mealworms

[Rockin Robin]

when the breeding season starts i am going to buy one of those 4.99 mealworm feeders and some mealworms from cj's. But when do the first birds start to breed? When should i get the mealworms?

[Lisa]

Hi Rockin Robin

It’s a good idea to start putting small quantities of mealworms out from the beginning of March, increasing the quantity as the birds discover them.It also makes courtship feeding (where the male brings food items to the female to reinforce the pair bond and help her with the additional demands of egg production and brooding) that bit easier if there are mealies on hand.

In the early days the birds can be a bit slow to discover the new food so it helps to put the mealies out at the same time and place every day. Unless it’s very cold it’s a good idea to allow that day’s mealies to warm up to room temperature before they are put out so that they are wriggling nicely – the movement will be the first thing that attracts the birds. Once they get used to taking mealworms there’s no need do this.

Hope this helps!

[Cheshire Turdus]

I would try to 'deliver' this meal worms in a container that provents larger birds getting to the worms and eating them all before the smaller birds get any. There is a dome shaped feeder that you can use so that only Robins etc can get at the worms but starlings cant.

I have trouble with a few starlings that like to hover up all the worms the moment my back is turned !

I hope this helps

[Jack]

There is a dome shaped feeder that you can use so that only Robins etc can get at the worms but starlings cant.


Cheshire,

Is this dome-shaped feeder available through CJ?
I have the same problems with starlings so used a Guardian with my CJ meal worm feeder but now no birds use it at all. I've wasted lots of worms over the winter/spring.
I thought that the Robin and other small birds would simply take time to get used to the Guardian and pluck up the courage to go inside the cage but after 4/5 months I can honestly say that I don't think that a single worm has been taken from inside. Of course, as soon as I tip out the stale worms the legion of starlings have them away in a matter of seconds!!:mad:

Any suggestions. Can you post a picture of the feeder?

Thanks,

Jack

Ahhhhhh! The good old days.......:)

http://www.cjwildlifeforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67&stc=1&d=1173202193

http://www.cjwildlifeforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=68&stc=1&d=1173202339

http://www.cjwildlifeforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=69&stc=1&d=1173202339

[Rockin Robin]

I am not at all in any way trying to promote wiggly wigglers in any way in this post. However, i bought a wooden mealworm feeder off wiggly wigglers who do a big selection of them. It is great because it has a wooden roof and is very sturdy, i have the wall mounted one.

http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/images_product/40.jpg http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/images_product/38.jpg http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/images_product/39.jpg they also do this bird table with a live feederhttp://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/images_product/42.jpg

[gem56312]

I was thinking about getting the mealworms too, but am a bit squeamish, will the birds eat the dried mealworms untill I pluck up the courage?

[Rockin Robin]

dried mealworms are ideal to mix with a seed mix. What i do with dried mealworms is add them to my homemeade robin mix, which i put in a bowl on the bird table with some chopped up suet.
If you were interested in feeding live ones it is best for chicks because they can get the moisture which the dried ones lack. If you are squemish get some of those gloves from a chemists (which are like the ones forensic detectives where on the tely) .