Which birds eat dried mealworms in the UK?

Ground-feeding and soft-billed bird species are particularly attracted to mealworms. The following types of birds will eat dried mealworms in the UK: Blackbird Blackcap Blue tit Dunnock Great tit House sparrow Nuthatch Robin Starling Song thrush Wren

Dried Mealworms

From £5.50

In stock

SKU

UMW

357 Reviews from

Dried mealworms for birds are an ideal alternative for people who do not like the wriggle of live mealworms. They provide a high protein and fat content that is very similar to live worms and can be easily stored and fed to a variety of wild birds. When you buy dried mealworms from Vine House Farm, you are supporting local Wildlife Trusts.

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Every sale supports The Wildlife Trusts, with over £1.3m donated to date

Description

Dried mealworms are the non-live equivalent of live mealworms. Mealworms are the larvae form of the darkling beetle, which many commonly refer to as the mealworm beetle. Insects and other invertebrates are an important food source for many species of wild bird.

Some people are put off live worms because of their wriggle; in this case, dried alternatives are a good option. Dried mealworms offer a similar amount of fat and protein as live mealworms, but without the wriggle. If you are choosing to feed dried mealworms to birds, it is important that you soak them in water before you put them out in your garden. This will provide birds with much-needed moisture, which is naturally present in live mealworms.

Insects are an excellent addition to your bird food selection. Live food is often left out of gardens, which means people can miss out on seeing several ground-feeding species of garden birds.

When choosing your wild bird food, it is important to have a diverse range of food sources available in your garden or feeding area. This will attract more species of wild bird into your garden. For best results, we recommend including dried mealworms in your garden alongside other types of bird food. These could include straight seeds like sunflower seeds or sunflower hearts, seed mixes, suet pellets and suet fat balls, and peanuts.

Description

More Information
Product Specification	Available in 100g and 250g resealable pouches and 550g and 1kg bags.
Show Simple Grid	No
FAQ Title 1	How should I feed dried mealworms to birds?
FAQ Content 1	Dried mealworms must be soaked in water before being fed - especially during drier seasons. During the Summer months, the ground is often too dry for earthworms to rise to the surface of the ground. These would usually provide a hydrating and nutrient-dense food source for ground-feeding birds, like Starlings, Robins and Blackbirds. Placing soaked dried mealworms on or near the ground can encourage these birds into your garden. The moisture content of live mealworms is very beneficial to birds, especially during breeding, nesting and fledging seasons, when parent birds will feed worms to their young. This is why it is essential to soak dried mealworms in water.
FAQ Title 2	What bird feeders can I use to put out mealworms for birds?
FAQ Content 2	You can feed dried mealworms to birds using a variety of methods. Insectivorous birds are happy to search the ground for their food, so this is a natural way to feed mealworms, whether live or dried, to your birds. While live worms must be fed using a feeder, you can simply sprinkle dried mealworms on the ground. Make sure to do this away from bushes and shrubs to avoid cats. Livefood like mealworms can sometimes be harmful to other animals in its dried form. Hedgehogs, for example, can sometimes mistakenly eat them, which can result in severe health issues. If you get a lot of visits from hedgehogs or you are wary of this happening you can place mealworms on a bird table, instead.
FAQ Title 3	How do you rehydrate dried mealworms?
FAQ Content 3	You should soak dried mealworms before putting them into your garden for feeding. This is especially important during hotter periods and fledging and breeding seasons. We recommend soaking mealworms for at least 24 hours, in warm water. This ensures they soak up as much water as possible. Follow the below method to rehydrate dried mealworms: Pour water over the dried mealworms. Make sure it is covering the worms evenly. The mealworms should float on top of the water. Once this happens, leave them for as long as possible, up to 24 hours is best. If you have a limited time, leave the worms to soak for at least 30 minutes.
FAQ Title 4	How long do dried mealworms last?
FAQ Content 4	Dried mealworms will last for several months when stored, provided they are kept in a sealed container in a cool, dark place. One benefit of dried over live mealworms is that they are easier to store. This is because they do not require being kept in a fridge/cooler to stay dormant.
FAQ Title 5	Which birds eat dried mealworms in the UK?
FAQ Content 5	Ground-feeding and soft-billed bird species are particularly attracted to mealworms. The following types of birds will eat dried mealworms in the UK: Blackbird Blackcap Blue tit Dunnock Great tit House sparrow Nuthatch Robin Starling Song thrush Wren
FAQ Title 6	Can dried mealworms come back to life?
FAQ Content 6	No. Unlike live mealworms, dried worms like these do not come back to life once they are soaked. They are not dormant or living once they have been dried. The reason for soaking them is to provide more moisture for birds that consume them.

