How to Find Worms Without Rain or Electricity

Look under objects such as boards and large rocks that have been in one place for a while. Often worms will come up to feed even in the daytime as long as they are not exposed to the sun. A rock or board often has decaying grass or leaves under it, making it the perfect spot for many kinds of worms.

Dig into the soil in a garden or in the soft dirt of a flowerbed, or even just a healthy lawn. Dump a shovelful of dirt onto a tarp or an old sheet. Sort through it to see what worms are there. If the ground is healthy there will usually be quite a few, though you need to look carefully to find them all.

Lift a pitchfork full of manure or compost from a pile that has been standing in place for some time. Generally the worms will not hide deep in these places, as the heat generated by the compost or manure can kill them, but they can be found near the bottom of the heap as well as around the edges. Dump the load from the pitchfork onto a smooth surface and use a trowel to carefully dig through it for worms.

Mix about a half-cup of mustard with a bucket of water. Pour some of this on the ground and wait for the worms to appear. They will come to the surface to get away from the contamination, but the diluted mustard will not do any real harm to the soil or the worms.