How to Use Electricity to Catch Nightcrawlers

Nightcrawlers, more commonly known as earthworms, live underground and often are used as fishing bait or for composting. You can gather them from your backyard by using electricity. The nightcrawlers will sense the electric current and move upward out of the ground to escape it.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber boots
• Rubber gloves
• Wire coat hanger
• Extension cord

Instructions

1. Put on rubber boots and gloves to help protect against electrical shock.

2. Cut a foot-long piece of wire from the coat hanger. Make sure the extension cord is unplugged and insert the wire into the smaller hole on the female side of the cord.

3. Push the wire into the ground firmly until the top with the extension cord is almost at ground level.

4. Make sure that no pets or small children are nearby and plug the extension cord into an outlet. After a few minutes, nightcrawlers will begin to emerge from the soil.

5. Unplug the extension cord before gathering your nightcrawlers to reduce the risk of electric shock.

Tips & Warnings

• This method works best when the ground is damp after a rainfall. However, make sure your yard is not flooded and and has no puddles or standing water.

• Inserting the wire into the extension cord while the extension cord is plugged in will cause dangerous electrical shock. Likewise, touching the wire when the extension cord is plugged in will cause an electrical shock. Always make sure the extension cord is unplugged when approaching, handling or touching the wire.

References

• Bassbarn.com
• Wired Magazine