WormWatch

WormWatch Tips

1. Spring and fall are the best times to look for worms. They are more likely to be found in cool, moist soils (shady sites or near water bodies). Following a heavy rain, they may be drawn to the earth’s surface by the moisture in the ground.

2. Worms do not like to dry out. Keep this in mind when you are sorting your worms — try to keep them in the shade or mist them with water.

3. Make sure your hands are clean and moist when handling worms. Avoid using insect repellent, sunscreen or other strong chemicals on your hands — earthworms breathe and drink through their skin.

4. Never pull a worm from its burrow. Instead, follow the flip and strip or dig methods to observe it. The flip and strip method is good for shallow burrowers and in forested areas where there are too many roots to dig. The digging method is preferable for mid- to deep-burrowing worms, or for more open areas where you can get your shovel into the ground.

5. There should be very little evidence of your sampling efforts after you are done. Try to put everything back as you found it.