you need when going fishing. You will be surprised how well this bin works as you begin to save money.
Be a great Baiter!
Montana Grant