Specification

Available in 100g and 250g resealable pouches and 550g and 1kg bags.

Suitable Feeding Methods

Bird Table

Delivery

All prices in our catalogue and on our website include delivery; there are no hidden extra costs. Orders received by 3pm Monday to Friday will be dispatched on that day using a next working day delivery service. Therefore an order placed on Tuesday morning should be delivered on Wednesday and an order placed on Friday will be delivered on Monday.

We don't deliver on Saturdays or Bank Holidays. We offer a no sigature delivery service; simply advise us where to leave your bags.

Live food orders and orders less than 1kg in weight will come by Royal Mail.

If you have not received your order within 7 working days please contact us on 01775 630208.

We now deliver to all of mainland UK and Northern Ireland with no extra delivery charge. Please note that some postcode areas that are classed as Scottish Islands and Highlands may take 2-3 working days to arrive. For deliveries outside of these areas a £10 charge will be applied.
Postcode areas affected include HS, IV41 – IV49, IV51, IV55 and IV56, KA27 and KA28, KW15 to KW17, PA20, PA41 to PA49, PA60 to PA78, PH42 to PH44, ZE, Isle of Man

We are unable to deliver to the Republic of Ireland or the Channel Islands.

Reviews

Clifford Walker

100%

Not much you can say about a dried mealworm but the order and delivery was first class and I am more than happy to support an excellent supplier
17/09/2021
Guest

80%

Birds always enjoy them...personally, I've never tried them!!
17/09/2021
Robin Kyd

80%

Excellent product. The problem is preventing magpies from dive bombing the feeder to tip the mealworms onto the ground.
16/09/2021
Carol Hilditch

100%

Blackbird particularly likes these when I soften them by soaking, and the little Hedge Sparrows enjoy them too. Lovely to watch them!
14/09/2021
Rose Kemp

100%

I hydrate these for the starlings and they absolutely love them. Essential protein with the ground so hard and dry at the moment.
12/09/2021
Sarah Roe

100%

Arrived well packaged and speedily ( next day ). The birds are enjoying them.
31/08/2021
Jane Davis

100%

always very good and well priced thank you
26/08/2021
Linda Tagg

100%

The pack of worms typically arrives in good condition (not much broken down). It is well liked by the small birds and I give them throughout the year, on the ground and in hanging dishes. I normally let them soak in warm water for a few minutes and strain through a sieve before feeding, as this seems to give them a bit more body. In the nesting season I use the live meal worms as well.
24/08/2021
Aileen Connor

100%

Birds love them, and that's what counts!
24/08/2021
Mr kevin Hale

100%

To me they do not look very appealing, but the birds fall on them with gusto. Very pleased with both the product and the company.
23/08/2021
Mrs c Robinson

100%

Birds like them!
20/08/2021
Madeline Hunt

100%

The birds absolutely love them also the hedgehog
18/08/2021
Helen Burns

100%

Always go down well with the birds in my garden
14/08/2021
Anonymous

100%

Mealworms are definitely the most popular food on the bird table, the birds wait on the roof for me to put some out for them and fly down straight away.
11/08/2021
Margaret Haughton

100%

JUST BUYING YOUR MEALWORMS REGULALLY SHOUD SPEAK FOR ITSELF m haughton
11/08/2021
Pat Bennett

100%

Excellent quick service
06/08/2021
Anonymous

100%

Same as all bird food purchases from Vine House-perfect, as is their service.
02/08/2021
Lesley Hodge

100%

Good quality and as usual came very promptly.
27/07/2021
Denise Matthews

80%

Well packaged and good as a refill. The birds love them.
26/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

What can you say about dried mealworms? The birds love them so must be ok. Really fast delivery as usual which was appreciated as I had run out.
26/07/2021
Joanna Hall

100%

Arrived next day. Garden birds loving them.
23/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

Received order promptly. Blackbirds love them and know the time of day to expect them !
22/07/2021
Gwen Jones

