xxianxx
Well-known member
In response to another thread I would like share my experience of catching worms, in particular lob worms. Worms are easy enough to collect off garden paths after rain, you can dig them up from your garden etc , however if you really want large numbers you need to plan ahead and maximize your efforts, I will now explain my simple but effective techniques:
1) You will need one bucket, one head torch and some sand (optional).
2)Select an area to collect worms, this could be either your own garden or a public park. Ensure the area you are collecting from is dog free, not to sure of the potential for the parasites infecting the worms but you will be wandering around in the dark so best to do so for obvious reasons. Also ensure you are collecting for an area which is free from chemicals, herbicides, pesticides etc, I mainly collect from public parks and check with the groundsmen to make sure that no spraying has been carried out. The best collection sites are playing fields such as cricket (stay off the wicket the groundsmen go mental!) or football pitches, any field in fact with short grass, long grass impedes your visibility and field with the grass cut but not collected will have the same effect.
3)The best time to collect is night as worms are nocturnal. In the summer months you will find them at night on the surface, however the best time for collection is after heavy rain, preferably a couple of days worth, the worms burrows will flood and they will be on the surface en masse. Warm/mild weather with lots of rain is the time to focus your efforts.
4)Once you have selected your collection site and the right weather conditions have appeared it is time to go collecting. Some times the worms will be completely out of their burrows and you can simply pick them up of the surface, however they are more often only part way out, they leave their tails in the burrow and if alarmed quickly use it retract themselves. They key to collection is not to alarm them , worms are photosensitive, a bright light or a shadow passing over them will cause them to disappear, your head torch should be set as dim as possible for you to work with. Peter and Kaysie suggested a red filter may not scare them , I have yet to try this out but am keen to do so. Worms are also sensitive to vibrations, a loud voice or heavy footfall will cause them to disappear, so tread softly and do not cough when approaching them. When you catch a worm in your torch light try not to focus the beam directly on it, if it is still partly in its burrow try to grab the end closest to its burrow, or pin it to the ground with a couple of fingers till you can get a good grip, then gently ease it out of the ground. Worms have small hairs on their bodies which they use to lock themselves into their hole, do not tug on them or they may break, apply gentle but firm pressure till they come free. Discard broken worms unless you are going to use them immediately. If your hands become slippery from the worm slime it may reduce your grip, applying sand will help reduce this. Worms can be surprisingly fast, so you need to be quick.
That is my strategy for collecting worms, it can be highly effective. Please note that this is a technique I have only used in the UK and may not work as well in other countries. Please check the legality in your country prior to collecting on land which is not your own . Be aware of your personal safety, when you are in a dark area with a head torch on you will be able to see little of what is around you outside your head torch light and your night vision will be compromised. If you choose to go collecting with a friend , do not work too closely together, even if you are being quite your are doubling the amount of noise the worms could detect. Below is a pic of forty-five minutes collecting, there are about two hundred lobs, they retail at about £25 per hundred.
1) You will need one bucket, one head torch and some sand (optional).
2)Select an area to collect worms, this could be either your own garden or a public park. Ensure the area you are collecting from is dog free, not to sure of the potential for the parasites infecting the worms but you will be wandering around in the dark so best to do so for obvious reasons. Also ensure you are collecting for an area which is free from chemicals, herbicides, pesticides etc, I mainly collect from public parks and check with the groundsmen to make sure that no spraying has been carried out. The best collection sites are playing fields such as cricket (stay off the wicket the groundsmen go mental!) or football pitches, any field in fact with short grass, long grass impedes your visibility and field with the grass cut but not collected will have the same effect.
3)The best time to collect is night as worms are nocturnal. In the summer months you will find them at night on the surface, however the best time for collection is after heavy rain, preferably a couple of days worth, the worms burrows will flood and they will be on the surface en masse. Warm/mild weather with lots of rain is the time to focus your efforts.
4)Once you have selected your collection site and the right weather conditions have appeared it is time to go collecting. Some times the worms will be completely out of their burrows and you can simply pick them up of the surface, however they are more often only part way out, they leave their tails in the burrow and if alarmed quickly use it retract themselves. They key to collection is not to alarm them , worms are photosensitive, a bright light or a shadow passing over them will cause them to disappear, your head torch should be set as dim as possible for you to work with. Peter and Kaysie suggested a red filter may not scare them , I have yet to try this out but am keen to do so. Worms are also sensitive to vibrations, a loud voice or heavy footfall will cause them to disappear, so tread softly and do not cough when approaching them. When you catch a worm in your torch light try not to focus the beam directly on it, if it is still partly in its burrow try to grab the end closest to its burrow, or pin it to the ground with a couple of fingers till you can get a good grip, then gently ease it out of the ground. Worms have small hairs on their bodies which they use to lock themselves into their hole, do not tug on them or they may break, apply gentle but firm pressure till they come free. Discard broken worms unless you are going to use them immediately. If your hands become slippery from the worm slime it may reduce your grip, applying sand will help reduce this. Worms can be surprisingly fast, so you need to be quick.
That is my strategy for collecting worms, it can be highly effective. Please note that this is a technique I have only used in the UK and may not work as well in other countries. Please check the legality in your country prior to collecting on land which is not your own . Be aware of your personal safety, when you are in a dark area with a head torch on you will be able to see little of what is around you outside your head torch light and your night vision will be compromised. If you choose to go collecting with a friend , do not work too closely together, even if you are being quite your are doubling the amount of noise the worms could detect. Below is a pic of forty-five minutes collecting, there are about two hundred lobs, they retail at about £25 per hundred.
