earth worms - storage

[leeloo]

Hi i ordered 100g of earthworms off the internet and there are absolutly loads of them!!! My axie is only 12cm and shes in the fridge at the moment so i've got way too many! On the packaging it says to keep 2-3 days put in some damp newspaper and to keep for longer, move to a bigger container and damp newspaper and mashed potato! I've put them in the fridge too as thats what someone on here suggested. Theres no way shes gonna eat that many in a week or so, so i need to look at other storage methods......i was thinking of freezing some, has anyone tried this? i've frozen mealworms in an ice cube tray before but i'm worried the wormies might get out as i was shocked at how they climbed up the sides of their container (no wonder it says not to leave the lid off!) Also, how easy is it to make a worm farm? I don't really wanna buy any expensive equipment though! Thanks x

 

[kapo]

Do have access to dirt/earth. If you do put them in a bucket/plastic tub of dirt. You can keep a few in a container in the fridge, they last for a week or so, and the rest in the tub of dirt.

 

[ianclick]

Hi Leeloo,

Yay, worm farms could be the eco friendly sollution to your problem and provide you with an additional source of income as well as helping decrease your waste and increase your households green footprint.

www.sustainability.vic.gov.au has simple plans and information on starting worm farms and vermiculture, or google wormfarms.

You will of course end up with more worms in the long run, you may need to get another axie to cope.

 

[leeloo]

oooo thanks for the link, i'll have a good look at that! I think i'm gonna have to go and buy some topsoil as i can't really use soil from my own garden as its bad quality and i've used chemicals on it (thats why i bought the worms and didn't get them outta my garden!) and as to getting another axie, ones enough at the moment but maybe when i'm a little more experienced! (and if i can persuade my boyfriend to let me have yet another pet!)

 

[Bellabelloo]

My worms have tiny footprints!!

My worms are harvested from the compost bin, a while ago something upset them and they would all be at the top of it , so when I lifted the lid off they would fall off( usually onto my feet..but I'm tough now..don't even flinch!)..and then they all disappeared. Now they are happy again and I have a fantastic supply of nice sized ones. All the veg bits and bobs goes in ( organic) plus the cardboard containers, and thats it. Some time later when my garden starts to die back and I can se soil the kids are unleashed and they empty it for me, ready for the slow down spell of winter. These worms are 'harvested every over day or so and travel less than 10 meters to the tank! If you have a space in the garden it really is worth doing. I have more than enough to share with the smash and grab hedgehog ( its a real thug, comes along knocking things over) and the frogs and toads in particular, and the robins always perch near by for a few.

 

[leeloo]

awwww!
i started a mini worm farm today! yay! i took them out of their old container by hand, it was ickie but kinda fun at the same time!

 

[Jennewt]

What KIND of worms are they? Are they small reddish worms, or gray worms (usually Canadian nightcrawlers)? A worm farm will work great if they are redworms, but it will kill them if they are nightcrawlers.

Either way, the fridge will work for a month or so. I have used frozen worm bits, but you'd have to freeze them individually or they'd all stick together. And frozen worms are kind of gross.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/worms.shtml

 

[leeloo]

they are smallish redish worms, the tub says they are Dendrobaenas??? if you think these will die in a worm farm, i'll return them to their tub in the fridge, my axie absolutly LOVES the wormies!!!

EDIT: just read that link, says they are european nightcrawlers and are suitable for culturing and fishermen recommend them for worm farms so hopefully they will be ok!

 

[Bellabelloo]

I've been wondering about this worm business of late. I have always assumed that the worms in the garden are GARDEN worms , never entered my mind that there may be different species and when I came across nightcrawlers ( that I had never heard about befor I had axolotl) I was flummoxed. I have looked on the internet and came across many sites dedicated to the mighty worm .

www.uclan.ac.uk/facs/science/erg/research_history.

Now I am off to study waht I thought was a common garden worm ( and it still might be!).