Feeding Bluebirds
In addition to the numerous nesting bluebird related questions we receive this time of year, another frequent question is how best to feed them?
Male Bluebird Feeding on Mealworms on Our Delivery Dock
Photo Credit: Eli Haislip
Many of you may have noticed bluebirds visiting your feeding stations, especially in the late winter. While in the past this was rare, it has now become commonplace. During cold weather, when there is a lack of insect activity, bluebirds may be drawn to out-of-the shell seeds, such as sunflowers or peanuts, as well as suet. While this may continue into the spring, expect this to begin to taper off, with it becoming almost non-existent by summer. Fear not, though, as there are still ways to continue feeding bluebirds!
The best way to feed bluebirds during warm weather is with live mealworms. These are actually not worms at all, but rather the larval stage of the darkling beetle. We carry these year round, and sell them by weight. Large, or roughly 1000 worms, (if you’re wondering, yes, one slow fall afternoon John actually took the time to count out mealworms) is $15, medium, or 500 worms, is $11, and small, or 250 worms, is $7. Note: If you purchase live mealworms, they MUST be kept in the refrigerator, where they will then enter a dormant state and keep upwards of a month. NEVER put them in the freezer, as this temperature will kill them.
Folks also ask us which is better: Live, or dried mealworms? During the colder months, bluebirds will consume dried mealworms, but when temperatures are warmer and insects become prevalent, live always wins! It would be like trying to entice someone to your table by offering fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls, vs hard-tack. Like us, bluebirds prefer fresh over dried.
Odd baked goods analogies aside, how do you present mealworms? Do I need to buy a special feeder? The answer to this is that it can be as simple, or elaborate, as you would like. For instance, here at the shop, our concrete loading dock is our bluebird feeder. Fortunately for those of you that don’t happen to have a loading dock in your backyard, we have a variety of different options ranging in price from as little as $15 to as much as $85.
To maximize success when feeding bluebirds, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, don’t just put a lot of worms out and hope for the best. Because most other birds eat insects, this is a great recipe to attract every other bird to your mealworms, including larger species such as mockingbirds and robins that can, and will out-compete your bluebirds. For this reason, we always tell people to put out a small amount of worms, and to do so only when the bluebirds are present to take advantage of the offering. If the bluebirds do not notice the worms and fly away, bring the worms in and try again when the bluebirds are in a position to see the worms. While this method does require a little more patience, it will work out much better in the long term. Over time, the bluebirds will often come to associate you with food!
Below is a video we took on our delivery dock of our bluebirds, feeding on live mealworms! Enjoy!