Keeping Nightcrawlers Alive in a Worm Farm

[@przy675]

Am I ever going to get a fridge for nightcrawlers? No..did I watch this whole video AND save it? Yes 😂and may even save the containers and worm dirt for them

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@przy675 well thanks for watching. Nightcrawler fridge is optional 😂

[@smetlogik]

I'm glad you said, "extra refrigerator". That few first seconds had me thinking, "Now that is some hardcoreness"

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Well, we didn't "always" have two. Ah, the good ole days. LOL.

[@mikerosner]

been there done that now all i have is red worms and thay are doing good

[@zaratahanagi4924]

Super useful! I just recently set up an Axolotl tank with 2 axolotls so far and I have been feeding them frozen brine shrimp and blood worms and sinking shrimp pellets. But nightcrawlers are their favorite and I want to upgrade to feeding them that. Thank you!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Glad we could help! Thanks for watching!

[@BenDownTooLong]

There is an alarming lack of beer in your worm fridge!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

LOL. I gave that up years ago. Made me too foggy headed heading out at 3 and 4 AM

[@fishingwiththevalentins]

This was highly informative and thank you for these tips! We will be doing this with nightcrawlers, so glad we found this!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

You're very welcome! Remember to re-bed for the winter, I just did that with the 200 or so I have left over from this season, they should make it through to early trout season when bait can be hard to find!

[@fishingwiththevalentins]

@@SharingTheOutdoors oh wow that's a smart tip! One of our pet peeves, you buy a dozen and someone beat you to it and grabbed a bunch and put in their container, now we open and check, and decided better to do it ourselves. This may sound silly, but what about earthworms? We compost in our garden and have a bunch and sprinkle them all over to help aerorate (that's why we think we can do it) Have you had much luck fishing with those? THANKS 😊

[@ericunrau2363]

At first I thought you were just a whatever but when you showed your minnow tank!!! Love it .Your super serious. Only thing I could think of trying to find out that DIY on worm food instead of buying it

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

That would be a good way to feed them. I’ve heard people say straight corn meal will work, but even though this is a cheaper way to buy crawlers than by the dozen, I don’t want to risk my investment in bait by experimenting

[@Humboldtcounty707]

Good info! Love that shirt. I always wondered if people actually wore those classic wolf shirts. You are rocking it😁

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Thanks! It’s one of my favorites!

[@anarex0929]

This was great advice, going to order some of that food, as they will be in large potted containers. I want to keep good water flow and not let the soil get to compact over time but I was told I need to keep them fed otherwise they'll start damaging The roots.

[@mortsims]

i have done these things for years. the ground up paper bedding works good. i don't buy the worms. when it rains i go out and pick them up in the yard usually 50 or 60 at a time. night crawlers are now about 4 dollars a dozen in the store. so it saves about 20 dollars each time i pick them up.

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

We've used various paper beddings as well. They are adequate for the short term, but we've found that over the long term they tend to get a bit slimy, and the worm food tends to mold faster. It's also much easier to dispose of the used sphagnum bedding. We use it as as mulch in the garden when were done with it. I wish we had night crawlers here. I know the bulk worms have gotten more expensive since we made this video too. We just don't have them in the soil here.

[@BlueMountainWormsInc.]

great advice from the new guy!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Thanks! It's about that tine of year to get things going for fishing season again!

[@donteague614]

Some cities use chloramine. It won't age out. I use a aquarium dechlorinator/ dechloriminator. I keep my Canadians in my basement, they do fine.

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Rainwater will work well too if you leave the bucket set out

[@southernexposure123]

I caught 3 dozen with a vibrator stick in my yard. I put them in a quart jar with the same soil I got them from. The next day the ones I didn't use for bait died. The 3rd day same thing even though I changed the soil , washed the jar and set them in the cut bait box which contains ice. Now I catch 2 dozen instead of 3 dozen and if I run out I vibrate some more with the stick from the forest near where I fish. Other than what's said in the video any ideas why the worms die in a few hours. They almost disintegrate. The fall in parts when I pick them up. Fish still bite them

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

I really can't explain that. Were they night crawlers? I know the garden worms we have here break apart really easy.

[@SurrealismByKia]

Thanks so much for posting this!! I really appreciate it.

