blackworm rinsing techniques

[eldaldo]

Hi,

I keep my blackworms in a big tupperware container for cakes I think it is about a gallon in volume. The dimensions are approximately 12X5X3. Every time I rinse my worms, I lose some. I tell myself that the number of worms I lose rinsing them is nothing compared to the number I would lose if I don't rinse. But, has anyone developed techniques that they use to not lose any worms in the rinsing process? Are there perhaps better containers?

 

[Kaysie]

I have the same problem. It's a fairly small number, but they're still expensive. I wonder if you could create some sort of net that they live in, within the container. You pull the net out, dump the dirty water, and put in fresh water, and put the net back in. That wouldn't allow you to remove debris though, just dirty water.

 

[jewett]

The company AquaticFoods.com sells a container that is similar to what Kaysie describes - its two plastic boxes nested one in the other. The smaller, internal container has a mesh bottom that holds the blackworms themselves. When you need to rinse them, simply remove the smaller internal box and rinse. See here:http://www.aquaticfoods.com/accessories.html

This is the only way I have ever housed blackworms and I can't imagine trying to rinse them without it. I have two of them, and I have housed as many as 1/4lb of worms per box before, for many months at a time. I purchased these boxes last fall, but if I remember right they were very economical. I would recommend them.
Heather

 

[Otterwoman]

I use urine strainers to strain my blackworms (they're for patients with suspected kidney stones to help find them). If you know a nurse, she may be able to get you a few.
I usually just drain the water down the sink; but in the first picture, it's going into a plastic container, only because I couldn't strain and take a picture at the same time.

 

[eldaldo]

these are all good ideas. I have a friend who is in nursing school, I'll see if I can get one of those strainers. I look forward to an awkward conversation with her, Haha.

 

[Jennewt]

ROFL:lol: I have a couple of those strainers, Dawn, but I had no any idea what they were. I don't even recall where I got them. I learn something new here every day. I'll try them for blackworms.

 

[Daniel]

That's an interesting way - I am looking into blackworms myself at this time as I have found someone breeding them (they are rather uncommon over here).
I know this sieving-technique from bloodworms, tubifex and so on and I use fish-food-sieves (similar to artemia sieves but with a more coarse net in it).
Which leads me to one question: with this method you may very well change the water but what about dead worms? Do you pick them out or leave them in the box?

 

[Otterwoman]

Usually by the time there are enough dead to make me want to throw them out, my bunch is gone. If I get one and many are dead, I'd just throw it out. However, if you want to separate dead ones from live ones, say you have a large large bunch that you sent away for and paid a lot of money, what you do is this: Put them in cheesecloth and tie it into a little pouch. Put it in a bucket of water and the live ones will crawl out of the cheesecloth. I always put the pouch at the edge of the water so they know there is water to seek; I never tried to immerse it completely, but that might work too.

 

[radtad]

I strain my black worms into a 4 inch baby brine shrimp net then rinse and put back into the container. I like the kidney stone strainers and the actual balck worm container. They both seem very effective

 

[shredder83]

I just use a small aquarium net. I pour my container into it to catch all the worms and then rinse them until the water runs clear.

 

[sean n dad]

Guys,
I have found that if I set the temp to the refrigerator to 33degrees F the worms keep longer and I don't have to rinse as much & the batched keeps longer. I rinse the worms before I feed. Usually I feed black worms once a week. I have a batch in the fridge now that are about two weeks old and going strong.

Also I keep them in a container that is tall rather then a low. This way when I rinse, the live worms fall to the bottom and the dead stuff floats and can be poured out. I still lose a few worms but not much to worry about.
Regards,
Ed

 

[RainbowMealworm]

I spent HOURS online trying to find a replacement cup/strainer for my worms because I couldn't remember what it was called! Googling 'worm seive' 'bloodworm seive, strainer, container' got me nothing.

Thank goodness for this forum I found it here:

Worm Keepers and Feeders

 

[Adogowo]

I know this is an old thread but I found Charlie Drewes in Iowa he has a great strainer. Text and illustrations below are excerpts from an article


Also, I would think as far as removing dead and debris particles you could place the entire lump of worms on a platform inside the container covered with a flat moist paper towel. This would allow the live ones to crawl back to the water and the debris and dead worms to be seperated. It would be the easiest method I can think of. Then throw out the towel.

It is using the animals instincts to work for you. Same way a friut fly climbs/flies to the light, darken the old culture bottle attach the openings of the old and new bottles and don't darken the new culture bottle. With patience the animals move themselves.

 

[twistedfisher]

I did a step by step a few months ago for someone on the daily rinsing and keeping of black worms.

here is the video of actual rinsing of them in the large tubs we keep them in

Rinsing black worms The easy way! - YouTube