A response to Aundrea's Thread on Earthworms.

I thought I would start a new thread since I went off on a tangent.


The dowel trick works, and the same reaction can be had with a pitchfork. I believe the worms are fooled into thinking Mr. Mole is coming, so they run to the surface.

WORM PROBE: Sssssnakeluvr explained the process pretty well. I use a pretty heavy gauge cord, like the cord from an old hair dryer, computer or fridge. In order to make the probe safer than the ones we made in college, I attached each wire to a screwdriver. Now it doesn't matter if you use a Philips or a flathead, but I would recommend using a plastic or rubber handle, not wood. (note careful use of sarcasm to make an important point! Don't ZAP yourself)
Strip off a couple of inches of the wires insulation, wrap it around the screw driver and secure it wire electrical tape. Look at my picture, I used some heavy gauge speaker wire so I could move the probes easily.

The grass should be damp, like a few hours after you watered. Stick probes in the ground about a foot to 18 inches apart, (30 to 45 cm for all the metric guys out there) plug probe into the extension. Watch the worms wiggle to the surface.

Pick up the worms. Move the probes, either one at a time, or the same time. Wear rubber sole shoes. Sometimes, if the ground is really wet you can feel a little tingle picking up the worms.