●  Live Mealworms

●  Mealworm Feeders

Eastern Bluebird

Bluebirds eagerly accept live mealworms. Offer a supply, and watch the Bluebirds return day after day!

Western Bluebird Male

Western Bluebird Female

Mountain Bluebird

Few sights in nature are more beautiful to the eye than the flash of its iridescent blue, few sounds to the ear more delightful than its soft, melodious warble. Little wonder so many songs, stories and poems pay tribute the bluebird. Little wonder it has become the bird that universally symbolizes peace, happiness and all that is good.

Three species of bluebirds grace the North American continent. The Eastern and Western species are aptly named, with the Eastern Bluebird found in the southeastern part of Canada and through the eastern US. Its counterpart, the Western Bluebird, is found along the western edge of North America. Home for the Mountain Bluebird, whose range overlaps with the other two species, is a large swath through the west-central regions. Although it will nest at high elevations, the Mountain Bluebird is at home in a prairie coulee as it is in a high alpine meadow. While all three species of bluebirds can be easily recognized by their beautiful azure coloration, only the Mountain Bluebird is completely blue. Both the Eastern and Western Bluebirds are additionally adorned with bright red breasts. The females of all three species wear a more muted attire than the males, showing bright blue in their wing and tail feathers only when they fly.

Why offer Mealworms to Bluebirds?

Mealworms are an excellent supplement to bird feeding as they provide additional protein to bluebirds' regular diet of 85% insects and 15% seeds. When those early spring bluebirds arrive and insects are not abundant, the availability of mealworms in the vicinity of your bluebird nest boxes may be the difference between attracting bluebirds back to your yard or having them move to a different area to begin their nesting activities.

Many blue birders' swear that supplying mealworms has really made a positive difference during times of stress.- when spring suddenly turns back to winter, when constant rain and/or cold cut off insect supply for the young. And many of us also find satisfaction and pleasure in supplying wintering chickadees, nuthatches, and other songbirds as well.

What other wild birds enjoy feeding on Mealworms? 

Bluebirds do not usually come to bird feeders.  However, they may be conditioned or educated to find food offered to them such as mealworms or nutritional bluebird food mix.  The best time to begin a feeding program is the early spring when the birds are first returning to their nesting areas in the Upper Midwest and natural food sources are scarce.  When the birds return in the spring, insects may not be fully active and few of last year's berries remain on shrubs and trees.

Types of Feeders:

Bluebirds are most likely to accept food offered in an open tray or dish.  The food is easy to see and the tray can be moved a little at a time until you have decided on the best location.  The difficulty of open trays or dishes is that the food may be taken by other bird species or may become saturated by rain or snow.  Enclosed feeders may solve some of these problems, but will not be as quickly accepted by the bluebirds.

Training the Birds to Use the Feeders:

Begin by placing the feeder in the open within view of the bird's favorite perch.  For a quick start, place the open dish or tray on the ground about 5 feet in front of a nest box which they have chosen to use.  Once you see the birds feeding from the dish, you can gradually move it to the site you desire - a post, deck railing, bird bath, clothesline post etc.  To hurry the process of getting the birds to accept the food mix, place some live mealworms or grubs on the mix.  The insect motion will attract the birds and encourage them to move in and sample the food.  When using an enclosed feeder, you may have to remove one side and sprinkle food on the roof and sides to entice the more reluctant birds to go in; then replace the glass side after they have become regular users of the feeder.  Watch carefully for the occasional bird who may go into the feeder, become confused by the glass, and not be able to find the hole to get out! (Taping small horizontal strips of tape across the glass may help-) If you work with the feeding/training persistently for 5-10 days, you should be very successful at teaching them to accept your food, come in close for you to watch them, and all you will need to do is keep the feeder clean and filled.

Mealworms are not really worms at all but are the larval form of the darkling beetle (Tenebrio molitor). They are clean, easy to raise, do not carry human diseases and most importantly are a nutritious food supplement readily accepted by bluebirds.

Mealworms can be offered to bluebirds to:

• Entice them to use a nest box

• Assist the incubating female to find food quickly so she does not have to leave her eggs for long periods of time

• Act as supplementary food for nestlings if food becomes scarce when weather conditions prevent the parents from finding insects

• Help them survive during spells of severe winter weather

 

Read what the North American Bluebird Society has to say about feeding Mealworms ....

Feeding Mealworms to Bluebirds:

Perhaps the biggest challenge is to try to attract bluebirds to your yard with mealworms. If you already have bluebirds and just want to ensure they stay, mealworms can be an effective enticement. If you have never or rarely seen a bluebird in your yard, chances are they will not show up just because you have put out mealworms. What will happen is that other birds in your yard will find them and quickly consume the entire offering. So unless you have bluebirds around, it could be a costly and unrewarding venture to offer mealworms in the hopes of attracting them. However, in cold climates, small over-wintering songbirds like chickadees, nuthatches, etc. appreciate a small hanging tin cup of mealworms as much as bird watchers enjoy watching them come.

There are several types of feeders that can be used, or you can just scatter mealworms on the ground. The latter method is least advised as mealworms are attractive to most birds and they might all be eaten before bluebirds can find them. The best type of feeder is the hopper style where the mealworms can be placed inside the feeder with the bluebirds entering from a hole at either end. Naturally curious, bluebirds will readily explore this type of feeder and quickly recognize it as a food source. The 1 ½" hole at each end will effectively exclude larger birds. Smaller birds will soon catch on, but an aggressive male bluebird will usually defend "his" feeder, especially if he and his mate are nesting nearby. Some find that putting a flat saucer with a few worms in it on top of the hopper feeder will help draw the bluebird’s attention to the location of the feeder. Once they become familiar with the routine, the saucer should be removed and mealworms placed inside the feeder. The location of the feeder can also be moved as the birds become familiar with it, and then moved to a spot where it is easier for you to watch them feed. One of the highlights of feeding mealworms to bluebirds is watching the fledged young start coming down to the feeder, first begging to be fed and eventually figuring out for themselves how to get the tasty treats on their own.

Because they should be used as a supplemental food, mealworms should only be offered once or twice a day unless poor weather conditions dictate more frequent feeding. A hundred or so worms offered morning and evening would be adequate for a pair with a box of nestlings.