Anyone feed Meal Worms to their birds?
Years back, I tried it when a shop nearby got some in. Actually, you can grow your own quite easily. I had a house in a neighborhood in NC. I had no Blue Birds, but the other birds would gobble them up:peaceful:.
Meal worms tend to crawl away, so you have to adjust for that.
I got a feeder that had a bird size hole on each end with clear sides. The smaller birds could fit through the hole and eat. It was a success! It was also too much trouble and $$ to do often. Live meal worms keep well in the fridge if your wife does not notice them:disgust:.
Here in SC on the lake, I have Blue Birds. My bird houses raise about 20 a year. In my 11 years here, (raised maybe 200) have yet to lure one to a feeder. I have tried the freeze dried ones but birds don't seem to like those here. Lately I have a Wren eating some.
With all bird food, the birds pick and choose as to what is available. Like us humans, eat the best until it is gone, then go to second best.
Where I live, the forest is hard to compete with. So is my yard, as when I buy a plant, I tend to choose "bird friendly". Some birds like seed, some berries, and all like insects.
Back to meal worms --> I am going to expand my freeze dried offering this Winter to see if I can build on the Wren. Wrens only eat my suet which is also an "insect source" type food birds love, especially in Winter when insects are few. Meal Worms have to compete with an abundance of "natural things" things in my garden.
Before Spring, hope to have my own meal worm factory operating to lure some Blue Birds near my porch chair. Back yard birds are a hobby for me. It is one that keeps my attention year after year as nothing else ever has.
In my part of the country, the hobby of competing with Mother Nature to attract birds is harder than you folks living in harsh climates deal with. On the plus side, in Winter, my yard is packed with birds who come South for the better climate and food sources.
As Mary Poppins says, "Feed the birds".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHrRxQVUFN4
