Ways of Feedings Dried Mealworms (1 Viewer)

[Joe94]

Morning All,

Happy New Year & hope your all keeping safe & well?

As many of you know I have been establishing a feeding station in my garden, tp which thankfully has been successful & now have some new daily regulars, along with some new sighting along they way (hopefully they will become regulars soon too)

But one thing I wanted to a general consensus on was way in whihc dried mealworms are fed? Currently I feed them on the ground feeder dish, whihc is popular with the Robin & Blackbirds and then I also put some in the dishes that are just over half way up the feeder poles. However the worms in these mid air dishes soon go ones the starling visit. Now as much as I don’t mind this at all because they leave the ground ones alone for the Robins ect, I have read that dried mealworms are also good for attracting tits ect... so should I also off them in a hanging feeder too, like a seed feeder? I know that starling may still have a pick at them, but like with my suet pellets they don’t get no where near as many of them now there also in a standard seed feeder?

Many thanks as always guys

 

[delia todd]

As you're discovering Joe, the mealworms will be eaten from various sites. Even my first floor window feeder (Robin, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, House Sparrow, Chaffinch)!

I get some feed from CJ Wildlife which includes mealworms and that feed can go on the ground, tables, and the ground. So whatever suits you really. Starlings start with the ones on the ground and shed roof here, so until that's all gone they don't come to my window feeder fortunately (I have to chase them off it), as two or three, and more sometimes, fighting over access is liable to send it crashing to the ground!!

 

[Joe94]

As you're discovering Joe, the mealworms will be eaten from various sites. Even my first floor window feeder (Robin, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, House Sparrow, Chaffinch)!

I get some feed from CJ Wildlife which includes mealworms and that feed can go on the ground, tables, and the ground. So whatever suits you really. Starlings start with the ones on the ground and shed roof here, so until that's all gone they don't come to my window feeder fortunately (I have to chase them off it), as two or three, and more sometimes, fighting over access is liable to send it crashing to the ground!!

Thank you Delia for the tips, very much appreciated

By the sounds of things, it’s another case of giving it a go & seeing what happens. And if the starlings get too abusive towards the hanging feeder of mealworms, then just remove it & stick back with what I’m doing no? The good thing is there is still plenty of other options hanging, if it doesn’t work out

It really is trial and error with birds & feeding aha

 

[Joe94]

As you're discovering Joe, the mealworms will be eaten from various sites. Even my first floor window feeder (Robin, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, House Sparrow, Chaffinch)!

I get some feed from CJ Wildlife which includes mealworms and that feed can go on the ground, tables, and the ground. So whatever suits you really. Starlings start with the ones on the ground and shed roof here, so until that's all gone they don't come to my window feeder fortunately (I have to chase them off it), as two or three, and more sometimes, fighting over access is liable to send it crashing to the ground!!

Hi Delia, thought I’d give you an update....

So I filled up a 2 hole seed feeder with mealworms & umm well within 1/2 hour the starting attacked them all! However half were then wasted on the floor! So as much as I love the starlings & really don’t mind them, I think I will stick to using the mealworms in the dish & floor feeders for now.

Thankfully there is plenty of other options for the other little birds, which do seem to be working

But as you say, it’s all about trial & error aha. They may work better in the summer when the little birds are feeding more & the starling are less

Thank you for your help though

 

[snowyowl]

This thread interests me because I've tried feeding freeze dried meal worms on numerous occasions but haven't seen anything eat them. Do you do anything to them to re-hydrate them? I've tried soaking them in water, in olive oil, various other liquids. Total lack of success. Maybe they are an acquired test for Brit birds only? Any help will be gratefully received>

 

[Joe94]

This thread interests me because I've tried feeding freeze dried meal worms on numerous occasions but haven't seen anything eat them. Do you do anything to them to re-hydrate them? I've tried soaking them in water, in olive oil, various other liquids. Total lack of success. Maybe they are an acquired test for Brit birds only? Any help will be gratefully received>

Hello, personally I don’t re-hydrate them & just serve them dry. Thankfully this way seems to be a bit in my garden, but as you mentioned it may be a geographical thing, as to the that’s of birds ect?

Thank you for sharing though

 

[delia todd]

This thread interests me because I've tried feeding freeze dried meal worms on numerous occasions but haven't seen anything eat them. Do you do anything to them to re-hydrate them? I've tried soaking them in water, in olive oil, various other liquids. Total lack of success. Maybe they are an acquired test for Brit birds only? Any help will be gratefully received>

I just soak mine overnight Dan, but I don't know that it's really necessary to do that.

However half were then wasted on the floor!

Actually I mostly chuck the mealworms out on the ground, so they'll be on the grass and under foliage (Dunnocks are often foraging around there). That keeps the Starlings occupied for quite a while picking around and trying to make sure they've got them all. So the fact some fall to the ground doesn't mean they're wasted Joe.

At this time of year the Starling go mad for my fat ball feeder.

 

[Joe94]

I just soak mine overnight Dan, but I don't know that it's really necessary to do that.



Actually I mostly chuck the mealworms out on the ground, so they'll be on the grass and under foliage (Dunnocks are often foraging around there). That keeps the Starlings occupied for quite a while picking around and trying to make sure they've got them all. So the fact some fall to the ground doesn't mean they're wasted Joe.

At this time of year the Starling go mad for my fat ball feeder.

Yeah that’s true, didn’t think about the ground feeders...

As for the fat balls, strange enough no bird has gone for any of mine since I started? Note the suet block or coconut half eaither. Seams to be sued pellets, mealworms, sunflower hearts & occational seed & peanuts

 

[Andy Lakin]

Personally I would focus on feeding the smaller birds I.e Dunnocks, Robins etc as the Starlings willl eat anything, costing you a lot less money. Also there are a few sites selling large sacks of mealtimes I.e 5Kg's that will save you a lot of money by buying in bulk.

 

[delia todd]

Personally I would focus on feeding the smaller birds I.e Dunnocks, Robins etc as the Starlings willl eat anything, costing you a lot less money. Also there are a few sites selling large sacks of mealtimes I.e 5Kg's that will save you a lot of money by buying in bulk.

LOL Andy, do you have an autocorrect on? I love it.

 

[Joe94]

Personally I would focus on feeding the smaller birds I.e Dunnocks, Robins etc as the Starlings willl eat anything, costing you a lot less money. Also there are a few sites selling large sacks of mealtimes I.e 5Kg's that will save you a lot of money by buying in bulk.

Thank you, thankfully I buy bulk, but it’s the small birds I’m thinking off but trouble is, as soon as I put a feeder of mealworms out hanging, the starling empty it with the hour, along with the hovering dishes... Thankfully thought they leave the ground feeder dish alone.

But as Delia has said above, it might not be such a bad thing as the worms will just fall to the ground for little birds & in between the starlings. Also soon when the winter starts to go, the starling don’t tend to be around as much here.

Don’t get me wrong though, there still birds so not moaning aha

 

[Andy Lakin]

Cheers Delia didn't even notice.I was doing it on the Kindle and they don't like wordsmith in the dictionary.

 

[rkahrl]

I'm putting mealworms in a hanging feeder. They are dried and I make no attempt to dampen them. I get many bluebirds, but I also get starlings. L.uckily, starlings are much more skittish than bluebirds, so if I tap on the window, the starlings leave. I buy dried mealworms in 20-pound bags from chubbymealworms.com. It's a tray with a plastic overhanging roof. I'm thinking of switching to an enclosed bluebird feeder.