Tug of War
Posted by Anonymous on April 24, 2003
Q: Is it true that if you hook a metal rod up to a battery and stick it into wet soil that you can get nightcrawlers to come to the surface?
Thank you!
A: A single metal rod placed into the soil will NOT work - you must use two rods. Place the rods in moist soil about 3 feet or more apart, and if there are worms in the area, they'll come to the surface. Since you're working with electricity, be sure you have an adult to work with on this.
Quite frankly, there's a much better way to get worms though. On a wet, summer's evening, shine a flashlight in the yard after dark and you should be able to pick up nightcrawlers that are lying in the grass. You'll have to be quick as they'll zip back into their burrows as soon as they sense the light or feel vibrations from your footsteps. One good tip for your flashlight is to place red cellophane over the light - the worms won't register red light and are not alerted to your presence as easily. If you need worms and it hasn't rained recently, no problem, just water the soil well in late afternoon and then you should be able to find worms in that area after dark.
John Wiessinger ( April 25, 2003)