How to Use Mealworms as Bird Feed

When offering mealworms to birds, it's important to make sure they are in an easy to reach place.

Dried mealworms are a new and innovative food source for wild birds. Bird watchers find that offering mealworms to wild birds attracts a larger variety of wild bird species.

Dried mealworms are a great source of protein, are easy to feed, and are very attractive to insect-eating birds. By feeding this insect source, you can unleash a whole new way to attract a variety of birds to your yard. Below are a few tips for offering mealworms as bird feed:

Make the bird food convenient for wild birds.

Be patient.

Make the bird food available for a long period of time.

Mix it up.

Make Mealworms Convenient for Birds to Find

When offering mealworms to birds, it's important to make sure they are in an easy to reach place. This means making them visible and putting them near perches for birds of all sizes to feed from. It's also smart to place them near your regular bird feeder or bird bath so birds can easily locate them.

Attracting Wild Birds Requires Patience

It may take a little time for the birds visiting your backyard to realize the dried mealworms are a food source. Be patient and make sure you consistently put fresh meal worms out in the same place. Sometimes you can even soak the mealworms to make them moist again to make them more appealing to birds. All it takes is one bird to realize that the mealworms are food and then other birds will begin to catch on. After that, it won't be long until birds are lining up at your bird feeders to eat your mealworms.

Keep Bird Food Available

Provide dried mealworms to birds year-round. Because many of a wild bird's natural food sources have been depleted by late winter and early spring, this is the best time to have dried mealworms in your bird feeder. Many migrating birds will be looking for food sources and most are usually scarce this time of year.

Mix it Up

Dried mealworms are a very versatile bird food. They can be served alone or added to bird seed or bird suet. Don't be afraid to be creative.

One bird species that absolutely loves dried mealworms are Bluebirds. Bluebirds mainly feed off large amounts of insects on the ground. Also, since they like to nest in bird houses in open space (i.e. the middle of your yard), putting out mealworms next to your birdhouse is a great way to attract bluebirds to come nest. Also, with the worms there, there is a good chance they will nest and raise the hatchlings nearby.