Feeding Live Mealworms and Live Waxworms to the birds in your garden is one of the most important things you can do to help their breeding success, and therefore help reverse the decline in the numbers of many of our once-common species of songbirds. Of course, the one thing that puts many people off buying live foods is that they wriggle, but most get over this issue quickly and it just becomes the norm.

For those of you that haven’t fed Live Mealworms or Waxworms before and don’t know too much about them, or you have but want to learn more, then here’s a detailed look at what’s involved and what the benefits are.

What are Mealworms?


Mealworms are the larvae form, or second stage of life, of the beetle, Tenebrio molitor, which is a species of darkling beetle. So mealworms aren’t worms at all, but a larva which, if left to develop, would eventually become a beetle (having turned from egg to larva to pupa first).

What are Waxworms?


Waxworms are the larvae form of the Wax moth.

Live Mealworms versus Live Waxworms - which is better?


There are benefits of feeding both, with Waxworms being high in fat but Mealworms being high in protein. Both Live Mealworms and Waxworms are high in moisture - which is a further reason they're so beneficial in the breeding season when adults are feeding them to their young. However, a major consideration for most people is the cost, because Live Waxworms are around four times the price of Live Mealworms. Given this very significant cost difference and also the relative nutritional value of each type of larvae, the best approach is to make Live Mealworms the staple live food you provide, with Live Waxworms just used sparingly at the same time.

Live Mealworms versus Dried Mealworms for feeding garden birds


Live Mealworms are obviously the living form, while Dried Mealworms are simply mealworms that have been dried-out via heating or freeze-drying. Dried mealworms aren't as beneficial to birds as live mealworms but they are okay, easy to store and fairly easy to feed. However, it's essential that Dried Mealworms are firstly soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before putting them out for birds, and especially during the breeding season as adult birds may feed them to their young which need moisture in their food to stay hydrated.



Buy Live Mealworms        Buy Dried Mealworms



Buy Live Waxworms

Which birds eat Live Mealworms and Live Waxworms?


Many bird species are attracted to Live Mealworms and Live Waxworms, and include;

Species of finch may also take live foods during the breeding season to feed to their young.

Why are Live Mealworms and Live Waxworms so good for garden birds?


Gardens aren’t, typically, great places for birds to find an abundance of natural food. Some of the reasons are obvious such as manicured lawns and areas covered in paving, but it’s also to do with the fact that urban areas are generally and increasingly far less suitable for most invertebrate species. And even in rural areas, invertebrate numbers have also drastically decreased due to factors such as pesticides, intensive farming, pollution and climate change. So Live Mealworms  or Live Waxworms are, in effect, a portion of natural food. A great example of success is one of our customers who roughly trebled the population of House Sparrows in his local area of a Northamptonshire village over a four year period as a direct result of feeding Live Mealworms throughout the breeding and fledging seasons.



Female Great spotted woodpecker gathering Live Mealworms for its young in the nest

Can nestlings (baby birds) eat Live Mealworms and Live Waxworms?


Live Mealworms and Waxworms are a perfect food for both nestlings and fledglings and, in both cases, will of course be fed to them by their parents. Live foods have two things which young birds in the nest and fledglings vitally need: liquids and nutrition - e.g. protein and fat.

The liquid element is important because, unlike an adult bird which can drink from a birdbath or natural source, a bird which is being fed by its parents is solely dependent on the moisture content in the food to keep it hydrated until it is old enough to fend for itself. Insufficient hydration threatens the life of the young bird, especially as other bird foods such as seed mixes and suet do not contain liquid. Natural invertebrates such as caterpillars and flying insects have this moisture content, but, and as we’ve already mentioned, their numbers are a fraction of what they previously were in most parts of the country.

How to feed Live Mealworms and Live Waxworms to birds


If you're wondering "How do I feed Live Mealworms to birds?" there are a number of different types of mealworm bird feeders which are also suitable for waxworms, though their main features normally include:

  • A dish with sides to prevent the mealworms or waxworms from crawling out such as on this Easy Clean Tret Dish. You can also use some sort of basic household or garden bowl or dish, which has smooth edges and is at least 5cm high, but only in dry weather as Live Mealworms and Waxworms won’t survive being submerged in water.

  • A similar type of dish but with a dome cover to prevent the mealworms or waxworms from getting wet such as the one on this Robin Feeder.


