freezing waxies

[klee]

I bought too much waxies this weekend thinking that the fish would be biting like crazy. Now I have 100 waxies that haven't been touched and I don't want to throw them away,they are not cheap. I was wandering if anyone has froze them in the freezer. Is it a good idea? will they go bad? I don't care if they are moving or not when I take them out as long as its not black. I don't know when the next time I'll go and be able to use it all. I don't want to leave it in the fridge or in room temp. What is the best method to preserve them and how long does it last before it goes bad? I know I should have only bought what I could use, but there was three of us and just wanted to make sure I had enough incase the fish were biting.

[pikerliker]

I wouldn't freeze them but they stay good for a long time in the fridge. You might want to occasionally change thier "bedding" but otherwise unless you're not going to fish until next winter they last quite a while if not the entire winter in the fridge. If you freeze them they will probably die but will be preserved. I guess I just like mine with a little wiggle to them.

[silverbulletguy]

+1 on fridge

[Cheetah]

They will last quite a while in the fridge. Make sure to clean out the dead ones every couple days.

[Sonicrunch]

Don't let them freeze, that kills them.

+2 on the fridge. They last a looooooong time in there.

[EBass]

Interesting - just bought some spikes aka maggots and Wayzata Bait guy said to keep those in the fridge. He said leave Wax Worms at room temp.

Maggot morphs into a black fly

Wax Worm morphs into a moth of some type

That's what he said

[MattL]

Interesting - just bought some spikes aka maggots and Wayzata Bait guy said to keep those in the fridge. He said leave Wax Worms at room temp.

Maggot morphs into a black fly

Wax Worm morphs into a moth of some type

That's what he said

I store my waxies at room temp also. They will be alot more firm and not mash when you thread the hook on. The only downside is they will not last as long. For long term storage the fridge is the way to go because they will be somewhat dormant.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'll echo the above post.. if you put them in the fridge, put them in the warmest place.. I keep my euro in the fridge, I keep my waxies on a windowsill .. its cooler than room temp, but not cold as a fridge.. They live for a long time.

[SkitterPopper]

Quote:

Interesting - just bought some spikes aka maggots and Wayzata Bait guy said to keep those in the fridge. He said leave Wax Worms at room temp.

You are correct. Most bait shops will have maggots in the fridge and the waxies will be sitting on the counter.

I always keep the maggots in the fridge and they last a long time. I keep my waxies on the hardwood floor next to my sliding glass door in my house. This area on the floor is cool but no where near as cold as a fridge. I still have some waxies I purchased 3-4 weeks ago and they still look good.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Yep, waxies dont go in the fridge. Ive had waxies live in tubs for over a month at room temp just take out the dead ones every few days.

[Grum]

If you don't want to keep them in the fridge (wife or kids might not like that) and have an attached garage or one that is semi-heated, even a cool spot in the basement would work. Like others have said don't forget to check on them and remove the dead ones and add bedding as needed. They should keep for a quite a while.

[Sonicrunch]

I will agree that the fridge is on the cold side for waxies.

Room temp in winter is fine, but not summer. 50° is perfect.