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IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: ajv5148 on Mar 21, 2021, 09:06 PM
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Stopped by my local bait shop yesterday. He said no butter worms anywhere in the country. Customs isn't letting them in or something. These things are killer for trout.
Has anyone seen them in their shop? Or noticed their absence?
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Try this place
https://www.rainbowmealworms.net/butterworms
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I got onto butter worms in the winter of 2019-2020.
WalMart was carrying them at that time.
However, I haven't seen any during the winter of 2020-2021.
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found some online but $14 for 25 with a note on the site that they are very hard to source and cost went up significantly during covid
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I wonder what's going on in Chile? From what I read, they're an invasive species threat, and need to be "nuked" prior to importation to make sure they don't pupate and breed.
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If they are a non-native invasive creature, why the heck are they being imported?
Why not import some murder hornets, Bullet ants, box jellyfish and any number of other invasive species?
If they are native to the US, but NOT your region, then again, WHY?
There are way too many invasive species of plants and animals flourishing in our country simply because they were not controlled as they should have been, and made their way out into the wild.
Does "Asian Carp" "Zebra mussels" or "Rock Snot" (algae) ring a bell?
Sorry for what sounds like a rant, but when invasives are brought into the US without fully understanding the impact they could have, it makes me worrt.
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If they are a non-native invasive creature, why the heck are they being imported?
Why not import some murder hornets, Bullet ants, box jellyfish and any number of other invasive species?
If they are native to the US, but NOT your region, then again, WHY?
There are way too many invasive species of plants and animals flourishing in our country simply because they were not controlled as they should have been, and made their way out into the wild.
Does "Asian Carp" "Zebra mussels" or "Rock Snot" (algae) ring a bell?
Sorry for what sounds like a rant, but when invasives are brought into the US without fully understanding the impact they could have, it makes me worrt.
Don't hold back now, tell us how you really feel! L/O/L ;D
Sorry, I actually agree with you about the "invasive species" thing (which I didn't know butterworms were when I bought them last year - - after all, WalMart was selling them, for Pete's sake, so it was hardly "under the table" or "fly by night"), but the tone of your email just struck me funny.
Indeed, even you recognized it came across as a bit of "rant"
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Well, I just learned something! :o
Where Are Butterworms from?
Butterworms are from the central region of Chile and can only be found near their only food source, the Trevo plant. If for any reason they are present in other countries’ habitats, they are considered an invasive species and can be quite destructive to native ecosystems. In Chile and other South American countries, butterworms are notorious for wreaking havoc on eucalyptus plantations.
How to Raise Butterworms
Butterworms are quite difficult to keep in captivity (if you plan to raise them throughout an entire life cycle) Unfortunately for those reptile-owners that do not live in Chile, they do best in the environmental conditions of their native country, and with access to their native diet. Currently, they can’t be found in hardly any other country – even scientists have a hard time getting their hands on them! Those that can successfully obtain the mysterious butterworm can only do so by importing them directly from Chile.
Additionally, Chilean law mandates that butterworms are irradiated before shipping. This prevents them from pupating into a moth to avoid them ultimately escaping and becoming a pest to other countries. (It is for this reason primarily that they cannot be cultured by the home keeper.)
With all of this considered, if you wish to keep butterworms in captivity, you will be most successful in keeping them only in their larval stage. They are most often sold in a state that does not require any feeding whatsoever (although it can’t hurt to give them something to nibble on now and then).
Note that anyone claiming to have successfully raised butterworms outside of Chile may be doing so illegally and this is not something you should attempt to replicate.
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Im not certain but years ago i had a container of those get loose in my pocket and when they were warm i could of swore those creepy big bassturds bit me when i was getting them out of my pocket.never bought them again.
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Wow I did not know they were invasive. I am glad to hear they zap them so they can't breed! These are awesome trout bait it's a shame you can't get them this year
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I too really like fishing trout with butter worms. I actually emailed DMF baits (Walmart supplier) when I couldn’t find any. The owner of the company responded to my email. He politely explained importing the worms was shut down due to Covid. Same as reported earlier. He was fairly certain they would be available again next year. He even thought they may be available this season in limited supply and offered to supply my local Walmart as a priority since I inquired. They never came available, but pretty cool to get a prompt reply from the CEO of a company that doesn’t sell direct to end users. I’m pretty sure I got bit by one once too, but the trout sure like them.
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A donut says you've already established a connection with the reps, and can try for a bulk buy for your local bait shop instead of Walmart.
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Read reply #7