Practical and clever methods for trapping farmed rice field eels in winter

The winter market price of rice field eels is several times that of summer, so now is exactly the best time to bring rice field eels to market. Catching rice field eels in winter is very difficult. The vast majority of farmers catch eels by digging mud from the whole pond to take the eels. This method is very labor-intensive, easily damages the eels, takes a long time, and at the same time destroys the ecological structure of the eel pond substrate, harming production the following year. Below are two relatively quick and safe trapping methods for everyone's reference.

Straw mat trapping method. Before draining the pond water, make preparations for trapping the eels. Soak a thicker new straw mat or straw bundle in a 5% quicklime aqueous solution for 24 hours to disinfect it, then air it for 2 days for later use. Lay the above straw mat on the bottom layer of the mud ditch in the eel pond, spread disinfected rice straw (or wheat straw) about 5 cm thick on the straw mat, lay a second layer of straw mat on the rice straw, and then spread a layer of dry rice straw about 10 cm thick on the straw mat. When the water temperature drops below 13°C, gradually drain the water to a depth of 6-10 cm; when the water temperature drops to 8°C-10°C, add another layer of rice straw about 20 cm thick above the mud ditch; when the water temperature drops significantly again, completely drain the pond water. At this time, because of the "inversion layer effect" of the rice straw layer, the temperature within it is slightly higher than the mud layer temperature, and since the mud ridge has been exposed to cold air for a long time, this can effectively lead the rice field eels under the straw mats and between the two layers of straw mats.

Notes: ① This method can keep rice field eels gathered between the mud and straw and between the straw mats for a long time without escaping. If they need to be kept until deep winter, further insulation should be added according to freezing conditions. ② When collecting the rice field eels, do not remove all the rice straw at once; remove only as much as needed. First spread a plastic film beside it, then remove the dry straw. When removing the straw, if many eels are hidden in the wet straw, lift the wet straw together with the straw mat onto the plastic film for sorting. This method is extremely effective and suitable for large-scale harvesting.

Fermentation pit trapping method. In advance, dig a soil pit about 30 cm deep in the corner of the pond, and place an appropriate amount of fermented rice straw in the pit.

Preparation method: Mix disinfected and alkali-removed semi-dry rice straw with a starch binder (rice washing water can also be used as a substitute), until it is evenly distributed. After 1-2 hours, fully mix the fermentation starter ingredients (the fermentation starter formula is: wheat bran 20%, dry cow dung 30%, yellow mealworm frass pellets 30%, distillers' grains 20%) and sprinkle them into the rice straw, stirring with a fork while sprinkling so that the fermentation starter ingredients can evenly adhere to the rice straw. Fill the above rice straw into the pit, gradually add pond water, and then cover with a thick layer of dry rice straw. In this way, the rice straw in the pit will produce a large amount of heat within a few days. To make the rice straw ferment slowly and control the temperature well (generally it only needs to be higher than the temperature under the mud; best not to exceed 15°C. If the air temperature has already reached 15°C, the rice straw temperature in the pit can be 2°C-3°C higher than the air temperature), when the temperature is too high, remove part of the dry rice straw covering the surface, and when the temperature is too low, add some more dry rice straw.

Notes: ① When taking eels, simply remove part of the rice straw from the pit to obtain a batch of rice field eels. This method is relatively flexible, simple, and can be used repeatedly in winter. ② If conditions permit, place a self-controlled electric heater in the rice straw for a better effect. This electric heater can also be directly placed in the water to heat and attract eels, with very ideal results.