Steve, I hope this isn't a totally brainless question, but... The worms must have dirt stuck all over them when the snakes swallow them; are you OK with that? I mean, "in the wild" worms are pretty much going to be covered in dirt, so it seems like the snakes should be able to deal. BUT, we worry so much about accidental swallowing of other substrates, it feels wrong to say it's OK to let them eat dirt.

I'm about to adopt a couple of three-week-old Puget Sound problem feeders (have neither shed nor eaten since birth) and have been digging through this forum looking for ideas on getting them started. I can get nice fat earthworms from my back yard so this seems like a good method to put on the list of things to try.

-Kate