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@SurrealismByKia you’re very welcome hope it helps

[@ForgetU]

As a Kid we always picked worms after a heavy rain. used ripped up newspaper and some commercial bedding. A friends parents did the same and they feed them - used coffee grounds and egg shells. Have you ever heard of those Items being used as food for the worms?

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Yes, many folks suggest that. Worms do eat a lot of things, but I like the commercial products, they are less messy and contain more protein and calcium.

[@derrick15]

Can you get in trouble by the DNR for raising bait minnows in a tank? Michigan local speaking. Just wondering

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Wouldn’t know. I just hold the ones I bought at the minnow store there to save money and time next time we head out to the river. But I don’t see why that would be an issue unless you were breeding and selling them?

[@Stormyism]

What temp is that fridge at? My nightcrawlers go into a coma in my normal fridge and die within a month if I keep them there. I just keep mine in bins in the basement with good results. This isn't a business or anything I just use them for fishing and having a self-sufficient supply.

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Just a stock fridge plugged in and running. Never had a problem with them, they will die if you don't re-bed remove the dead ones periodically though.

[@Saladon89]

How big of a bin should i use for my 200 euro nightcrawlers? I want to try to keep a steady colony of 500 worms. I am currently using a bin that is 16 L x 11 W inches and is 7 inches deep. Is that enough for 200 worms? and will it be enough for 500 worms??

[@wingnutbert9685]

Thanks! ???= Do you know what temp you keep the fridge at? "Normal" temp or is it a bit warmer?

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

No, we just use a stock fridge we got just for worms. It also doubles as a place to chill our deer quarters when it’s too warm outside to hang them overnight, so normal temperature

[@wingnutbert9685]

@@SharingTheOutdoors Great! Thanks for the reply. I'm going back and forth as to whether to just use a zapper or soap and get them out of the ground and keep them in the fridge or use them to start a proper worm farm bin. Not a lot of soil around my house, but I'll be darned if I'm gonna pay $13-15/ dozen at the store!!! Thanks again!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@wingnutbert9685 we’re all about saving a few $$$ around here. Either way you get them it’s also nice to have bait on hand if you wake up at dark thirty and feel like heading out fishing before you could get to a bait store and buy some

[@sic-n-tiredtired4273]

Great video. Where do you get your nightcrawlers from are they expensive ?

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

There's several companies that sell them online and ship on ice packs, and costs depend on who you get them from, Windsor Baits and Speedy Worm are two that come to mind. It costs a lot less to buy in bulk, and if you do a lot of fishing, it's the best way to get them.

[@sic-n-tiredtired4273]

@@SharingTheOutdoors great thanks for the info I'll look them up now

[@carmenortiz5294]

Nice video. I'm getting free nightclawler with my order of composting worms (which I know how to care for). Found this video which is great since now I can care for the nightcrawlers, plan to let them lose since I don't fish, but right now we have a blizzard and tons of snow, so I needed to find a way to keep them alive for now. (I don't know any fishermen.)

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Glad we could help you out a bit. Nightcrawlers are good to have around. They will help enrich the soil in a big garden too

[@bryanjones14]

A dozen crawlers in Michigan where I live are $6.50 this year , leeches are $8.00 its getting out of hand . Ive been out collecting at night this year ive gotten 7 lbs of crawlers , and a maybe 500 leeches

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

I know. I thought it was out of hand when I started doing this. Collecting bait is a great way to save too, wish we had good fishing worms around here

[@bryanjones14]

@@SharingTheOutdoors I guess I'm bless , I can get 100 200 crawlers in a 1/2 hr after a rain without even leaving my yard , at the end of the season I just empty my bins ( old coolers ) into the garden . And start over in the spring

[@adriangarciafishing7498]

Remember everyone that the old worm bedding is packed with nutrients for your garden or house plants dont let it go to waste

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Love that! Never even thought to mention it!

[@jayking3898]

Great video, thanks for the tips. Those perch were amazing btw!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Thanks! Hope to catch some more soon!

[@dudelivestrong]

Thanks I’m tired of paying $4 a dozen only to day a week later in the frig.

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Our supply usually lasts into the summer when we have fished our way through them. You will loose a few, but re-bedding them every month will keep loses low. Most summers we have to get another 500 for our fishing vacation!

[@rosemartin5137]

This'll be great for my frog. Thank you so much!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Yes, frogs and turtles love nightcrawlers !

