mealworms? (1 Viewer)

[SquirrelOsO]

i was thinking about offering mealworms to attract some insect eating birds.
im not sure how to feed them though. i thought maybe a dish on the deck? but then i had an idea, i would like to use my unused hummingbird feeder, just the dish part that has a rod for hanging. its about 1 inch deep. would the red color turn off birds? or the shallow one inch be an easy escape for the mealies?
i have around a dozen feeders at my station, can i put the mealworm feeder on a shepherds hook with other feeders? the hook i have in mind is my woodpecker and chickadee feeder. will woodpeckers go for the mealies?
the birds id like to attract are american robins, eastern phoebes and bluebirds.
i know american robins are sorta heavy lol will they be able to feed from a hanging shallow dish? (the hb feeder)
also what about weather and mealies? snow, rain, the hot sun and freezing temps? will birds eat dead mealworms?

 

[hil5]

I don't think the color of the dish will bother the birds. It may take them a while to find the dish though.

I'm from the Uk so not sure of your species.

Rain kills mealworms so you need to serve in dry weather or find a roof. They will die at extremes of temperature but it depends on how fast your birds eat them!

My experience is that birds don't eat dead mealworms.

 

[ahinrichs]

Mealworms

Hi Squirrel -

I've been feeding mealworms to birds for about 3 years now and have tried just about everything. First thing: the worms must remain dry - water kills them. 2. Be sure the sides of your feeder are slick, that is, that there's nothing for the worms to gain purchase on and wiggle out. So, what you need is a feeder with a dome of some kind to keep any rain, snow, etc. out. I have fed both dead mealworms and the pupa of the mealworm (mealworms aren't really worms, they're the larva of the meal beetle) to my birds and they snap them up. As for the siteing of your feeder that depends on whether the birds you want to attract are ground feeders or feed from a feeder. Believe me, the birds, once they realise the worms are there will gobble them up no matter what colour your feeder is!

Robins - at least those in the UK - will feed on the ground or from a hanging feeder. So will tits - blue and great tits. Do you have tits in PA? I prefer a hanging feeder simply for safety's sake - they can feed and not worry about cats.

In the spring, I'll put a feeder on the ground for the blackbirds but I stay until the worms are eaten simply to ensure that no cat can get an easy meal.

I hope this answers some of your questions.

Cheers -

 

[SquirrelOsO]

yes i have tits, titmouse right? lol
ok so rain is a no no. ill try only putting out about 4 or 5 and see what happends.
the one bird im hoping wont go for mealies, and thats the mourning dove, please say they hate worms lol...doves are eating me out of house and home :eek!:

 

[ahinrichs]

Hi Squirrel -

I believe adult dove are seed eaters only though I reckon their babies would relish the worms!!

Good idea to start with just a few worms as it will take the birds a while to find them. And, they're always suspicious/cautious of anything new. But once they find them, stand aside! <G> Your insect eating birds will scarfe them down in no time.

About hot sun on the mealworms - no, they don't like direct sunlight on them.

If you have any other questions, I will help if I can. I'm a big believer in putting out live food for the birds who like it. Anything to help them cope with the pressures of habitat loss and encroaching "civilization."

Cheers - A

 

[madmike]

I fed my garden birds (robins, Blackbird Thrush etc) on MW all last winter and spring and they could not get enough of them! Cost me a fortune BUT, boy did I get to see some fantastic activity! I used live and dried MW and they ate both as quick as you like! I started off putting the worms on a shed roof down the garden, but ended up with a deepish tray right on my window sill. Not only did I then get the birds within two feet of me when I was at the computer, but the worms remained dry when it rained.
I took hundreds of photos as the birds became totally used to me lurking with my camera! The robins raised AT LEAST three broods using my MW. I also have photos of a thrush with about ten worms in it's mouth! The only problem came when the starlings discoverd the worms and their chicks hatched!
To handle the live worms I put them in a plastic box with holes in the top and bedded them in bran. To put them into the tray I use a(very cheap) plastic colender to get rid of most of the bran before tipping them into the tray - thus no touching and no mess!
Most of the birds were messy eaters, so if the tray is too shallow the worms will be scattered all over the place.

