Podcast
Worm Pickers
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Worm Pickers

It seems we can pay people to do anything for us these days: walk our dogs, build our furniture, organize our homes ... cuddle with us when we're feeling lonely. That's right: You can hire a professional cuddler to snuggle with you for about $60 an hour. Listen to our podcasts about weird professions and you might start thinking of quitting your job!

 

Voiced by: Loni

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At first glance, you probably would argue that this is a disgusting job. However disgusting it may be, before you dismiss it, take time to understand the craft involved and reasons people are increasingly getting into this job.
To be honest, worm-picking is not as easy as it sounds. A beginner will feel a lot of pains after the first week of work. Their job involves gathering worms to be used as fish bait. They do this by walking around grassy areas such as gardens, parks and golf courses, after dark and picking up earthworms. We all know earthworms burrow deep into the soil. How then is it possible to get access to them you ask?
Worm pickers overcome this problem by sprinkling chlorinated water on lawns and grassy areas to cause the worms to come to the surface. Using a lantern or flashlight, they then calmly and attentively pick them up by hand one after other.
The worms are then sorted and packed into containers for shipment. Worm pickers usually sell to fishermen, fishing companies as well as Universities for teaching and research purposes.
To work in this field, one requires no special education or training. All you need is an ability to identify earthworms from other worm-like animals. Also, one needs to be extremely patient and calm. After all, earthworms can be a tricky bunch.
Usually, students engage in this type of work during their free time to make some extra money. The worms are sold in cups with each cup containing approximately 420 worms. Each cup is sold for about $10-$20 and an experienced worm picker can pick 60 to 70 cups a night. Now do the math!