The beauty of this trick is it works in daylight and in no time at all, just a few minutes time and you're done. These days, we use Ajax dish liquid. Warning: Not all brands of dish soap will work! First, fill a five-gallon pail with cool, clean water (don't put soap in first). Then add several good squirts (about 1/4 cup or so) of dish soap into the water and stir slowly to mix, but not so much as to form suds. Pour the entire mixture out in about a three foot diameter circle on the lawn, where you know there to be crawlers. Have a coffee can or other small pail handy with clean "rinse water" to heave the crawlers into as they emerge. Within a couple minutes, all the crawlers and worms in that area will surface rapidly. Pluck them and heave them into the clean water immediately. Just do one small section at a time. Out of direct sunlight works best or preferably, early AM or after the sun sets. Best is right after a spring rain. Once you have the worms all picked and in the rinse water, pour out on a clean section of lawn, pick up and place into your soil, leaf mulch or worm bedding. Check the next day for any dead ones. Try to remember which spots on the lawn you have already treated and do no treat that spot again for a few weeks. Will not harm the lawn or grass, by the way. -Jim
This was all I could find (so far) on Natural Chemicals Inc. of Naples Florida.Composition and method for gathering earthwormsDocument: United States Patent 5524375Abstract: A method for gathering worms, and particularly earthworms, includes the step of applying to the surface of soil containing the earthworms a composition containing a terpene. The terpene is preferably limonene, and most preferably d-limonene. The composition is preferably diluted in water. The earthworms come substantially to the surface of the soil within a few minutes, and can then be gathered by hand or another suitable technique. A composition for gathering worms is also disclosed.What is d-Limonene? http://www.floridachemical.com/whatisd-limonene.htm
Tried the Ajax dish soap tonight The worms about launched themselves out of the ground. Time will tell if they will last.I'm not so good walking stooped over as I used to be and working 7p-7a leaves little time for the right conditions to go pick worms.Thanks for the tipStill, I have to ask what does "another suitable technique" mean