Worms - not mealies, but garden worms

[nxb161]

I was thinking about doing some worm collecting myself, just am too eager to get started It has low in the teen here still, so I think it'll be a while until I can find the worms on the surface. Why oh why didn't I think about starting it in the fall. Do you just collect a lot of the worms from your bins, and then dump everything else for fertilizer for the garden? I don't think I've actually fed my girls any garden worms yet, they love the mealworms though.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Keep in mind that regular earthworms are an intermediate host of parasitic worms like roundworms and tapeworms. As are crickets, beetles, slugs, grasshoppers and flies. A key to controlling parasitic worms is eliminating the intermediate hosts or rotate your pasture.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Years ago I made a "worm house" for my son-in law. They lived by a lake and he loves to fish so this was for bait. It was easy and cheap to do.

Took a huge black garden pot, the type that large trees come in. Lined it with screen door mesh so that the drainage holes in the bottom were covered but water could still get out. Filled it with a mix of garden dirt, compost, shredded paper, leaves, most anything organic I could find. Found a relatively shady spot in the yard and dug a hole big enough to sink the pot almost to the rim. Watered it a bit until it was just moist and then added a few different type containers of bait worms into it. Got a large round outside trash can cover and put on the top so the worms couldn't escape. Then I "fed" it oatmeal and left over veggie trimmings every few days.

The worms not only lived, they thrived and multiplied. He had a constant source of bait all summer long within walking distance of his back door. You know, I should do the same thing for my chickens!

 

[nxb161]

Keep in mind that regular earthworms are an intermediate host of parasitic worms like roundworms and tapeworms. As are crickets, beetles, slugs, grasshoppers and flies. A key to controlling parasitic worms is eliminating the intermediate hosts or rotate your pasture.

That is a good point I forgot about, I'll have to think about that. Then again I plan on using a scoop of garden dirt to get the worm farm going. Do parasitic worms live long outside a host?

 

[Plant Lady]

I want to do both mealworms and red wigglers myself and got the rubber maid totes but now need the worms too Did you ever find a trusted seller yet? I want to use the red wigglers for composting and fishing but I know the chickens will get them as a treat as well

 

[nxb161]

For the mealies, I got them a year ago from Amy Knolls on through her site (she is a member)
The Reg Wigglers I ended up going through UncleJims. It was more than I wanted to spend, but they ship out every Monday (if they get the order by the Saturday before) and they were delivered on Wednesday. The worms came alive and well. What I was not prepared for was them escaping the first day or two. They squeezed out through the lid (which may not be a problem if you bought one with a tight lid) and out some of the vent holes. Also I had vinyl screen at hte bottom with tiny holes to block my drainage holes, and they came out of them too. After a few days they calmed down and stopped trying to escape. I had some old leaves from the fall in my yard still and I added a lot of them to my bin and they liked that a lot. I also put some into my bottom bin and wet them down. That way the ones taht did escape below wouldn't die right away, and I can move them up to the top. Mine plans to stay inside so I probaly don't even need the bottom bin for liquids just as a safety if I mess up and overwater.
Good luck!