What then separates out different live food feeding approaches is that some allow for any size of bird to feed, whereas others allow only smaller species such as House sparrow and Robin. On the latter, this is achieved by placing a Ground Guard over a feeder like the Robin Feeder, with the access openings in the cage only allowing smaller birds in.

Ideally, you should deploy both types of live food feeding approaches, as it’s just as important for larger species such as Blackbird and Starling to get a good supply of mealworms or waxworms for their young, as it is smaller species like Robin.

For any type of feeder you use which isn't protected by a cage and therefore allows all species of bird to easily take however many mealworms or waxworms they want, then note that, and in particular in the breeding season, even a large quantity of the live food can very quickly be taken. This will especially be the case if Starlings visit your garden. Therefore, putting out a small scoop of Live Mealworms plus a small number number of Live Waxworms every few hours is a sensible way to manage supply and demand.

When is the best time to feed Live Mealworms and Live Waxworms to birds?


The breeding and fledgling seasons are unquestionably the best because although adult birds at all times of the year will benefit from eating live foods, the real benefit is for young birds in the nest and fledglings when they leave it. Firstly, this is because Live Mealworms are packed with protein and Live Waxworms with fat, and secondly they’re both full of moisture - which is critical to the survival of young birds because clearly the only liquid they get is from the food their parents bring them.

Outside of the breeding and fledgling seasons, garden birds benefit from a supply of live food simply because of the vast reduction in invertebrate numbers. In the past, it was suggested that all-year-round feeding of any type of food wasn’t necessary for wild birds visiting gardens. However, we’re now way beyond that point, and the fact is that many species of birds in urban, and indeed more rural areas, are very dependent on the food we put out throughout the year - and it doesn’t get better than Live Mealworms and Waxworms.

The benefits of providing live food for garden birds in the moulting season


Moulting is the process in which birds shed their old feathers and grow new ones in an annual process - and generally occurs after the breeding season in late summer. Since feathers are around 4-12% of a bird's body weight, a great deal of protein is needed to replace them. In addition, birds such as Robins and Blackbirds become more reclusive because their flight ability is often impeded, therefore they're more vulnerable to predators. So a relatively easy supply of protein-rich and fluid-rich food close-by is hugely beneficial.

Dry weather and low rainfall


In times of low rainfall, ground-feeding birds such as Blackbirds are often unable to find sufficient natural food and in particular earthworms, as the worms are well below ground level and in damper soil. In these conditions, Live Mealworms are one of the best food to put out for garden birds, as they're not only high in fat and protein but also moisture.

How to store Live Mealworms


Live Mealworms can safely be stored at between 7-10°C in a cool dark place. The reason for these conditions is because it causes the mealworms hormones to go dormant and keeps them from eventually morphing into a beetle. If you have a suitable shed or outdoor store these you may prefer to use these locations, but wherever you store, make sure your Live Mealworms don’t freeze and are protected from frost and are also not too warm.

Prior to cooling Live Mealworms, it’s fairly important that you provide them with our Mealworm Food before they go dormant and stop feeding. If stored correctly the mealworms should survive for several weeks.

How to store Live Waxworms


Store in a cool, dark, and dry environment, ideally between 13-16c to keep them dormant and prevent them from turning into moths. You can use the containers they're supplied in for storage. Waxworms do not require feeding.

Summary


Feeding Live Mealworms and Live Waxworms to the birds in your garden is unquestionably beneficial to them, and especially during the breeding seasons. Initially, the wriggle of live food might seem off-putting, but the vast majority of people soon get used to it. Ideally, two types of feeder and feeding method are needed: one which all sizes of birds can access, with the other covered by a Ground Cage which just smaller birds can access. Dried mealworms are an alternative but don’t have the same level of benefit to birds - and they always need soaking in water before being put out for birds to feed on.

The nutritional value of Live Mealworms, particularly due to the high amount of protein, coupled with the high number of species that feed on them, makes them an excellent choice of feed for your garden birds, and especially during the breeding season. Live Waxworms are much more expensive than Live Mealworms, so we suggest just providing a small number of these each time you put out a larger quantity of mealworms. However, it's important that other bird feed, such as Sunflower Hearts, seed mixes and suet products, are also put out to ensure a good balance of foods, and that all species are also therefore provided for.

If you want to learn more about other types of bird food and how to store your bird food, read our guides on "What to Feed Wild Birds" and "Bird Food Storage".