Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, Has anyone bought nightcrawlers on line? Petsmart hasn't been getting them in, I guess due to the heat. I've been giving my turts giant mealworms, which they never had been offered before. Luckily, they dived right in, but they still seem to think something is missing...I'm hoping I can buy them on line. I wonder how many nightcrawlers there are in a pound...

Nanci
-----
*****
1.0 Classic Corn, 0.1 Lavender, 0.0.1 Cali King, 0.1 Nelson's Milk
1.0 Tricolor Hog, 0.1 Eastern Hog, 1.0 Florida King
0.1 Eastern Box Turtle, 1.0 Florida Box Turtle
0.0.2 Desert Torts, 2.0 Feral Pigeons

I've purchased them online. They are pretty expensive, though. The heat this time of year requires additional packing requirements, and may also raise the price. If you have room in your refrigerator, it's cheapest to purchase them in bulk(in the long run).

Under the "businesses" tab at the top of this page, then under "Rodents/Feeders" there are a few companies that sell insects and earthworms. One that isn't listed is Timberline. I've purchased bulk nightcrawlers from them before. The box takes up about the square footage of an averaged size refrigerator crisper.

It's best to buy nighcrawlers that are marketed specifically for herps. However, if you're in a pinch, you can try Walmart. They usually have nightcrawlers in the fishing section...$2.88 for 24

Cool, thanks. My Walmart doesn't carry nightcrawlers.

Nanci
-----
*****
1.0 Classic Corn, 0.1 Lavender, 0.0.1 Cali King, 0.1 Nelson's Milk
1.0 Tricolor Hog, 0.1 Eastern Hog, 1.0 Florida King
0.1 Eastern Box Turtle, 1.0 Florida Box Turtle
0.0.2 Desert Torts, 2.0 Feral Pigeons

I second Walmart. I have never seen such large/healthy worms for such a good deal as there.

All right, I called my Walmart, and the guy said they _do_ have them! Thanks!

(That's Fagalo eating a blackberry and slug salad...)

Nanci
-----
*****
1.0 Classic Corn, 0.1 Lavender, 0.0.1 Cali King, 0.1 Nelson's Milk
1.0 Tricolor Hog, 0.1 Eastern Hog, 1.0 Florida King
0.1 Eastern Box Turtle, 1.0 Florida Box Turtle
0.0.2 Desert Torts, 2.0 Feral Pigeons

i get them from this fishing site...

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_19247?hvarAID=yahoo&cm_mmc=Yahoo Search Submit Pro-_-100-8-4-_--1-_-38-425-860-00

with shipping it comes to like $60 and u get 500 worms, and they are HUGE. I bought a mini bridge from target for $35 and keep them in that. I go through a lot of worms so its worth it to me. I have 10 turtles, and the worms last 3-4 weeks

Neil

I've bought them from reptilefood, 120 for $20. The expensive part is the shipping, as has been mentioned. They only offer next day and second day UPS.

Thanks for the ideas. Luckily, Walmart had a refrigerator full of nice lively nightcrawlers, at half the price I was paying at Petsmart. The boxies had a feast!

Nanci
-----
*****
1.0 Classic Corn, 0.1 Lavender, 0.0.1 Cali King, 0.1 Nelson's Milk
1.0 Tricolor Hog, 0.1 Eastern Hog, 1.0 Florida King
0.1 Eastern Box Turtle, 1.0 Florida Box Turtle
0.0.2 Desert Torts, 2.0 Feral Pigeons

I get some strange looks from the people who work in the sporting goods section at Walmart. They always have to come over & say something to me because I'm in their 'fridge opening worm boxes to make sure I'm getting a box full of live ones.
It must be the hair, makeup, & nails thing. LOL
I apparently don't look like someone who would be interested in buying worms. I always get that from men at Pet's Mart too when they're new to the job & don't recognize me, they always want to know what I'm feeding & really freak out when I list everything & in the end I say I have 2 tarantulas.

I have been buying my nightcrawlers along with my groceries at Walmart for 2-3 years now. No complaints, I always get good worms for the turtles there.
-----
PHRatz

" It must be the hair, makeup, & nails thing. LOL
I apparently don't look like someone who would be interested in buying worms."

Haha! I actually dread going to buy work boots; the guys at the Redwing store are the worst!
I needed rubber boots to go slogging through soggy terrain, & ended up at Tractor Supply, where I bought a very fine pair of rubber boots...HOT PINK rubber boots, mind you...

>>Haha! I actually dread going to buy work boots; the guys at the Redwing store are the worst!
>>I needed rubber boots to go slogging through soggy terrain, & ended up at Tractor Supply, where I bought a very fine pair of rubber boots...HOT PINK rubber boots, mind you...

Oh now I am jealous! I needed boots like that to slog around on the ranch when I was in school & we were taken in a van out to a ranch to work on cattle & horses. Since I now work for the program even though I teach students about tiny animals- rats, mice & other rodents.. ya never know when the boss may want me to fill in for someone else & make me go back to the ranch....

My problem is my feet are too little, a woman's size 5 is too big.
I wear girl's size 3 shoes, size 2 if they're boys sneakers. I had the hardest time finding any rubber boots at all & ended up with ugly black size 5 that don't fit right but were better than none at all. I would've loved hot pink!!!
Tractor Supply just opened up in Ector county.. that's not far from here & I haven't been in there yet. I think I'll take a trip. hee hee
-----
PHRatz

Has anyone tried raising worms? Is it difficult to do?
-----
0.1.0 ornate box turtle
1.0.0 eastern box turtle
1.0.0 Yellow belly slider
0.1.0 Red belly cooter
0.1.0 Australian shepard
1.11.0 chickens
1.0.0 Dutch(rabbit)
3.2.0 children (do I still count the married ones?)
1.0.0 husband

I have an old refrigerator outside that was converted into a large worm bin, but they're only used for vermicomposting since my turtles hate red worms.

Night crawlers would be a bit tougher, you'd likely have to a cool basement or some other area that you could keep cool.

Actually, it's the red worms (aka leaf worms, aka trout worms) that I'd like to raise. Any instructions? (I can't stand to handle night crawlers, for some reason they creep me out! lol!)
-----
0.1.0 ornate box turtle
1.0.0 eastern box turtle
1.0.0 Yellow belly slider
0.1.0 Red belly cooter
0.1.0 Australian shepard
1.11.0 chickens
1.0.0 Dutch(rabbit)
3.2.0 children (do I still count the married ones?)
1.0.0 husband

Forget Canadian Nightcrawers that require refrigeration. Forget redworms as they are bitter tasting and only eaten if the boxies are REALLY hungry.

Check out this site...WWW.Blueridgevermiculture.Com

African Nightcrawlers grow up to 10", are heat tolerant, and composters. Create your own "Living Box Turtle/Worm Bin" by just adding these to your planted box turtle garden, but adding newspaper or vegetable scraps under the top layer of soil.

There is no need to raise these composting nightcrawlers in a separate bin when you can keep them happy in the humidity of a box turtle area simply by adding scraps to your soil.

3 pounds for $100 shipped to your door...You will likely never need to buy worms again.
Link