100%

Very prompt service/delivery. Totally satisfied.
22/07/2021
Roger Vercoe

100%

Dried mealworms? Not my idea of a tasty snack, but although I'm writing the review, it's the birds in my garden you really need to ask! Seriously, judging by the speed at which they empty the feeder I reckon they'd give it 5 stars too!
21/07/2021
Madeline Hunt

100%

The birds love them and this time of year they soon disappear, the hedgehog also love them
20/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

Good quality, prompt delivery and not imported from China, I only support local and ethical sources.
20/07/2021
Jennifer Phillips

100%

13/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

birds do like them a lot
12/07/2021
Lynda Quince

100%

I didn’t want the hassle of storing live mealworms - they’re definitely not going in my fridge - so these are the next best thing. I soak them in warm water for about 30 minutes before feeding and put them in a pot on the bird table just outside my kitchen window. That enables me to keep an eye on the larger birds, such as blackbirds and starlings, and make sure they don’t gorge them leaving the smaller birds with nothing. My husband thinks it’s hilarious when, through the kitchen window, I say to a blackbird with a beak jam-packed full, ‘Right, that’s enough, you’re just being greedy now!’ It might be worth investing in either a domed dish or a caged feeder, but I don’t want to exclude blackbirds and starlings completely, so I’ll just carry on doing my ‘disappointed teacher’ voice when any bird’s being overly greedy.
12/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

The sparrows are very pleased, and are beginning to let me know that they are waiting for the daily titbits if I'm running late!
10/07/2021
Mrs carolyn Taylor

100%

Dried mealworms are extremely popular with our garden birds. I always soak them in water before putting them out. They fill their beaks with them to feed their nestlings at this time of year, so it saves them time and energy looking for live food - though they still dig for worms too.
09/07/2021
Ms Carla moore

100%

Arrived very quickly. Great quality. Bag stuffed full. Birds love them
08/07/2021
Ms Shona douglas

100%

Always a hit with our avian clientele.
08/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

Mealworms are definitely the most popular food on the bird table. After the garden had been quiet for a few weeks I bought some mealworms and immediately there were lots of birds on the table and adults feeding their babies. Now they wait on the roof and fly down to the table as soon as I put out the mealworms.
07/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

Quality product bird's love tgem
06/07/2021
Linda Clark

100%

The dried mealworms attract so many birds to the garden it is amazing. I highly recommend this product.
05/07/2021
Rosemary Kemp

100%

Great for starlings who are busy feeding their young, I use this all through the summer, tapering off by around August, when the birds stop eating them.
02/07/2021
Guest

80%

A tad expensive, but I am not sure if these are British mealworms or from China.
29/06/2021
Heather nelson

100%

the birds love them!
29/06/2021
Jennifer Banyard

100%

Much appreciated by my avian visitors and the usual efficient, speedy service from the VHF staff.
28/06/2021
Gordon Cox

100%

Excellent product.
24/06/2021
Christopher Wood

80%

The dried mealworms are fine; much easier and cheaper than live ones. I serve them in a shallow dish sprinkled with water. I only wish the bag they they are posted in indicated if it was recyclable.
24/06/2021
Lesley Hodge

100%

Quick delivery and good quality, definitely a hit with the birds!
21/06/2021
David Bagott

100%

Delivery timely and product loved by birds including those feeding young.
19/06/2021
Gwen Jones

100%

17/06/2021
Mrs anne Addison

100%

Yummy, say the birds
12/06/2021
Sallyann jackson

100%

Birds love them. Always good value for money
10/06/2021
Guest

100%

Was delighted at having not been able to buy in the local shops to order from you and receive them the next day
10/06/2021
Guest

100%

I’ve been soaking these in water before putting them out on the bird table and the birds seem to love them! They’re much easier for me to cope with than the live, wriggly ones.
10/06/2021
Margaret Drury

100%

Well, the birds love them. They are whole and look good quality.
09/06/2021

Description

Specification

Suitable Feeding Methods

Delivery

Reviews

Insects are an excellent addition to your bird food selection. Live food is often left out of gardens, which means people can miss out on seeing several ground-feeding species of garden birds.

Available in 100g and 250g resealable pouches and 550g and 1kg bags.

Bird Table

We don't deliver on Saturdays or Bank Holidays. We offer a no sigature delivery service; simply advise us where to leave your bags.

Live food orders and orders less than 1kg in weight will come by Royal Mail.

If you have not received your order within 7 working days please contact us on 01775 630208.

We are unable to deliver to the Republic of Ireland or the Channel Islands.