[@tobbiehaynes8380]

Nice looking deer mounts. Good info thanks

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Thanks! We’ll be getting the three beamed 14 point Dana got while filming back shortly. Can’t wait to get him up beside the others! I need to get my worms ordered soon too. Only have three or four dozen left from last years order!

[@sic-n-tiredtired4273]

Hey me again where do you usually order your nightcrawlers from ?

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

There are several companies you can get them from. I have used Windsor Wholesale Bait, and also Speedy Worm. Keep in mind, if you order them during the hot summer months, you will need to pay more for next day delivery or they wont guarantee live delivery.

[@sic-n-tiredtired4273]

@@SharingTheOutdoors great thank you so much. I understand the overnight shipping especially in the summer I've ordered a couple from a few different companies even with overnight they showed up dead so thanks again.

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@sic-n-tiredtired4273 That's one of the reasons we usually order a very large batch in early spring, and keep them in this fashion so we have them when we want to go fishing over the summer. If you do use the overnight option though, while more expensive in the heat, they will usually replace them if they do arrive dead.

[@sic-n-tiredtired4273]

@@SharingTheOutdoors that's a great idea to order more earlier thanks again for all the info I really appreciate it

[@catalickconverta6823]

You have to keep canadian nightcrawlers under constant light to stop them escaping the container thats how the bait shops store them

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Never had a problem with them escaping in the fridge, with the exception of the first few days after we put them in the container. After they bury down the don’t do that any more

[@Default71677]

Those bucks in the background are nice man

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Thanks! They are far between, but our public land has some nice ones!

[@boblevasseur7585]

I kept mine in 2, 5 gallon buckets I started off with 50 Worms, then as I would move stuff an find them I would add them, now it's been 2 years been feeding keeping moist every thing. Well today I dumped them counted them up........... 12 that's all 12 what happened to them I don't get it I figured maybe a 1000 or more, 9

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

That is strange. When night crawlers die they give off a gas that will kill the rest, but you usually find the remains of dead ones in the bedding

[@nourhanateout7187]

Can I use coco fiber as their substrate?

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

I really don’t know how they would do in that. I’ve used the paper based beddings before and they seem to do OK, but the problem with that is when you use the worms up or change the bedding have to dispose of it, and the peat bedding can be dumped on the ground or in the garden for compost. I guess there’s one way you could find out? Try it with a small batch of a few dozen and see how they do in it

[@nourhanateout7187]

@@SharingTheOutdoors thank you! I'm new to night crawlers. I'm attempting to feed them to a picky pacman frog. The substrate cant have any pesticides or fertilizers because ill be feeding to animal. U mentioned sphagnum moss, can that alone suffice as a subtrate for night crawlers?

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@nourhanateout7187 oh, auto correct changed peat to pest in my reply. Yes, the sphagnum peat moss I use is the only thing I keep them in. It’s organic. I get that bedding from Magic Products. Should be able to find them with an internet search

[@nourhanateout7187]

@@SharingTheOutdoors thank you! I realized there is a difference between spaghnum moss and spaghnum peat moss. I will look into it, thank you. I did a search on the peat moss and I saw "garden magic peat moss" is this what your referring to? I didn't find anything for magic products

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@nourhanateout7187 no. The stuff I use is made for worms by A company called Magic Products. It’s a fishing supply company. I think they’re in Wisconsin

[@jlmize1507]

I needed this video. Thanx for sharing your knowledge and skills. Tight Lines Forever (TLF)!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

You're very welcome! I was just thinking about getting ready to try a little off season trout fishing, and counted, still have four or five dozen left from the batch I bought last March, and realized it's time to order another batch to have on hand for next spring and summer!

[@dannymcnalley5657]

Great video guys. Very interesting how to care for the worms. Take care👍

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Doing this has saved us quite a bit over the years!

[@Luis-zl5cg]

Peat as bedding and leaves and a sprinkle of cornmeal as food is all that needs to be done also once you see bedding is now poop replace it and hold onto it maybe use it for your garden because they will start eating their own poop and their poop is actually toxic to them and that's what kills them also their slime gets acidic after sitting in the bedding for the awhile

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

I prefer the sphagnum bedding as opposed to peat or paper beddings. It is much cleaner, doesn't stain your hands or leave wads of used wet paper to deal with, and after use it returns to its, dry flaked state and leaves no mess. It also makes great garden fertilizer like you mentioned!

