Nightcrawlers

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Nightcrawlers are a form of earthworm. Prized primarily for use as fishing bait, nightcrawlers are generally known as either Canadian or European (more often than not, "Belgium").

Canadian nightcrawlers are the larger of the two, measuring up to 14 inches when fully extended. Fishermen enjoy the Canadian worm more because of its size. It can be easily secured to a fish hook, and stays lively while submerged in water for up to 5 minutes. The Canadian nightcrawler is used for catching largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, carp, trout, catfish, sunfish, walleye, and other freshwater fish. One dilemma with the Canadian nightcrawler is that it will not survive in temperatures above about 65 °F. Therefore, bait shops must keep them refrigerated and attention must be keep to ensure that the worms are not left to rest in the hot sun while fishing.

[edit] Harvesting

Canadian nightcrawlers are harvested in certain locations in North America. Most come from Canada's Ontario region, while many millions more are harvested along the Appalachian Mountains - from western North Carolina up to New York.

The worms are actually collected by headlamp-wearing hunters (or pickers) who crawl throughout fresh cut fields, yards, golf courses, and even cow pastures. The worms come out from the ground only at night (or when the ground is deeply saturated) following a decent rain fall. Temperatures at the time must be between about 50 and 80 °F. The ideal time for hunting the worms is when it is lightly drizzling rain, the temperature is about 65 F, and thunder (or other noise) is not present.

The pickers crawl around the location, sometimes by the dozens, and grab the slimy worms. A head lamp, bucket, and usually an attached smaller can containing fine sawdust is all that's required. A picker dips his hands in the sawdust to allow for better gripping of the worms. Since Canadian nightcrawlers (and many other worms) are sensitive to light, the bulb in the headlamp is usually painted yellow to make it softer. Other Pickers will use red lamps, for much the same reason as amateur astronomers, as it is a very non-invasive light, and once the person is adapted to it, provides adequate lighting without interfering with the behavior of the worms. Otherwise, the worms, which typically extend from the ground leaving a firm "tail grip" in the hole, would suck themselves back into their holes faster than a person could grab them. Some pickers can collect 1,000 worms in half an hour, with a total evening's haul of 20,000. At today's prices of $25 to $40 per thousand caught, pickers can single-handedly earn $800 in one evening.

[edit] Distribution

From the field, the worms are immediately sorted from any trash/grass and measured in a can. Most buyers use a large bean can, which contains raised rings (as most of these types of cans do). Once the worms are filled to the top ring on the can, there are typically 500 in the can. Higher measures are allowed for larger worms, obviously. The buyer, who usually rests a truck near the field, pays immediately in cash, and dumps each can of 500 worms into a specially designed wooden or Styrofoam box. After the truck is full, or daylight has arrived, the buyer returns to his or her warehouse and transfers the boxes of worms to a refrigerated room. Within a few days, the worms are hand counted into usable cups or boxes, typically 1 or 2 dozen at a time. They are then packaged 60, 80, etc. to a case and returned to storage. Larger operations ship thousands of cases of pre-packaged Canadian nightcrawlers throughout North America each day. Smaller suppliers distribute them locally and regionally to bait shops.

[edit] European Nightcrawlers

European nightcrawlers are much smaller than the Canadian worms, measuring only a few inches in length. They are used in fishing and composting. Compost bins set up just outside the kitchen door allow for quick dumping of household food waste. The worms eat the resulting bacteria and fungi that form on the food waste and produce compost as the byproduct. This compost can be scattered around the yard for a rich, full, and lush lawn. European nightcrawlers survive just fine in the typical shade. They are also used by exotic pet owners, who feed the worms to their lizards, turtles, etc.