Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Wild Worm Round-Up

My hats go off to you wormiculturists, but ask any fish and they'll tell you they prefer free range worms . I bet most of us have stopped in the middle of a rainstorm at least once to pick up I few specimens, but I've found a way to cheat.

Our horse barn has a 72'x12' porch at the end with the stall doors. The floor of the porch is limestone screenings enhanced with shed horsehair, discarded hoof divots, and the more usual horse by-products. Just outside the porch is a nice lush pasture, enhanced with LOTS of the usual horse by-products - big time worm territory.

After about 24 hours of rain, the worms were scrambling (relatively speaking) up onto the porch like you see them do with sidewalks and pavement. But since the porch is high and dry, they found it a nice place to stay safe from drowning and accumulate in large numbers. I picked up a quart of worms in assorted sizes from medium to nightcrawler this morning in about 15 minutes. Some even thanked more for keeping them from being stepped on by the horses when I let them out of their stalls a few minutes later.

Life is good.

Last time we replaced carpeting I took a large strip of the old stuff and placed it fiber side down alongside my shed on the gravel. It has worked great for collecting worms. I try to keep it wet underneath and whenever I need worms to fish I just lift the carpet and pluck the worms right off the top of the ground.