Offering mealworms to birds is an effective way to provide them with essential protein sources. Mealworms also serve as energy boosters for nestlings and fledglings.
Though fresh mealworms provide more nutrition, dried ones may still be used – just ensure to soak them first in water to restore their hydration value.
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Attracts a wide variety of birds
Mealworms don’t provide all of the nutrition birds need, but they make for an irresistibly delicious treat for many wild bird species. Mealworms should only be offered as part of regular birdseed diet to prevent overfeeding.
Mealworms, the larval stage of Tenebrio molitor beetle larvae, are popularly fed to wild birds due to their short breeding cycle and low cost; over 80% of bird families include some form of insects in their diets.
Mealworms attract numerous bird species that don’t normally visit your feeders, while providing extra protein that fledglings and nesting birds require for their success.
Dried mealworms can be purchased from most online or local bird food suppliers at a significantly reduced cost compared to live worms and require no refrigeration. If you prefer something squirmier and wiggle-wiggle-ish instead of mealworms that you buy ready-made, then raising them yourself may be best; the process takes approximately three to four months but once they’re ready you will always have plenty on hand for feeding purposes!
Attracts bluebirds
Bluebirds are one of the most desired birds to attract to any yard. You can do this by providing feeders and planting native berry bushes and trees containing wild holly, mistletoe, dogwood berries, juniper berries and chokecherries – these species serve as food sources during winter!
Starting to attract Bluebirds into your backyard can be accomplished through offering meal worms. Present them early in the morning when Bluebirds are most hungry; less likely will other insects eat them first! Meal worms can be found both online and at pet supply stores.
Use dried meal worms to lure bluebirds. Moistening them slightly will make them more inviting for Bluebirds and can also feed other insect-eating birds that don’t frequent traditional bird feeders, including robins, wrens, chickadees, woodpeckers and cardinals.
Attracts other birds
As insects are an integral part of many wild bird diets, including bluebirds’, providing insect food in your feeders is a sure way to attract new species. Pacific Bird’s oven-dried mealworm topping is made of premium quality dried mealworms for maximum attraction – use it alone or mix them into any desired seed mix blend! These protein and energy packed snack are especially loved by chickadees, wrens, catbirds, nuthatches, towhees, woodpeckers & flycatchers alike as they provide essential source of protein & energy needed by bluebirds & other wild songbirds not normally frequenting yards due traditional seed blends alone!
Feeding birds mealworms year-round is an enjoyable year-round activity, but especially essential during winter when other food sources become limited. Luckily, mealworms can be purchased in dry form year-round for ease and low maintenance costs compared with live ones. Simply scatter or add dried mealworms into birdfeeders to watch other feathered friends flock over for their nutrient-rich snack! For optimal results ensure you provide both seeds, suet cakes and insects such as mealworms in order to provide your backyard birds with a balanced diet including both seeds, suet cakes as well as insects such as mealworms!
Attracts other insects
Mealworms are a delicious high protein treat that draws bluebirds, wrens, robins, chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatches to bird feeders that wouldn’t otherwise come around. Mealworm feeders or mealworm mixes mixed in with bird seed can attract even more variety of songbirds!
Offering dried mealworms year-round is beneficial, but they become even more attractive during breeding and fledgling seasons when young birds need the extra food sources they provide for themselves in their nests or newly fledged eggs. Raising mealworms yourself can be both rewarding and fun; alternatively you could purchase them from wild bird feeding stores or pet stores as convenient sources.
Some may worry that offering dehydrated mealworms to birds will cause them to become dehydrated; however, thirsty birds will drink from any available source, and dehydrated mealworms are perfectly fine to eat as their digestive systems will naturally rehydrate themselves as you digest. Furthermore, dehydrated mealworms are easier for keepers than live mealworms which could roam away or spoil.