Clifford Walker

100%

Not much you can say about a dried mealworm but the order and delivery was first class and I am more than happy to support an excellent supplier
17/09/2021
Guest

80%

Birds always enjoy them...personally, I've never tried them!!
17/09/2021
Robin Kyd

80%

Excellent product. The problem is preventing magpies from dive bombing the feeder to tip the mealworms onto the ground.
16/09/2021
Carol Hilditch

100%

Blackbird particularly likes these when I soften them by soaking, and the little Hedge Sparrows enjoy them too. Lovely to watch them!
14/09/2021
Rose Kemp

100%

I hydrate these for the starlings and they absolutely love them. Essential protein with the ground so hard and dry at the moment.
12/09/2021
Sarah Roe

100%

Arrived well packaged and speedily ( next day ). The birds are enjoying them.
31/08/2021
Jane Davis

100%

always very good and well priced thank you
26/08/2021
Linda Tagg

100%

The pack of worms typically arrives in good condition (not much broken down). It is well liked by the small birds and I give them throughout the year, on the ground and in hanging dishes. I normally let them soak in warm water for a few minutes and strain through a sieve before feeding, as this seems to give them a bit more body. In the nesting season I use the live meal worms as well.
24/08/2021
Aileen Connor

100%

Birds love them, and that's what counts!
24/08/2021
Mr kevin Hale

100%

To me they do not look very appealing, but the birds fall on them with gusto. Very pleased with both the product and the company.
23/08/2021
Mrs c Robinson

100%

Birds like them!
20/08/2021
Madeline Hunt

100%

The birds absolutely love them also the hedgehog
18/08/2021
Helen Burns

100%

Always go down well with the birds in my garden
14/08/2021
Anonymous

100%

Mealworms are definitely the most popular food on the bird table, the birds wait on the roof for me to put some out for them and fly down straight away.
11/08/2021
Margaret Haughton

100%

JUST BUYING YOUR MEALWORMS REGULALLY SHOUD SPEAK FOR ITSELF m haughton
11/08/2021
Pat Bennett

100%

Excellent quick service
06/08/2021
Anonymous

100%

Same as all bird food purchases from Vine House-perfect, as is their service.
02/08/2021
Lesley Hodge

100%

Good quality and as usual came very promptly.
27/07/2021
Denise Matthews

80%

Well packaged and good as a refill. The birds love them.
26/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

What can you say about dried mealworms? The birds love them so must be ok. Really fast delivery as usual which was appreciated as I had run out.
26/07/2021
Joanna Hall

100%

Arrived next day. Garden birds loving them.
23/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

Received order promptly. Blackbirds love them and know the time of day to expect them !
22/07/2021
Gwen Jones

100%

Very prompt service/delivery. Totally satisfied.
22/07/2021
Roger Vercoe

100%

Dried mealworms? Not my idea of a tasty snack, but although I'm writing the review, it's the birds in my garden you really need to ask! Seriously, judging by the speed at which they empty the feeder I reckon they'd give it 5 stars too!
21/07/2021
Madeline Hunt

100%

The birds love them and this time of year they soon disappear, the hedgehog also love them
20/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

Good quality, prompt delivery and not imported from China, I only support local and ethical sources.
20/07/2021
Jennifer Phillips

100%

13/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

birds do like them a lot
12/07/2021
Lynda Quince

100%

I didn’t want the hassle of storing live mealworms - they’re definitely not going in my fridge - so these are the next best thing. I soak them in warm water for about 30 minutes before feeding and put them in a pot on the bird table just outside my kitchen window. That enables me to keep an eye on the larger birds, such as blackbirds and starlings, and make sure they don’t gorge them leaving the smaller birds with nothing. My husband thinks it’s hilarious when, through the kitchen window, I say to a blackbird with a beak jam-packed full, ‘Right, that’s enough, you’re just being greedy now!’ It might be worth investing in either a domed dish or a caged feeder, but I don’t want to exclude blackbirds and starlings completely, so I’ll just carry on doing my ‘disappointed teacher’ voice when any bird’s being overly greedy.
12/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

The sparrows are very pleased, and are beginning to let me know that they are waiting for the daily titbits if I'm running late!
10/07/2021
Mrs carolyn Taylor

100%

Dried mealworms are extremely popular with our garden birds. I always soak them in water before putting them out. They fill their beaks with them to feed their nestlings at this time of year, so it saves them time and energy looking for live food - though they still dig for worms too.
09/07/2021
Ms Carla moore

