Wasted Worms

[taharial]

The poor things, I have cut up seven worms and none of the bits have been eaten, by either Spica (who is 21 days old) or Mamas. They don't go for guppies either. Or salmon, tuna or tilapia. Spica still hasn't eaten, and Mama's will only eat live mice, no prekilled or frozens. At least I have Mamas figured out. I'm about ready to try feeding bacon next, everybody loves bacon right? lol. (Yeah I know, bad idea..)When should I be worried about Spica not eating? She grew a bit since she was born, I don't think she has shed yet (unless she did that right after she was born), and she is still very active.

[Selkielass]

Try turning over a few shovelfuls of earth in an unsprayed area to look for small pink earthworms or baby nightcrawlers. If you don't have a good spot in your yard, think of nearby patches of undeveloped brushy woods along highways or near parks and sports fields. Neglected and unsprayed is key.

Keep these little guys in the fridge just like purchased worms, but offer them whole. If uneaten, they can go back in the container for another try.
Are you feeding the little guy alone?
I have a tiny terrarium with an inch of damp spagnum moss in it that I use for feeding my tiniest and shyest snskes. Two little. Worms+ 1 snake at dusk usually equals one stuffed baby by morning.

[Selkielass]

Oh yes- please restore any spots you dig to their preexisting appearance. Be a good neighbor and don't annoy park personnel. Nobody has mided my collecting a few worms so long as im considerate friendly and leave no trace that I was there.

[EasternGirl]

I have a trick that I learned from Wayne (Infernalis). Go to the pet store and buy Reptamin...it's turtle food...it comes in little sticks. Now, Wayne makes a "garter goulash" for his babies...which includes diced up fish, diced up pinky, and reptamin. I just use the reptamin on worms and it usually works. Chop up some worms into little pieces and take a stick of reptamin and grind it into a powder. Mix the powder with the worms. All my snakes love reptamin. Once you get them eating, I would just use the reptamin once in a while though. I don't use it every feeding.

[taharial]

Oh, I have Reptamin sticks! :D LOL, I'll go digging for worms, and sprinkle Reptamin on it. Thanks.

I left the worm bits overnight, and thought one was eaten, but that bit had just crawled off into the substrate.

[ConcinusMan]

Oh yes- please restore any spots you dig to their preexisting appearance. Be a good neighbor and don't annoy park personnel. Nobody has mided my collecting a few worms so long as im considerate friendly and leave no trace that I was there.

They wouldn't tolerate it here. Trace or no trace. If they catch you digging you're in big poopoo around here. I even got busted picking up worms on the surface. Collection of anything in the parks is not allowed.

[guidofatherof5]

They wouldn't tolerate it here. Trace or no trace. If they catch you digging you're in big poopoo around here. I even got busted picking up worms on the surface. Collection of anything in the parks is not allowed.

Now that's story I'd love to hear. Did they draw-down on you.:D

[ConcinusMan]

To be honest, it wouldn't surprise me. It's gotten really bad around Portland but especially it has changed for the worse around Vancouver. Cops have gotten very unfriendly, aggressive, suspicious of everyone, and trigger happy compared with how it used to be. Sign of the times I guess.

But to answer your question, there's this empty flower bed in one of the parks. On a very rainy day, monster night crawlers surface. A parks employee saw me gathering some. I got a stern warning and was asked to leave. I knew better though. The sign with park rules is clear. No removing or disturbing dirt, plants, or any living things. I suppose that includes worms.:o Not even taking a rock or leaf is allowed.

The birds that swooped down after I left are apparently exempt from the rules.:p

What about all the snakes and other critters they displaced or killed when they developed the park? This particular park used to be a good place for northwesterns. Even found a rubber boa there once. Before it was a park, that is.:mad:

[RedSidedSPR]

Drop the worm and put your hands in air.

[ConcinusMan]

Then there's the part where they ask you what you're doing. You explain honestly, they inevetably do not believe you, ask you for ID, then when you reach for it, they tell you to keep your hands where they can see them. I'm tellin' ya, it's bad around here now. Really bad. Everyone's a criminal apparently.

I used to have plenty of positive encounters with law enforcement around here. Some very helpful and friendly cops. No more. It's all negative now. Even the most routine encounters. But I'm off topic. No cops. They just said I couldn't collect worms and asked me to leave.

No freaking way they would let me dig for them!

[RedSidedSPR]

I got nailed by some park ranger picking up a water snake, (trying) and some.. Other stuff.. but never had a problem with worms lol

[ConcinusMan]

Funny thing about that. I've never been confronted about picking up garter snakes, even when I knew they were watching. But then, it was catch and release not catch worms and put in a container with some dirt. LoL

[RedSidedSPR]

The worm wasnt even put in anything, i just held it while picking up the second one, and he's like "son I'm gonna need you to put that down" Okayyy...

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

Could you put the un-eaten chunks in the fridge or freezer?? Like in a baggie or something for the next feeding time???

[guidofatherof5]

Frozen then thawed worms = little puddles of goo.:D

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

Frozen then thawed worms = little puddles of goo.:D

Well thats not good :eek: Clearly I have never tried it. I won't bother now ;)

[guidofatherof5]

Well thats not good :eek: Clearly I have never tried it. I won't bother now ;)

I had it happen once. That was plenty. Not a pretty sight.

[RedSidedSPR]

Frozen then thawed worms = little puddles of goo.:D

Dude I forgot to say, but a month ago I tried that out of curiousity (I'm weird, I know) when you first told me that lmfao. Not a good idea.

[ConcinusMan]

I've put fairly small pieces of large night crawlers back in the container. Even though they would eventually die, they are usually still good or even moving a little for a few days.

[RedSidedSPR]

Oh yeah, i do that all the time. I've head the severed front half survive for weeks

[ConcinusMan]

Yeah, but I'm talking about like, just the head, or just a tail piece. (about a cm long) Not something that would survive. Front halves would survive and regrow a tail.

[RedSidedSPR]

Ah.. Never tried that for more then a day.. Never need to. They all get et