BARTERS & BOOTSTRAPS

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Earthworms are a perfect first business for kids of any age

by Alex H. Boeder

MOTHER NATURE SURE WAS THINKing about the fisherman when she dreamed up the earthworm. She also might have been thinking about the perfect summer business for kids. What kid hasn't happily dug into the dirt in hopes of collecting a pail full of worms to watch? Well, this summer it doesn't have to be just child's play: Since an earthworm is probably the most reliable bait in the world and fishing is one of the most popular pastimes in the country, there can be money in them there dirt piles.

Finding your worms

Known as angleworms, dewworms, gardenworms, nightcrawlers, rainworms, ground, and red worms, earthworms are especially plentiful in old lawns and wild grasslands. But worm burrows are often well-hidden, and the entrances are sometimes plugged with leaves, seeds, twigs, or pebbles. To get them on a moment's notice, the soil may have to be turned over with a fork or shovel. Still, during humid weather, worms do come out of their tunnels to feed, mate, or migrate. Worms are known to travel considerable distances in order to migrate, and they will always emerge during rainstorms at night, and occasionally during the day, too.

Seldom, if ever, will they be on the surface when winds are blowing strongly. But in clear weather, after dark, earthworms can easily be gathered on the surface of almost any piece of fertile soil. The best method: Search under large trees or bushes with the aid of a dim light, such as a flashlight fitted with a red lens or covered with a piece of very light cloth or paper. On a selected night, worms can readily be brought to the surface by thoroughly sprinkling the ground around their burrows before sundown. Collecting them is a cinch then. However, should the temperature fall below 40 degrees, forget it—you'll have to dig them out the following day.

Raising worms

Wooden boxes 14"x 18" are recommended for raising worms outdoors. They can be stacked easily then, and held apart with small blocks of wood. When arranged in tiers, such a system provides for ventilation, drainage, and easy access for watering. The boxes should be supported above the ground to a height of at least 6". This will prevent the wood from deteriorating and permitting the critters to escape. Fill these containers with one part manure, one part screened top soil, and one part peat moss.