There are many ways to have nightcrawlers ready to go for your next fishing trip. One of the oldest and most used methods has been a crawler bin at your home. This can be as simple as a 3x3x3 planter box or even a wine barrel filled with good soil. Try to stay away from unnatural materials like metal or plastic, as they can heat up faster than containers made from natural materials. If you plan on having your box above ground, remember that crawlers prefer the dark. So dont use transparent materials. My grandpa had a box buried in the ground in back of his house. He had strategically placed it near the house, in a shadier flowerbed. This method accomplished a couple of things. First, it kept the worms in a central location and ready to quickly dig up on his next fishing trip. Second, it insured that the worms would not get too hot in the summer months. And third, the out of the way location meant nobody would trip and fall into it. If you decide to put your box in the ground, be sure not to have to soil go all the way to the top or your worms will pull a Houdini and escape. After each fishing trip, Grandpa would put the unused nightcrawlers into the box. This way he always had crawlers on hand for the next fishing trip. That is one way to stock your worm box. The other is to order a batch of worms from a worm farm. Regardless how you decide to start your worm box, putting the unused worms from your trips in will help keep worms ready to go. Ive heard it said that a ratio acceptable to a happy worm bin is 1 to 4. So lets say that 1/2 pound of worms would be happy in a box that was about 2 cubic feet. Remember too that worms need a good size surface area for oxygen to get to them. Also, for goodness sake, dont forget to drill some holes in the bottom and sides for water drainage. This also is good for some air, if your box is above ground. Newspaper ripped in strips helps to protect the worms and keep moisture in the ground. There are plenty of companies that sell worm bedding and even food supplements. As with any living thing you care for, taking a little time to read up on it will insure a successful situation. This also applies to worms. Rememberfish dont like dead worms. Give them a box lunch instead! |
