How to Raise Worms for Fish Bait

If you are an avid fisherman, purchasing bait on a regular basis can become quite costly. Raising your own worms is an economical way to have bait available whenever you want to go fishing. In addition, it is an environmentally friendly hobby as well. Because worms live and thrive from food scraps, they provide an excellent alternative to throwing garbage in a landfill. In addition, the waste products from worm farms create nutrient rich compost that can be used for garden fertilizer.

Things You'll Need

• 2 plastic bins with lids
• Drill
• 1/4 inch drill bit
• Soil
• Worms
• Newspaper
• Food scraps
• Bricks

Instructions

1. Locate a shady spot to start your worm farm.

2. Drill 1/4 inch drainage holes in the bottom of two plastic tubs. The holes should be one to two inches apart and cover the entire bottom of the tub to create a grid pattern.

3. Create air holes in a grid pattern in the top of one lid using a 1/4 inch drill bit and drill. The holes should be about three inches apart.

4. Put the lid without holes directly on the ground. Place four bricks on each corner of the lid. Set one tub on top of the bricks.

5. Pour three inches of soil into the bin that was just placed onto the bricks.

6. Add several dozen worms of your choice to on top of the soil and cover with additional soil.

7. Place second tub into first tub so it is in direct contact with the soil.

8. Wet some newspaper, wad it up into balls and place it in the top bin. Add scraps of leftover food to the newspaper.

9. Cover the food and newspaper with a piece of cardboard.

10. Cover the top bin with the lid in which you drilled the air holes.

11. Add food scraps and newspaper at least once or twice per week. Stir up the compost mixture when you add the food. Keep contents damp, but do not saturate.

12. When the top bin is half full and has a lot of worms inside, you will need to rotate the bins. This should happen every two to three months. Use the excess compost from the bottom bin in the garden or store in a container for future use. Rotate the top bin to the bottom and restart the top bin as noted in steps 9 through 11.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use a lot of fatty meat in the bin. Vegetables and fruits are best, however, small amounts of meat are okay. Place brick on top of bins if you are worried about wild animals getting into it.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish