Please help ...

[Nicola]

I am thinking of getting mealworms to help give the baby birds and parents a boost in the spring, does anyone know where I can order them from? Are there any websites that might be useful? Price limit is up to £20. Regards, Nicola.

[Shamal]

Never had much to do with live food myself, but it looks like Cj sell them
http://www.birdfood.co.uk/products.php?area_id=2&nav_id=29

[Jenny]

Nicola,

Suggest you get a trial pack from CJ's, first. My friend thought he would try mealworms and then didn't fancy the wriggly mess! :eek: ! Personally, considering he's a gamekeeper, thought he be used to far more nasty things than mealworms which are not slimy (any more than snakes) although, also like snakes, one does have to be careful about budding Houdinis!!:)

Seriously, having a trial pack will also allow you to guage the demand for the mealworms amongst your local birds and give you an idea of how to ration the supplies you can afford when the babes have fledged - expect to have to do this! One blackbird can grab up to eight mealworms in one visit and will come back repeatedly! I've got a mealworm feeder that you could restrict access to by lowering the cover so used to let the blackies etc in (they're really early risers) first, then refill and lower lid for smaller bird rising slightly later to get a fair share - but it wasn't exactly easy or practical! Have a look through CJ's shop live foods section and see what you think.

Hopefully others will post their experiences (although I think there's some older info on this topic on the forum that will help you). Jenny

[dougied]

Hi Nicola, I've used mealworms for many years now and always bought them through CJ's. I buy them by the tub, rather than by the sack. That makes them easy to handle, i.e. you don't have to decant them, just leave them in their individual tub and pour them into a high sided bowl as needed. Easy. :D
The only thing you have to watch for, is that the starlings don't come in mob handed and scoff the lot before anything else has had a look in.

[Rockin Robin]

i don't fancy the idea of having to bring the mealworms indoors every night,it is too much hassle but i really want to help the chicks. Do i have to fetch them in every night? or can i leave them. I currently feed my birds dried mealworms on a dish on the bird table, are dried mealworms suitable for chiicks, or not?
Help would be much appreciated.

[dougied]

I leave my mealworms out at night, the're ok as long as it doesn't rain. If it does rain and the bowl they're in isn't covered they will all drown. The answer, of course, is to make sure they are under cover i.e. some sort of roof. Never used dried mealworms, so can't comment, but I would expect they would be fine for feeding to chicks.

[Sahbster]

Apparently dried mealworms aren't as good as live. The chicks don't get the moisture they need from 'dried' ones. Lovely !!!

:D