100%

Arrived very quickly. Great quality. Bag stuffed full. Birds love them
08/07/2021
Ms Shona douglas

100%

Always a hit with our avian clientele.
08/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

Mealworms are definitely the most popular food on the bird table. After the garden had been quiet for a few weeks I bought some mealworms and immediately there were lots of birds on the table and adults feeding their babies. Now they wait on the roof and fly down to the table as soon as I put out the mealworms.
07/07/2021
Anonymous

100%

Quality product bird's love tgem
06/07/2021
Linda Clark

100%

The dried mealworms attract so many birds to the garden it is amazing. I highly recommend this product.
05/07/2021
Rosemary Kemp

100%

Great for starlings who are busy feeding their young, I use this all through the summer, tapering off by around August, when the birds stop eating them.
02/07/2021
Guest

80%

A tad expensive, but I am not sure if these are British mealworms or from China.
29/06/2021
Heather nelson

100%

the birds love them!
29/06/2021
Jennifer Banyard

100%

Much appreciated by my avian visitors and the usual efficient, speedy service from the VHF staff.
28/06/2021
Gordon Cox

100%

Excellent product.
24/06/2021
Christopher Wood

80%

The dried mealworms are fine; much easier and cheaper than live ones. I serve them in a shallow dish sprinkled with water. I only wish the bag they they are posted in indicated if it was recyclable.
24/06/2021
Lesley Hodge

100%

Quick delivery and good quality, definitely a hit with the birds!
21/06/2021
David Bagott

100%

Delivery timely and product loved by birds including those feeding young.
19/06/2021
Gwen Jones

100%

17/06/2021
Mrs anne Addison

100%

Yummy, say the birds
12/06/2021
Sallyann jackson

100%

Birds love them. Always good value for money
10/06/2021
Guest

100%

Was delighted at having not been able to buy in the local shops to order from you and receive them the next day
10/06/2021
Guest

100%

I’ve been soaking these in water before putting them out on the bird table and the birds seem to love them! They’re much easier for me to cope with than the live, wriggly ones.
10/06/2021
Margaret Drury

100%

Well, the birds love them. They are whole and look good quality.
09/06/2021

FAQS

Dried mealworms must be soaked in water before being fed - especially during drier seasons. During the Summer months, the ground is often too dry for earthworms to rise to the surface of the ground. These would usually provide a hydrating and nutrient-dense food source for ground-feeding birds, like Starlings, Robins and Blackbirds. Placing soaked dried mealworms on or near the ground can encourage these birds into your garden.

The moisture content of live mealworms is very beneficial to birds, especially during breeding, nesting and fledging seasons, when parent birds will feed worms to their young. This is why it is essential to soak dried mealworms in water.

You can feed dried mealworms to birds using a variety of methods.

Insectivorous birds are happy to search the ground for their food, so this is a natural way to feed mealworms, whether live or dried, to your birds. While live worms must be fed using a feeder, you can simply sprinkle dried mealworms on the ground. Make sure to do this away from bushes and shrubs to avoid cats.

Livefood like mealworms can sometimes be harmful to other animals in its dried form. Hedgehogs, for example, can sometimes mistakenly eat them, which can result in severe health issues. If you get a lot of visits from hedgehogs or you are wary of this happening you can place mealworms on a bird table, instead.

You should soak dried mealworms before putting them into your garden for feeding. This is especially important during hotter periods and fledging and breeding seasons.

We recommend soaking mealworms for at least 24 hours, in warm water. This ensures they soak up as much water as possible.

Follow the below method to rehydrate dried mealworms:

Pour water over the dried mealworms.
Make sure it is covering the worms evenly.
The mealworms should float on top of the water. Once this happens, leave them for as long as possible, up to 24 hours is best.
If you have a limited time, leave the worms to soak for at least 30 minutes.

Dried mealworms will last for several months when stored, provided they are kept in a sealed container in a cool, dark place.

One benefit of dried over live mealworms is that they are easier to store. This is because they do not require being kept in a fridge/cooler to stay dormant.

Ground-feeding and soft-billed bird species are particularly attracted to mealworms.

The following types of birds will eat dried mealworms in the UK:

No. Unlike live mealworms, dried worms like these do not come back to life once they are soaked. They are not dormant or living once they have been dried. The reason for soaking them is to provide more moisture for birds that consume them.