# Worm bed



## Hound_dog (Dec 18, 2010)

Does anybody have their own worm bed? I'm getting tired of having to go to the bait shop only to be told oh were out today.I figured it would be cheaper in the longrun as well.


----------



## whipper snapper (Sep 30, 2007)

yesr, not hard to do. the hard part is making them stay. easy when you can stay on top of it and give necessary attention.


----------



## JMSUN (Feb 24, 2010)

Just Google it ("Raising worms" "Vermicompost"). There is a load of information about raising worms online. It is very simple


----------



## JMSUN (Feb 24, 2010)

You get a good use for your kitchen scraps, and a free supply of some of the best fertilizer you can get.


----------



## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

Try to find an old tub during a remodel and sink it in the ground. Works like a charm. Throw some old ripped up newspaper, coffee grounds and old veggies in for food.


----------



## hogdogs (Apr 19, 2010)

Can you have rabbits where you live?

Feller in Broussard Louisiana had a great set up. He had a 4X8 rabbit hutch on lawn mower wheels. He would leave it one spot for a month or so then move it over and lay a piece of plywood over the spot. When we wanted worms, us neighbor kids would slide the plywood over and use a little cultivator fork he had leanin' on the garage...

In a month he swapped spots...

Brent


----------



## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

i raise red worms. tried doing the vermiculture on the internet several years ago and it didn't work. what those people know is how to bs about something that they think works for them. forget about table scraps if you want worms to fish with. red worms will grow to about 3 inches if you raise them the way they live naturally. i've tried school cafeteria scraps, shredded paper, wood chips, cottonseed meal, dry dog food, and rotten veggies from the grocery store. the best red worm bed starts with old rotten hay and some horse or cow manure. don't put worms in a bin, it gets hot from the bacterial action and they don't like it. i had an old bathtub full of red worms, spread some dry dog food on top of the bed and they left. i walked up on them one afternoon crawling out of the tub. amazing sight to see about 50,000 worms coming out of the bed.
anyway, try the hay-manure recipe. not too much water so it won't stagnate. next year, start harvesting. it works. 

jack


----------



## BentStraight (Dec 27, 2008)

I've been using an old 120 quart cooler for the last few years, I throw in egg shells, coffee grounds, composted leaves and juniper needles and I have ALWAYS had worms. I had an old boat parked on my lake shore and it had filled up with juniper needles a foot deep, when I went to clean it out one day it was FULL of fat 4" wigglers and the bottom 5" layer was prime "worm castings".


----------



## gbliz (Jan 13, 2011)

the dept of wildlife oklahoma has the plans on how to make worm beds and cricket beds,,,, look for backyard bait... schematics and all


----------



## Catchin Hell (Oct 9, 2007)

I ordered 5 lbs of red worms from ebay a couple of years back. They arrived alive, but they were really small. Anyway, I put em in a 8' x 2' x 18" trough above the ground to try and keep them from leaving. Everything went well until summertime hit and then those turds packed their bags and hit the road. I still find little clusters of red worms here and there on the property and every year in the spring, I'll have a few show up in the trough from the eggs that were laid, but I couldn't figure out how to keep them in one place when the weather gets warm. They use the night time dew as their hiway to freedom and seem to be able to climb anything... Good luck if you try it.


----------



## gbliz (Jan 13, 2011)

if you dont use bronze screen lining you will lose them.....


----------



## gbliz (Jan 13, 2011)

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/publications/bait.pdf............... use this on how to build and save them good luck good fishing


----------



## whipper snapper (Sep 30, 2007)

growing up we had a 5x30' bed that produce more than enough worms year round for 4 families. my aunt juanice owned a worm farm in defuniak, so she always kept us supplied with necessary amenities. we had concreted blocks stacked 2 high for our sides, with open bottom. we also used a mixture of composted soil and saw dust as our starter soil, which all turned into the same stuff in a few months. we didn't really feed them scraps, although they had a steady diet of dog crap from our 6 walker hounds (do not dig in the area you have recently fed) could be a bad situation. we did suppliment with corn meal at times. the secret to maintaining a constant bed is moisture. you must also build your bed in a very shady area. the bed must stay mulched heavy at all times, i recommend lots of leaves and peanut hulls ect... all this i learned from my aunt, who owned a 5 acre bed. she supplied all the bait stores in nw florida and lower alabama at one time. remember if you are making an open bed, water every day. if you make it condusive to there growth, they will not have a reason to leave.


----------



## screwballl (Feb 1, 2011)

My father in law has a compost pile between our houses and everytime we finish fishing and have leftover purchased or dug up worms, we drop them in there. This makes good compost for planting and always have plenty of worms for fishing.

In this case since it is surrounded by sand, the worms always stay in this one spot without the need for borders or screen.


----------



## Bbagwell (Mar 10, 2010)

I have a question. It seems everyone has a problem with the worms escaping. Is it not okay to cover the worms. Especially at night? I have never tried to harvest worms but have definitely thought about it. Pardon my ignorance but this seems logical.....yes...no..


----------



## screwballl (Feb 1, 2011)

With all the sand in this area, as long as there is a good 10-15 foot circle of sand with little to no plant life then the worms do not leave unless they are not getting the nutrients they need from your compost.
Look at what you are throwing in the trash and try keeping some for compost. Egg shells, any fruits or vegetables, fish carcasses, coffee grounds and even the thinner coffee paper filters can all be used.

We do not cover or water it unless it has been more than a week without rain, and sometimes we wait 2-3 weeks. This is mostly because ours runs about 2-3 feet into the ground, and maybe 2 feet above ground. The worms go deep or hibernate when it gets too cold, and when it warms up they automatically start moving again.

Again, as long as you have the nutrients they need, they will not leave.


----------



## baldona523 (Mar 2, 2008)

It is not as easy as you'd think to have a bin of worms. They don't like the heat and will leave if you don't keep them cool enough. Also, the soil or ground needs to be damp, like a wet sponge. if you keep them in a bin it is better to stay dryer than to wet. It should feel more like dirt than mud if that makes sense. If it is too wet the worms will either leave or die, and black flies will move in also. If it is too wet it will stink, worms should never really smell.


----------



## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

I'm tired of buying worms too, although I get them at a very good price from a worm farm up in Slocomb, AL area. I'm headed to Louisiana and Texas in late March for a five week fishing trip. When I get back I'm going to start a bed and see what happens. I do know when it gets hot you have to pay attention and care for them. Shade is a must.
I plan to just buy a batch of fishing size worms and use them as starters.


----------

