NomSafeNovember: Why say ‘No’ to wild-caught worms?
The idea of digging up the worms from your yard to use as axolotl food is so tempting, isn't it? It's convenient, it's fast, it's cheap... but before you go playing in the dirt, let's discuss the reasons why wild caught worms are not recommended, and a few different places where you can purchase worms that are safer to feed your axolotls (and other worm-eating pets!).
What makes worms from the ground different from the ones in the stores?
Did you know that worms travel on average 30 feet per an hour, but depending on the worm they can travel up to 200 feet per hour!? This means that the worms you pull from your yard cover a lot of area—area that may have been sprayed with pesticides or other harmful chemicals. Another concern is the potential for the worms to acquire parasites outdoors, which if fed risks infecting the axolotl with a parasite. Worms bought from stores are bred in more sanitary conditions, and are considered a much safer alternative to wild-caught worms.
Okay, worms travel far. But what exactly can wild worms come into contact with?
As previously mentioned, the two biggest issues when it comes to wild caught worms are pesticides and parasites.
Pesticides
The most common pesticides for a worm to encounter and become contaminated with include (but are not limited to):
🐛 𝘕𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘴 (insecticides that persist in soil and groundwater
🪱 𝘖𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 (groups of pesticides particularly toxic to earthworms)
🐜 𝘍𝘪𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘭 (a broad-spectrum insecticide that targets several insect types)
The consequences on the worms themselves vary based on the pesticide type, the worm type, and the concentration of the pesticide exposure. Worms can either be harmed directly with altered physiology, or their growth and reproduction rates may be impacted.
Just a few of the other substances that worms may come into contact with during their travels include PFOA and PFOS, or "forever chemicals" (if you're not familiar with PFAS compounds, we recommend watching the 2019 Mark Ruffalo film 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴), microplastics,
2. Parasites
Parasites are a much larger scope than pesticides. Examples of parasites commonly found in wild earthworms include:
🦠 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘴 - a protozoan infection that targets the seminal vesicles of earthworms
🧫 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴 - a nematode infection that infects larval earthworms
🔬 𝘈𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 - eukaryotic ciliates that reside in earthworm intestines
In addition, wild caught worms may contain larval stage infections of nematodes, trematodes, and other insects. In fact, worms can even be an intermediary for transferring some bird and mammal parasites as well!
Okay, so now that we know the wild worms can carry pesticides and parasites, where can we find worms in stores?
Here at LLA, we recommend a variety of worms, but have the best luck with red wigglers (𝘌𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘢; also known as manure worms, redworms, branding worms, panfish worms, trout worms, composting worms, and tiger worms) and European nightcrawlers (not Canadian nightcrawlers; although these are an option for axolotls, we find more often than not that the axolotls don't enjoy them as much as the European nightcrawlers, and they can be regurgitated).
Like anything else, worm names and availability can vary by location; if you're in the US, you'll want to look for “nightcrawlers,” but in other places like the UK these worms will be called “dendrobaena worms.” Nightcrawlers and dendrobaena worms are the same, they just have different names.
You can find nightcrawlers at local pet stores, gas stations, and bait shops. A garden center may have them as well, but not as consistently. Most commonly in store worms are Canadian nightcrawlers, which are usually much longer, thicker, and need to stay a little colder than their European counterparts. To find European nightcrawlers, it's usually easiest to get them online, and to start your own worm farm. (🪱 Interested in setting up your own worm farm? We'll be sharing tips and tricks for farming your own worms later this month, so stay tuned!)
For those of you that don't have the space to farm your own worms at home, nightcrawlers can be kept in small styrofoam containers in the fridge and purchased online—some places even offer monthly subscription services!
Questions?
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