How to Dig for Red Worms
Nothing could signify spring more than the emergence of red worms in the warming soil. Buried deep below the frost line, the little red wigglers drive toward the surface in the warming days of spring. Although they retreat in the heat of summer and cold of winter, by knowing where to look, you can dig for red worms almost year-round.
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Instructions
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1
Grab your shovel, small container and head for areas that have some cover over the bare ground. Leaves, old rotted pieces of wood or the compost pile can provide a rich resource for red worms.
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2
Scrape back the organic covering over the ground with the shovel. Chances are you will see the red worms on top of the soil or retreating back into their holes as soon as the debris is pulled back.
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3
Grab the surface worms first and sprinkle a little of the topsoil that they are wiggling through into the small container. You can add some coffee grounds to the container. The grounds will promote some beneficial bacteria that the worms eat as a supplemental food source.
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4
Plunge the shovel into the soil at full depth of the blade. Work the shovel back and forth a few times so you can work the blade as deep as possible.
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5
Pull back on the shovel handle and bring out the soil plug. Dump the soil onto the ground and work through the soil clump with the end of the shovel. Pull out the worms in the clump of dirt.
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Repeat step 5 until you have enough worms. Return the soil back into the holes and add some more coffee grounds back into the dirt. The coffee grounds will help promote nutrients to feed the little red wigglers.
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Use the garden hose in hot dry weather and soak the soil thoroughly the night before you want to dig worms. The wet soil will promote movement of the worms toward the moist soil.
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Dig for worms in the cold of winter by providing a deep cover for the worms. A thick compost pile with a bottom layer of newspapers will aid in keeping the soil ripe for worm propagation. The colder the climate the thicker and larger the pile will have to be to keep the ground from freezing.
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Tips & Warnings
Red worms will migrate to the top of the soil if you provide papers layered on top of the soil. The mold and nutrient growth will be abundant under the paper covering, thus promoting worm growth.
