April Showers bring May….Crawlers???
Its Monday night, and there is thunder in the background. Ever get tired of paying two sometimes three dollars a dozen for night crawlers? Here is a simple solution for the young at heart, go pick your own!
Nights like tonight are the perfect weather conditions, hard rain, ground soaking with expected let up around midnight. All you need is a flashlight and coffee can. Ok, so that is just to get started, but you really wont need much more than that. And with what you spend in one year to get started, will last you years and years to come.
Here’s what you need to get started, one or several bait containers, worm food and bedding. Also doesnt hurt to have an understanding mom, girlfriend or wife. An extra fridge helps too.
Its good to have the bedding wetted and in the container before you actually go out picking on a rainey night. Not too wet, just follow the directions on the bedding bag. Frabill and Magic make a good paper product. Same companies make the containers and the food, too. You can choose from several varieties, including these old style Bait Canteens, which are still in productions. Styrofoam ranch models are also available, all in different sizes to match your needs and ambition.
Once you have your catch, place in the paper material, and then into the fridge to keep cool. Once a week check for wetness, sprinkle food on top of mixture and then turn box upside down and shake. Not exactly sure on the how and why, but a weekly shake up of the material has produced the best results since I was in ol’ Ida High, some 22 yrs ago.
With proper care, you should be able to sustain your crawlers or even leaf worms well into the fall. You may need to change the bedding once or twice as needed. The crawlers I had from last year went into the compost pile last November, and the leaf worms just went in last month. Way back when, it wasnt uncommon to get 30 to 50 dozen in one night. A couple of nights like that should last you a whole season.
*Hint, if you spray for dandilions, forget about it. You’ll be buying your crawlers for that year. If you can hold off until you have some in the fridge, do it. The spray either kills them off or drives them from the area.
May 3rd, 2007 at 8:14 pm
worms in the fridge: being understanding.
being asked to wear a dork patrol light on my head holding a bucket and being swarmed by mosquitos in the heat of the summer so you can go fishing: really pushing your luck buddy, here’s $12 i was going to spend on hair/makeup/nails.
didn’t know that about shaking them up…definitely a good tip!
May 4th, 2007 at 3:28 am
Can only imagine the patrol light look. Have discovered that a regular D-cell battery powered flashlight works best for me (having not tried the dork light myself), tried the inexpensive ten dollar, 1,000,000 candle light spot light. It seems when a light becomes that bright, the light gives off too much heat. The crawlers sense it, and wiggle their tails back down the holes.
Besides the shake, if the paper bedding is becoming dry. Just add the occasional ice cube (well or filtered city water) to the container, for a slow melt in the fridge. If you dont have a filter attached to your system, one of the Brita pitchers works great to take out the addatives in the water.
Where are you going to only spend $12 on hair/nails/makeup, the last time I had to go and do the waiting in the mall game, it was double that just for the darn nails!!!!!
May 8th, 2007 at 11:11 am
the dork light works well because it frees your hands for grabbing worms and holding the worm can, you just have to aim it slightly higher or lower than where you’re looking in order not to spook the worms. some dork patrol lights have settings to shine less bright.
where am i going for hair/makeup/nails? i don’t…i don’t do my nails, it takes me at least a year to use up makeup, and it’s nice to have a sister-in-law who is a hairstylist/colorist who will trade favors for a new ‘do…those were the only girly things i could think of to spend money on.
May 10th, 2007 at 3:06 am
Going to be tag teaming those crawlers in a few years. My neice was born last night. She can either hold the can or the flashlight for Uncle Chuck!
May 11th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
congratulations new uncle! gotta get her past that ‘yuck! worms!’ phase. train ‘em early, train ‘em right…my 4 1/2 year old girl is no stranger to holding worms, minnows, grubs, but not so hot on the leeches yet which is ok by me. little girls are great, they can do everything boys can do (but better, of course). have fun with your new neice!
May 11th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
ty ty, she is a lil doll, just have to mold her into being a tomboy and staying away from boys. I can so see myself sitting on the front porch with the shotgun loaded with rock salt!
May 16th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
ha! just a note…the husband went patrolling around the yard for worms tonight, said he really fooled them with the red light setting. all the worms in the bucket are crying: worm-man, you don’t have to put on the red liiiiiiiiight! put on the red liiiiight!
ok, ok, i know it’s bad, i can’t help myself.
May 17th, 2007 at 9:30 am
I went out the other night too (Tuesday), was so so dissappointed in the amount that I saw, little enough caught. Part of the problem was my little helper. Piper is my youngest beagle, and the only dog I have who seems undaunted by the rain. Its ok if she follows behind me, but often she wants to see what I am shining my light at!!!
Anyway with the poor outing, I broke down and traveled to Brooklyn to say hey to the guys over at Knutson’s. I picked up a flat of 500 crawlers packed in dirt (you can pick it up in bedding too), and worked through them and put them in my crawler boxes with bedding at the house.
This cold weather isnt really helping the catching process, lil buggers are hugging too close to their holes and not venturing far at all.
Ok, just got it…..Roxanne….The Police. Back then I was more of a Nugent, AC/DC, Seger and Aerosmith fan. Anyhoo…be bad, its always good for a chuckle.