less expensive nightcrawler option?

[MantisMan]

hello all. I feed my amphibians a lot of nightcrawlers, but they are so expensive from petsmart. I spend $6 on a pack of 12. are the ones used for bait or sold in bait shops safe to feed to my amphibs? anyone know any less expensive option for nightcrawlers?

[mpmistr]

Walmart, there should be a fishing/bait section and a fridge where they have canadian nightcrawlers, red wrigglers, and some times leeches.

They are $3.25 for 18 where I live, should be about that price for you too. I have fed these worms to my clawed frogs for almost two years and can report no problems.

Any bait shop worms will do, just make sure they don't contain dyes or anything odd to 'enhance' them to be better bait. You just want plain old earthworms.

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

Walmart, there should be a fishing/bait section and a fridge where they have canadian nightcrawlers, red wrigglers, and some times leeches.

They are $3.25 for 18 where I live, should be about that price for you too. I have fed these worms to my clawed frogs for almost two years and can report no problems.

Any bait shop worms will do, just make sure they don't contain dyes or anything odd to 'enhance' them to be better bait. You just want plain old earthworms.

I totally agree with the above quote but I will add one bit of info, stay way from red wigglers.
but any earth worm will be just fine.
but if you happen to get some really big worms you can cut from the end that is furthest from the bump in the middle of the worm
Not from the end of the worm that is shortest from the bump. That is the head of the worm and that will kill the worm.
if you cut from the anus side of the worm it will heal up.

[poison]

I totally agree with the above quote but I will add one bit of info, stay way from red wigglers.
but any earth worm will be just fine.
but if you happen to get some really big worms you can cut from the end that is furthest from the bump in the middle of the worm
Not from the end of the worm that is shortest from the bump. That is the head of the worm and that will kill the worm.
if you cut from the anus side of the worm it will heal up.

Why stay away from red wigglers? I know in the wild they are mildly toxic but in captivity they loose that toxic (from what I've read). Only down side to red wigglers is that they give off a natsy tasting slime when threatened and frogs may stay away from them but its not harmful.

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

I will never forget the reaction I got from my whites tree frog when I fed her a red wriggler.

She snapped it up and promptly opened her mouth as big as she could while taking her hands spitting out the worm
and backing up all at the same time. I wish I would have had that on video.

and ever since she would never go after another worm.

[MantisMan]

i found this on amazon Amazon.com: 100 Count European Nightcrawlers Live Fishing and Composting Worms: Patio, Lawn & Garden

[Cap10Squirty]

Uncle Jim's Worm Farm is a lot cheaper than that link (which is still pretty cheap compared to buying them at bait shops/walmart)
Live Worms | Uncle Jims Worm Farm

The Canadian night crawlers need to be kept cool, these however can tolerate warmer temperatures and will breed readily.

[kueluck]

Or you could just raise them yourself. Since you're in CT you don't have the sweltering heat so they should do well for you.

[MantisMan]

Or you could just raise them yourself. Since you're in CT you don't have the sweltering heat so they should do well for you.

yes but the ground is currently frozen lol

[kueluck]

So set up a tub in the house, close off a room with no heat or in a basement. Lots of ideas on youtube for doing this. I might try it myself since my garters LOVE nightcrawlers.

[MantisMan]

ok i bought the 100 nightcrawlers from amazon
they arrived today
i cut one open and it released ydllow mocus
that means that they are red wigglers! even when i rinse them my toadlets wont eat them
i have a few choice words for that seller
i emailed them calmly explaining the problem but it's anyone's guess as to when they will get back to me