Good luck

madmike

 

[madmike]

A quick pic

Here's a quick pic of a thrush pogging out on my mealworms!

madmike

 

[bluetit]

Here's a quick pic of a thrush pogging out on my mealworms!

madmike

Hi madmike, I think you meant pigging, unless you're from - 'Allo, 'Allo - ??!

But on a mealwormy note, I can only afford to handfeed my mealworms as they come soooo expensive, meaning I stand in the 'middle' and toss them in various directions at open beaks of blackbirds, thrush, robin and a variety of tits, the two latter hanging around in the trees and bushes swooping quickly down on mws thrown their way. It's bedlam when I do it, twice a day, first thing in the morning and now mid-afternoon as they roost so much earlier with shorter daylight hours. But it's the only way where they all get some and I can still eat myself ( not mws you understand ).
I shall switch to dried mws shortly when I start 'proper' feeding for the Dark Season and mostly near the house as it does put some of the 'biggies' off and they get their grub further up the garden anyway, so all are happy. I'm dedicated but not stupid - don't want to catch pneumonia when the arctic weather sets in!!!!
Bluetit

P.S.: I should explain here that the reason for this weird way of feeding live mws stems from feeding my bluetits that I reared in May/ June from hand or bowl once they were released beg. July and of course everyone else grew wise to this surprise surprise, so while the tits come down any time ( or not at all ) the twice daily ritual evolved to shut all others up. I tell you, you start something....B.
P.P.S.: Great photo of the thrush btw! B.

 

[SquirrelOsO]

Here's a quick pic of a thrush pogging out on my mealworms!

madmike

LOL that bird is cheating! hes taking way too many lol. here i am thinking they will only take one at a time, silly me :bounce:
well im off to buy mealworms today and ill be putting them out late afternoon when the sun is away from the feeders. they will be fine over night outside and hopefully by tomorrow morning someone will notice the mealies.
i was going to ask that question about roasted mealworms? ive seen them sold but i didnt think they would be a hit, but it sounds easier to feed and they dont go bad or worse turn into big black bugs ewwww.
so if i succeed with live worms maybe i can sprinkle in a few roasted worms and theyll eat them too?

 

[madmike]

Pogging

Hi bluetit,
Nope, I mean pogging - as in I'm pogged! It's what I say after OD'ing on Xmas lunch, and my friends wife HATES it when I say it!

I think you can get dried (and live) MW by mail order and it's a LOT cheaper! But ask me not where you can get it cos I don't know!

Cheers,

madmike

 

[SquirrelOsO]

but they'll eat the dried ones too?
the thing i hate about mealworms is the smell. i used to feed them to my anole lizard and the smell when i opened up the container was gross (o)<

theres a wildbird store near me and they sell live and dried worms so ill have easy access to them.
this is going to be so fun :hippy:

 

[madmike]

Mealworms et al

Hi SquirrelOsO,
Yup, I did a test and nine out of ten birds did'nt seem to care if the worms were dead or alive.
To avoid the smell you need to keep them dryish, and I keep mine in my shed!
Now and again I did put an apple or something into the box as they needed the moisture, but it made the whole thing soggy and VERY smelly!

Cheers,

madmike

 

[ahinrichs]

Hi Squirrel -

Properly dried mealworms are all right but I've found my birds prefer them fresh and alive.

Don't forget to feed your mealworms - I give mine a combination of bran and wheatgerm. Makes them nice and full of protein and fat which is essential for the birds.

As for smell - I don't have a problem with that. I use pieces of apple, sometimes carrots, and just keep an eye on their state. The worms can go for a couple of days without a source of moisture but not for too long. Another way to keep a quantity of mws fresh is to keep them in the produce keeper part of your fridge. You'll need to sift out the 'fras' (waste product of mws) I think it's called, every few days or so. This also keeps your worms nice and fresh.

Don't forget that the birds will eat the pupa of the mw quite happily so put those out for your birds also.

Good luck and keep us all posted on how you do.

Cheers - A

 

[SquirrelOsO]

well todays the first day for the mealworms and they are frying in the sun lol
no bird has seen them yet. they do look kinda tiny in the big dish i put them in. i have them hanging in a plastic dish on a shepherds hook right next to other feeders that the downy woodpeckers, chickadees and titmouse feed from. the woodpecker was right there 4 inches from the dish and he couldnt see the mealworms? does he need glasses lol
i only put out 6 and they are kinda skinny and small, about a half an inch.
i guess it will take awhile before they catch someones eye?