[@DOUBLEO_ObsessionOutdoors]

Nice!! I don't use worms often enough to ever need that many! But I'm Gona recommend this to my brother for sure lol that's all he uses!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Pass it along! We've been saving money like this for years and years!

[@0gprotein409]

I think its too cold in the fridge, i keep mine around 65 degrees

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Ours seem to do fine for months and moths until we use them up.

[@0gprotein409]

@@SharingTheOutdoors i figured theyd still do fine and you know more than me i just started mine and i use a 5 gallon bucket

[@camila9425]

My chicken is gonna love this!!

[@alexischavez3238]

Bought some red wrigglers I found out after the fact that I can't feed to my pacman frog so now I need to keep these suckers alive, great video helped alot!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Glad it helped!

[@trenaebowers1968]

My Pacman frog loves these

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

They're good for him too!

[@trenaebowers1968]

@@SharingTheOutdoors I make them last longer because I rip up pieces of lettuce really small and put them in there for the worms to eat

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@trenaebowers1968 That's good for them too!

[@Sabrina1998]

Where do you get your bait from?

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

We got these from Speedy Worm, early in the season if they don't have them we order from Windsor Wholesale bait, both companies ship direct to your door.

[@Sabrina1998]

@@SharingTheOutdoors awesome. Thank you so much.

[@allywilkeforsenate]

Farmers spray the fields with round up around here and there are no worms in the fields.

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@allywilkeforsenate I order my crawlers from suppliers, they ship them overnight

[@noconsentgiven]

Thank you sir👍❤️!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

You're very welcome

[@bonez2450]

I thought your video was interesting. I have had composting worms for a while in 5gal buckets & about 1/2 year ago got some night crawlers to see about breeding them. I know it's not the same as what you're doing, but what would be your thoughts on that? You dont have to keep them refrigerated & can feed them dried leaves/grass. My worms are still alive and have been breeding. It does take a while to get them full grown. I'm just curious on your thoughts because the reason i got the nightcrawlers is because my dad fish's & he does what you do, where he buys them & doesn't breed more.

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Wish I could help, but I have no experience breeding, nor have I noted reproduction even after keeping them for over a year at a time. I do wonder though, perhaps your nightcrawlers are European, not Canadian? I know the European don't require refrigeration.

[@bonez2450]

@@SharingTheOutdoors Mine are Canadian. It's probably because I feed them. I'd guess refrigerating them makes them slow down and live long like what they'd need to do in winter. But not refrigerating and feeding them would basically be like summer to them. Just an experiment for me right now. So far the only issue I had is i put some potatoe peels on top of the soil & at first it grew some mold. Seems like the nightcrawlers don't eat the same way that composting red worms do.

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@bonez2450 Mine seem to eat the damp corn meal food I feed them rather quickly, right off the top of the soil, even in the fridge

[@shannontogo6538]

Instead of buying more worms why not breed some of the ones you have?

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

That's a great question, and for the industrious it can be done. But for night crawlers it requires specific soil chemistry, as well as about 6 months to mature. We use them much too quickly to wait. Much easier to just buy another batch. Raising red worms is a much easier and quicker process if you're interested in cultivating them.

[@shannontogo6538]

@@SharingTheOutdoors I guess it depends on how quickly you use them and the cost/effort to buy vs breeding. I just ordered 100 night crawlers and I am going to see if I can breed them. I paid $48 AUD for 100 worms so they aren't cheap,and hopefully they will breed. Have you come across many cocoons from the worms you have bought?

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@shannontogo6538 As doing as I've been doing this, I've only ever noticed what I thought were one or two baby worms, and that was after I held the leftovers over the winter. Never seen cocoons. Of course, I don't worry about soil PH so I'm not surprised. That's A LOT of money for 100 worms though. It works out to about 8 AUD a dozen. You can order them from Wal-Mart much cheaper than that. We buy them from speedy worm, and they quote a batch of 100 for about 36 AUD. But buying in bulk knocks the price down a lot. If you buy 500 worms at a time it's about half price, at 75 AUD. That's why we do this, to save money on bait.

