Raising troutworms

[merk199]

I have done lots of research on vermiculture using ENCs. Does anyone know if those techniques would work on trout worms?

 

[Jennewt]

Do you happen to know what species trout worms are? Where are you getting them from?

I've seen the "trout worms" that are sold at Walmart (and probably these are the same for other bait suppliers). These worms are not red wigglers (E. fetida) or ENC (E. hortensis). They wiggle in a way that is very different from other worms I've seen - they sort of whip themselves back and forth. I would be very interested to know what actual species they are.

 

[michael]

They sound like the African worms I used to get in compost blends. My guess is that Wallmart sells more than 1 kind of worm labeled as troutworms.

 

[Greatwtehunter]

According to their website, the troutworms are Eisenia hortensis.

 

[merk199]

They don't look like E horientis to me but I am no expert. The have whip like movement when distressed, and don't seem to exude noxious fluids when caught. I think the distributor for the local area is just over the border in NH. I may call on his shop to see what they are.

 

[Greatwtehunter]

What color container do yours come in? The ones I get come in a blue container and are definitely E. hortensis. Depending on who your supplier is I may try and get some through them. Oh, the troutworms, or any of their worms for that matter, you get from Bass Pro Shops (which if you haven't looked into I really recommend) come from this DMF bait company.

 

[troutnerd]

In Canada the Wal Mart DMF worms are known popularly as nightcrawlers..and are relatively large. In the states,I've seen them called Canandian nightcrawlers. They are common here in Ontario, but difficult to harvest when the ground is frozen and the air is -20 c! I buy them at Walmart in the winter and keep them in a little beer fridge. They do very well over along period of kept in dirt. They do no do well at room temperature. Excellent newt food, especially for larger animals such as verrucosus.