 

[Richard Bryce]

I can only afford to handfeed my mealworms as they come soooo expensive

Have you tried cultivating your own? It's not that difficult.

 

[Richard Bryce]

Don't forget to feed your mealworms - I give mine a combination of bran and wheatgerm. Makes them nice and full of protein and fat which is essential for the birds.

Mealworms have a very low calcium level, so when gut-loading prior to putting them out (two days), it's a good idea to add a calcium rich food, especially just prior to egg laying and when they are likely to be feeding chicks. Dried milk or cuttlefish work well. If you are really dedicated you could also dust the mealies in a vitamin powder (they are dry to the touch) or add a vitamin mix to the feed.

I read somewhere that wheat bran is like feeding dry cardboard. Oat bran is supposed to be better nutritionally. I use porridge oats plus wheat bran and durum wheat semolina.

 

[ahinrichs]

Hey Squirrel -

Yes, it will take a while for your birds to find them. It wouldn't hurt to put a few more out - say 20 or so. If they are in direct sunlight you might put a leaf or something over them to shade them. Even if they are only worms, you don't want them to suffer needlessly. The birds will eventually become curious and investigate. Just be patient. You'll soon be complaining that you can't afford to keep your birds in worms! That's when you'll start to raise them yourself! <G>

Your worms are quite small - a perfect size for babies come the spring. You might want to kind of sift through what you've got and see if there are any bigger ones. Though, believe you me, the birds will eat them no matter the size. A full grown mealworm is about 1" in length, give or take a bit. Put a good handfull aside in a container with bran and a piece of apple or carrot and just let them grow for a while. Keep an eye on the state of the apple or carrot piece - you don't want it to grow soggy, mushy or moldy, especially moldy as that can kill the worms. They'll grow faster in warmth. It sounds like it's still pretty warm where you are so that shouldn't be a problem.

The mws grow like snakes, that is, they shed their skin and emerge that little bit larger. When they first shed their skin they are white so don't panic if you see a white worm - that's perfectly natural.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Cheers - A

 

[ahinrichs]

Richard -

Great suggestions re: feeding the mws! Thanks. I've never thought about vitamin powder. Now, are you suggesting dried milk as feed for the mws or for the birds?? I've tried feeding my worms oatmeal which they're not crazy about - I think I shall try oat bran - why I hadn't thought of that I don't know.

This last spring I got some oyster shell to mix with the bird feed to provide the birds with extra calcium for egg laying but they just tossed it aside.

Though I know it bothers some people, handling the mws does not bother me in the least. I actually find them rather fascinating. But, then, I don't have a life <G>. All kidding aside, it gives one great respect for nature to see them go through their various life metamorphoses. How very clever it all is.

Cheers - A btw - I note you live in Wootton - I live in Renhold, Beds just down the road to all intents and purposes. Have your house martins left on migration by any chance??

 

[ahinrichs]

Mealworms

Hi SquirrelOsO,
Yup, I did a test and nine out of ten birds did'nt seem to care if the worms were dead or alive.
To avoid the smell you need to keep them dryish, and I keep mine in my shed!
Now and again I did put an apple or something into the box as they needed the moisture, but it made the whole thing soggy and VERY smelly!

Cheers,

madmike

Hi madmike -

I have found that if I change toss the apple every two days or so - depending on how warm it is - and put in a fresh bit of apple the bedding stays dry. It's a situation that requires monitoring. Once in a blue moon things get smelly. When that happens I just toss the bedding and start afresh.

Cheers - A

 

[SquirrelOsO]

well i dont like touching them just yet lol. i kinda spooned them out.
i will put out some more tomorrow, i think your right, 6 looks like nothing in that big bowl. i got a container of 50, it was the last batch the petstore had. they kept them in the fridge and that where mine are now. i moved them to a meatloaf pan so its big and airy. all i know is i dont want another surprise of big black bugs! when i was younger i kept mealies for my anole and well my anole died and i forgot about the mealworms. i opened the container thinking i would find dried up worms but whoa and behold their were huge black bugs! i screamed my head off put the lid on and i shook for a few hours lol. so i want to keep them from morphing lol. raising them nope i cant do it
and crickets?? holy moses im very afraid of crickets. earthworms are ok there kinda cute but still i dont like to touch em :-O