If you have a composting bin at home, then you will have an incessant need for worms. Sure, you can always go online or visit a retailer within the neighborhood to buy a supply of worms. However, why would you bother spending when you can find worms in their natural environments?
It might take a bit of work but finding and catching worms by yourself is a rewarding experience. Especially if you love spending time outdoors, this is one activity you will enjoy. It is like going on a hunting trip.
Clueless about how to find and catch worms? Keep on reading and we’ll let you know some of the best things to do. We cannot guarantee success, but we’ll give you some tips on how to increase the chances of finding the worms you need.
How to Find Worms
The first thing you need to do is to proactively search for worms. The best place to look for worms is in the garden. Your backyard can be their natural habitat. If there are no worms within the vicinity of the property, try walking within the neighborhood. You can check out parks and forests.
Before venturing out of your home hunting for worms, know the importance of timing. Worms won’t be out anytime. A good time would be on a rainy day. It is best when the ground is wet. Water on the surface will drive worms out of their habitat, making it easier to find them. Once it rains, worms will move to drylands, including roads and driveways.
Even if it isn’t rainy, there’s still a good way to find worms. One of the best things to do is to go to an area where you believe there are worms. Pour water on the ground until the soil is saturated. Go back in the evening and see if there are worms coming out.
Get your hands dirty if you want to find worms. It will be hard to spot them when you are standing on the ground Sit down and dig. Move plants and debris to see if there are worms hiding on the surface.
Pro Tip: When you are walking when searching for worms, be as gentle as possible with your footsteps. Worms are intelligent creatures. They can feel the vibrations of your feet, and it might send them hiding. Not to mention, when you aren’t careful, you might end up crushing worms on the ground.
How to Catch Worms
Finding worms is just the first thing. The next important step is to catch the worms from their habitat. Worms can be slimy, making them hard to hold. Luckily, however, they are not fast movers. This means that they will not easily escape, as long as you act quickly to catch the worms.
Below, we will have a quick rundown of some of the best methods to catch worms.
1. Cardboard Method
This is one of the simplest ways to catch worms. Even if you are a first-timer, you can do this successfully without exerting a lot of effort. All that you will need to do is to leave damp cardboard in the yard overnight. Make sure that it is flat and it touches the surface of the soil. Cardboards are amongst the best foods for worms, so they will naturally venture out of the soil and feed on the surface, making them easier to spot and catch.
2. Digging Method
Another simple way of catching worms, this is exactly what the name implies. When you see worms in a specific area, it’s time to get your hand dirty. Look for a stream or any indication of water since worms thrive the most in moist environments. Use a shovel to dig. Do not dig too deep. In most instances, six to eight inches will be enough. Once worms start showing up, scoop them out of the ground.
3. Electrocution Method
This might seem like a little morbid, but this is another common method by which you can successfully catch worms out of their habitat. You will need a car battery, metal rods, and jumping cables. Do not forget to wear rubber boots to protect yourself from being electrocuted during the procedure. Position the metals deep on the ground and turn on the car battery. The electrical current will let the worms come out. Repeat the process until there are no more or few worms coming out, then move to another area.
4. Soap Method
Using a bucket, liquid soap, and water, you can enjoy another successful method of catching worms. Mix the soap and water in a bucket. Make sure that you are using a non-toxic soap since you will need the worms alive. Pour the mixture over the lawn, and almost immediately, you will see worms coming out. Once you catch the worms, rinse them immediately. The soap in the water can make it difficult for them to breathe, so they need to be washed.
A Few Tips and Tricks
When catching worms, below are some of the most important things to keep in mind:
- Do not pull the worms off the ground. You might end up breaking their body. If they are burrowing, let them be. Wait until they are fully on the surface before catching them.
- When you transfer the worms in a cup or container, make sure that there is dirt. Like in their natural habitat, they also need moist soil to survive after being caught.
- Keep the worms alive. Whether you are using them for gardening or fishing, among others, they are most useful when they are alive.
Conclusion
Need worms for your composting bin? You may not necessarily need to buy a pound! Instead, you might want to search for them yourselves, which would be best to do when it just rained or when the surface is wet and moist. To catch the worms, consider the methods mentioned above. Most of these procedures will be easy, even if you are doing so for the first time.
