keeping crawlers alive

[kevin.303]

whats the best way to keep nightcrawlers alive for an extended period of time? i got mine in a plastic folgers coffee can with some topsoil and air holes in the lid. someone told e they live longer if you add some coffee grinds and that i shouldn't keep them in the fridge. i don't beleive that fridge part, and it gets too warm here in the summer to leave them out.

[Savage .250]

whats the best way to keep nightcrawlers alive for an extended period of time? i got mine in a plastic folgers coffee can with some topsoil and air holes in the lid. someone told e they live longer if you add some coffee grinds and that i shouldn't keep them in the fridge. i don't beleive that fridge part, and it gets too warm here in the summer to leave them out.

 When you say,"......for a extended period of time" what do you have in mind?  
   A mix of topsoil and coffee grounds will work. I`ve gone the Re-frig
   route and have had no problem. My "extended" stay was about 2 weeks.
   If you had an old mulch pile that would be better yet, surrounded by cinder blocks so they can`t escape. That way your concern about warm weather won`t be a factor.
   If you keep a" bright lite" on them they won`t wander.  Trick of the trade.
   Good luck with your.............crawlers.

[John]

I gathered a bunch during a night rain back in March, and they stayed healthy in a five gallon bucket in my garage till mid May. I had compost coffee grounds and grass clippings in there.

We got some hot (for May) weather in the 90's and that did most of them in. For me, I'd say I should have had them in my wellhouse refrigerator. The local bait and tackle dealer keeps them in a cooler...I need to find out what temp works for him.

[James B]

I keep them in the fridge. However I have kept them in a good foam cooler by putting some frozen water bottles in the cooler. I refreeze them every coupld days.

[prairiedog555]

I can't seem to keep them in the fridge.  Must be too cold.  Do you use dry earth with coffee grounds? 

[whiskey101]

Mix up some old wet coffee ground from the mornings coffee with a little corn meal or flour. Work that together with top soil, NOT potting soil. Make it damp, not wet. I used to keep them in an old cooler. I would leave the drain hole open and kept it in a cool area. If you keep it too wet it will grow mold pretty quick. I usually just kept a coffee can in the kitchen and saved the grounds each day. I would get it damp, or wet if the box of soil was real dry and just dump it on top. I would buy worm now and them when I was going fishing, then dump the left over worm in the box. In about a year I had enough worms breeding that I didn't have to buy worms for a long time. I finally messed up and let them get drowned by a heavy rain. I did have them for a good 3 years though. I did mix in dry leaves and grass clippings now and then too.

[bearfat]

5 gal plastic bucket (no air holes) in the basement. I dump some old coffee grounds in a few times over the summer. Put a little water on top if looking dry.

They are always fat and sassy in the 5 gal pail when I go looking for a handful.

[Star1pup]

Last summer I put some in a fridge we have in the garage.  Last week I remembered them and went out to throw them away.  They are still alive!  I have them in a foam bait box with commercial worm bedding.