Meal Worms for Bluebirds

"Mealworms for Bluebirds"

Worms and Larvae are among a Bluebird's favorite fast foods, and Mealworms are near the top of the list. You can raise Mealworms in minimal space, and they require very little effort. You will need to start out with some Mealworms which you can find at a local Fish Bait Store, or order them from the Internet at one of these SITES.

Is this a Robin or a Pig?
Its overfilled beak looks like a pack of French Fries.

A good container to raise them is a clear plastic Shoe Box with a tight lid. Larger containers are also suitable. The Box should have ventilation which can be made by cutting a hole in the lid. Mealworms are not great climbers and vary seldom fly, but you may want to attach a piece of Screen to the ventilation hole with a Glue Gun.

They will need to be fed some "meal", like Corn Meal, Chicken Mash, Wheat Flour, dry breakfast Oatmeal, or the Siftings from your cereal boxes. These Siftings can be removed with a kitchen Colander. This food is placed in the bottom of the container 1/4 to 1/2" deep. Place the Worms on top.

The dark Worm is probably dead. The second one is a normal larvae. Next is a skin, shed when it becomes the legged stage on the right. They will multiply best at a room temperature of 70 F. or more. If you don't want them to become winged adults, place them in your refrigerator, where they will become dormant. But if left in the heat, they will become adults, lay thousands of eggs, and die.

They seem to be able to get enough moisture from their food, but these adults seem to relish this wet newspaper, which the larvae eat as food. They also relish slices of Potatoes and Apples, a source of nutrition and moisture.

To raise more Mealworms, as soon as you see the adults, and before they turn black, catch them with a tablespoon and put them in a new plastic container with food in the bottom. When they die, remove them with a tweezers so you don't remove any eggs. Keep the container at 70 F. or more and wait.