As well as being frequently used as bait for fishing, earthworms are also an inherent part of a healthy garden and are great for composting because of their ability to decompose organic matter quickly and enrich the soil. Worms are active at different times for different reasons, allowing you to know the right time to collect them, whether to fertilize your garden, set up a worm farm, or place them in a compost pile. Collecting earthworms is not only free, it can be a good activity for children.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Digging Worms
Step 1. Prepare the necessary equipment
You will need: a garden shovel or a regular shovel and a container filled with damp soil and leaves.
- The ideal time to look for worms is when you are digging in the soil, such as when gardening, putting up a fence, or digging a foundation. If you dig deeper, you'll find a wide variety of earthworms, including nightcrawlers.
- Wear special clothing for gardening. When digging the soil for worms, it's possible that your clothes will get dirty. It's a good idea to wear old clothes, knee pads, gardening gloves, garden boots or shoes.
Step 2. Dig in the soil for worms
Choose a plot of land in your backyard, garden, or forest and start digging a small hole. As you pick up the lumps of dirt, inspect them for worms and collect any you find. The best place to dig is near a river or water source.
- You can also dig in the community garden or in the forest. Do not dig in private land, such as golf courses, ball fields, and public parks.
- Dig as calmly as possible so that the vibrations do not frighten the worms.
- Make sure you check under rocks, logs, and other objects lying on the ground.
Step 3. Carefully dig up the soil around the worms that are resisting when caught
Worms have setae (hairs that help them move through the soil). This is the reason why worms are difficult to pull directly from the soil. Dig up the soil around the worms trying to hide back into the soil, but be careful not to break off the worms. Once the soil is loosened, it will be easy for Ada to pick up the worms and put them in the container.
Step 4. Keep digging until you collect the worms you need
If you can't find any more worms in the hole, start digging a new hole a few feet from the first hole. Repeat the digging and searching process, returning the deep soil to the hole when finished.
Method 2 of 3: Hunting Worms at Night
Step 1. Place a large sheet of wet cardboard on the page
Do it the night before you hunt for worms. This cardboard will attract worms.
Step 2. Prepare the equipment
Earthworms spend their time during the day by burying themselves in the soil and at night the worms come to the surface to consume organic matter. That way, you can collect worms at night without digging like you would during the day. You don't need expensive equipment to hunt worms, just the following equipment:
- Flashlight with blurred or red light. Earthworms cannot see, but can sense light and will avoid bright flashlights.
- A garden shovel or regular shovel for removing soil or turning it over.
Step 3. Prepare the container for the worms
You can use containers made of polystyrene, metal, plastic, glass, or cardboard. Fill the container with moist soil to full and cover the soil with dead, damp leaves. Leaves help keep the soil moist and serve as food for worms.
- You can use butter containers, coffee cans, jars, ice cream containers or old buckets. Make sure the container is empty and clean before using it for worms.
- Earthworms need oxygen. So, make a hole in the lid just big enough to let air in, but not so big that the worms can stretch out and escape through the hole.
Step 4. Wait until the sun goes down
Head to the front yard, back yard, or garden when the sun has set. You can try this method in the woods, a field, or even a golf course. Walk at a gentle, slow, and calm pace. Earthworms cannot hear, but can feel vibrations.
You can also hunt for worms during the day after it rains. Worms need moisture to survive, so they often come to the surface to migrate during rainstorms or when the soil is wet. Next time there's a storm, go outside and look for worms in lawns, sidewalks, and driveways
Step 5. Use a flashlight to look for worms
Collect the worms you manage to find and store them in a container. You have to work fast because if the worm senses your arrival, it will sneak back into the ground.
- Earthworms are very active in cool weather because they do not like extreme cold or heat. However, the worms will also be active at night when the weather is warmer.
- Look for pellets or small piles of soil on the surface of the soil for evidence of earthworms.
Step 6. Look under the cardboard
Don't forget to check under rocks, logs, and leaves. Earthworms will be attracted to the moist soil under objects lying on the ground. So, check behind anything lying on the ground for worms.
Use a garden shovel or a regular shovel to remove leaves and topsoil if you're having trouble locating these spineless creatures
Method 3 of 3: Attracting Worms with Vibration
Step 1. Gather the necessary tools and equipment
Worm grunting, sometimes called worm charming, is the process of luring earthworms out of the soil using vibrations. To do this activity, you'll need a worm tray, a wooden dowel measuring about 60 cm with one end pointed and the other flat, and a 2.5 cm thick metal file (known as a rooping iron) to generate vibrations.
If you don't have a metal file, you can use a hand saw. You'll also need a hammer to drive the stake into the ground
Step 2. Choose a location
Shady areas or areas with lots of trees are the best locations to lure worms out of the soil. Alternatively, an area near a flowing river or body of water (eg ponds) would be even better.
Step 3. Drive the pegs into the ground
Use a rooping iron or hammer to push the stake into the ground about halfway.
Step 4. Move the file over the pegs
To create a vibration that will make the worms pop out, you have to make the vibrations that moles make when digging in the ground looking for worms to eat. Run the file (or saw blade) over the flat top of the peg at medium speed.