[@shannontogo6538]

@@SharingTheOutdoors I'm in Australia so we probably don't have as many worm farmers which would be why the price is high. I also don't fish with worms that often so I don't need to buy 500. I have bought a worm conditioner and measuring devi e to control the PH levels.We have scrub worms in Australia which are longer than the European, but I've researched they are harder to breed.I used them once and they worked well..probably a bit too long though.Ive got some trout worms and composting worms in tubes as well as scrub worms.When the Europeans arrive i will go fishing and see which worms work best

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@shannontogo6538 That's probably it! Sounds like you're ready to go, good luck with you breeding, and fishing!

[@Alexjones_wasright]

Thanks brother great info I appreciate the time

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Sure thing! Heading out to put some of this years batch to good use!

[@tarxantoo]

Where do you buy bulk night crawlers?

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

You can find them by doing a google search, several companies offer them, worms , mealworms and crickets as well. I think Bass Pro has them available too. Try searching live bait on their site.

[@bkbowhunter1]

Pretty cool info. Are worms your primary bait

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Depends on what we are fishing for. I love a nice live minnow, but crawlers work well for white perch. Get into a school of those and you can run through 4 or 5 dozen worms right quick!

[@azariemendez6653]

Azarie

[@anthonyspeed8014]

Very helpful thank you

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

You bet!

[@23KCOutdoors]

Same way pops does it

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Been doing it like this for years, and it's really nice to have a bunch on hand, more so now since most stores are closed.

[@thomasrobinson2058]

Put a light inside the fridge and they won't escape

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

You know, I bet that would work, But the dern thing keeps going out when I close the door.

[@JaySav916]

@@SharingTheOutdoors There is a switch that the door pushes when you close it. Just bipass it, and the light will stay on all the time.

[@wingnutbert9685]

@@SharingTheOutdoors But if the door is closed, how do you know for sure?!?! LOL!

[@preacherman8220]

Nice deer on the wall buddy.

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Thanks! The one my wife got will be joining them, She self filmed that hunt. 3 main beams an 14 points. Vids on our channel from last September! Thanks for watching!

[@paulsoutbackgardenaustrali7674]

African or European crawlers?

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Canadian.

[@mr.shadestrains6033]

I like to go out and catch my own worms

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

That is a good way to collect bait. We don’t have good worms to use here, the ones we have break into pieces and won’t stay on a hook

[@timbrindley451]

feed em cornmeal and coffee grinds

[@333pinkitty]

Thank you!!!!

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

You’re very welcome

[@thetank4682]

Thank you you tought me something

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

You're very welcome! Always good to have a supply of bait on hand!

[@froggorr4992]

Now that was wormy

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

LOL

[@jokertheglosharkfriends4554]

I need some worms

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Getting to be that time of year. Trout stocking has already started here.

[@jokertheglosharkfriends4554]

@@SharingTheOutdoors do you sell them? I have axolotl’s and I feed them night crawlers but they are very hard to find out here in Boston

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@jokertheglosharkfriends4554 No we don't sell them. But you can order live nightcrawlers , redworms and mealworms online. We got ours from Speedy Worm.

[@jokertheglosharkfriends4554]

@@SharingTheOutdoors ooh ok I didn’t know I honestly thought you where who all stores got them from I’m new to the worms stuff but thank you so much I will definitely go order some tonight

[@The-Sportsman69]

👍

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Thanks for watching!

[@uchibauki2515]

Why can’t you use fake worms 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

You can. I've found live bait will catch more fish though. Especially if you're fishing for small panfish

[@davycornell8715]

Who the hell BUYS worms....

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Can’t get fat Canadian night crawlers out of the ground here

[@Fireworxs2012]

*Buying Nightcrawlers?....Um...We pick them up out of the back yard. Maybe it's time to go into the Worm Business?*

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

Would be a good idea. The worms in this area aren’t suitable for fishing, and tend to break into small pieces when you try and out them on a hook

[@Fireworxs2012]

@@SharingTheOutdoors *My yard is basically one big worm farm. 3 nights ago, after it rained, me and the wife picked up about 5 dozen nightcrawlers in about 20 minutes, within about 15 feet of the back patio. When I was young, we had several aquariums, we always fed the nightcrawlers with aquarium water. Apple peels, coffee grounds, corn meal or flour, potato skins. Throw them in the food processor, hit the puree for a second or two, presto, worm food. BTW, the castings make the best potting soil you've used*

[@SharingTheOutdoors]

@@Fireworxs2012 wish we had them native around here. Gets too hot for them during the summer, we have to buy composting worms for our food waste