An ideal time to look for earthworms is when you are already digging up soil, such as during gardening, fence building, or digging a foundation. If you go deeper than just the surface, you will find different types of earthworms, including nightcrawlers. Dress for gardening. You’ll be digging through soil for worms, so you’re likely going to get dirty. You may want to wear old clothes, knee pads, gardening gloves, gardening boots or shoes.
You can also try digging in a community garden or forest floor, but you should avoid digging up earth in privately owned golf courses, fields, and public parks. Be as quiet as possible so your vibrations don’t spook the worms. Be sure to look under rocks, logs, and other items lying on the ground.
A flashlight with a dull or red light in it. Earthworms can’t see, but they can sense light, and will shy away from a bright flashlight. A shovel or small spade to move soil around or turn it over.
A butter tub, coffee can, jar, ice cream tub, or old bucket will do. Make sure your container is empty and clean before storing worms in it. Worms need oxygen, so poke holes in the lid that are large enough to let air pass through, but not so large that the worms can stretch and wriggle their way out.
You can also hunt for worms during the day if it has been raining. Worms need moisture to survive, so they often come above ground to migrate during rainstorms or when the ground. After the next storm, go outside and look for worms to collect on the lawn, sidewalk, and driveway. [3] X Research source
Earthworms are most active in the spring and fall, because they don’t like extreme cold or hot. However, they will also be active during summer nights. Look for pellets or small piles of soil on the surface of the ground that are evidence of earthworm activity.
Use your spade or shovel to turn over leaves and the top layer of soil if you’re having trouble finding worms.
Alternatively, you can use a handsaw if you don’t have a rooping iron, but you will likely also need a hammer to drive the stake into the ground.
As the earthworms sense the vibrations, they will make their way to the surface to escape the predator they think is near. Be ready to gather the worms as they surface and collect them in your container.
