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18 Mar 07 - 05:10 PM (#2000517) Subject: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Bobert Okay, I've fed birds alot of stuff and usually can figure it out but the P-Vine read that Blue Birds love meal worms so she has bought a little container of them but... ...we ain't got a clue how to put them out for the Blue Birds... I mean, therer ain't no Blue Bird meal worm feeders an' if you just atick the little critters out on block of wood on top of a fence post them critters is gonna escape, ain't they??? Help!!! |
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18 Mar 07 - 05:15 PM (#2000522) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Rapparee Nail a board with a 1 inch edging around it (so the worms can't escape) on top of the fence post (helps if the post is wood). Put the mealies on the board. Make the thing about 12 x 12 inches. Of course, other birds besides bluebirds may come visiting.... |
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18 Mar 07 - 05:19 PM (#2000528) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Peace I don't think that worms eat birds, Bobert. |
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18 Mar 07 - 05:23 PM (#2000529) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Stilly River Sage Why are you feeding meal worms to wild birds? If you have a captive or injured bird, they're excellent, but if a wild bird is out there anyway, let them eat the normal worms that come their way. It adds up, buying meal worms, so you should get a plastic bucket with a tight lid, put a few air holes in, fill the tub with oatmeal and dump your meal worms in. Keep it in a dark, dry, room-temperature place. Every so often take a thin slice of potato and drop it in on top of the oatmeal. Open it periodically and scoop out some worms. Ignore the beetles, they're the ones making new worms. SRS |
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19 Mar 07 - 12:08 PM (#2001146) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Phillip Bill Oddie (well known British birder) rates meal worms for wild birds. To stop the meal worms escaping buy dead ones. |
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19 Mar 07 - 12:19 PM (#2001157) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Jean(eanjay) Just don't let Bear Grylls see them, either alive or dead! |
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19 Mar 07 - 04:51 PM (#2001411) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Liz the Squeak When you say 'fill your bucket with oatmeal' - are we talking plain, uncooked porrige oats or actual porrige? LTS |
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19 Mar 07 - 05:00 PM (#2001414) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Jean(eanjay) Uncooked not actual. |
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19 Mar 07 - 06:07 PM (#2001452) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Joybell I have a bin of meal worms on the go all year round. I use a bucket of bran. Thanks for the tip about the potato, SRS -- we use banana peel here but potato is cheaper. Bobert -- you could put them out in a small heap of bran -- onto the board Rapaire suggested. Cheers, Joy |
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19 Mar 07 - 06:28 PM (#2001476) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Rapparee Thinking it over, use TWO boards and bolt them to the post. That way you can remove one to clean and disinfect it. Otherwise you can feed them little rascals and watch 'em fall over dead from food poisoning and worse. Please folks, if you feed birds using feeders -- clean and disinfect the feeders every so often. |
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20 Mar 07 - 10:53 AM (#2002091) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Scrump This wild bird feeding lark seems to be big business these days, at least in the UK. Many garden centres and pet supplies stores now sell a huge range of foods aimed at wild birds, by the sackful. We have a few bird feeders that we put out in the winter and it's fun to watch the birds make use of them. But we have always believed it's best to let birds feed themselves most of the year when wild food is usually (or should be) freely available, and onloy feed them in winter when they have difficulty finding food themselves. I believe if we keep feeding them all year round, amusing as it is for us, we might be doing them more harm than good, as they will come to depend on us feeding them, and in effect become lazy or lose the ability to catch their own food. Should I be concerned about this or not? Any views? (Sorry if this is getting off the topic of mealworms). |
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20 Mar 07 - 11:23 AM (#2002111) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Grimmy Every night, before going to bed, I scatter a load of mealies onto the lawn. What the hedgehogs don't eat that night is finished off by the birds in the morning. Everyone's a winner! |
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20 Mar 07 - 11:35 AM (#2002129) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Scrump Every night, before going to bed, I scatter a load of mealies onto the lawn. What the hedgehogs don't eat that night is finished off by the birds in the morning. Everyone's a winner! Except possibly the mealworms. |
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20 Mar 07 - 11:43 AM (#2002136) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: open mike you have hedge hogs? where do you live? i w2onder if there is any disadvantage of introducing the beetles to an area if the worms do get away and grow up into their adult form, what do the beetles do to the environment? |
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20 Mar 07 - 11:49 AM (#2002140) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: MMario meal worms have probably already been introduced into any area where milled flour is available. |
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20 Mar 07 - 11:51 AM (#2002146) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: pdq To prevent the mealworns from walking off the bird feeder, you might try freezing them overnight. Put a dozen or so in each small freezer bag, then thaw for a few hours before placing on feeder. I suspect, however, that the first robin will eat every one of the mealworms and still squawk loudly at any other bird that looks like a competitor. |
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20 Mar 07 - 11:57 AM (#2002158) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Scrump You could run the mealworms through the blender and make them easier for the birds to eat - no catching, no chewing necessary. |
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20 Mar 07 - 11:58 AM (#2002159) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Grimmy Scrump, the mealies have already ceased to be - I just dispose of the bodies ;-) you have hedge hogs? where do you live? Preston, UK (up north). I have a young male, a larger female (mother to the former, I think), and a whopping great alpha male who, when not trying to mate with the female, vents his frustration on junior. They come every night and it's party time if they all appear at once. Junior didn't start hibernating until January - that is VERY late. |
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20 Mar 07 - 12:11 PM (#2002172) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Rapparee Yum! Mealworm smoothies! |
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20 Mar 07 - 12:51 PM (#2002233) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Stilly River Sage Yes, to the question above, raw dry oatmeal. I use regular oats, not the "minute oats" processed cereal, because it's probably better for meal worms (just like it's better for us). |
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20 Mar 07 - 05:23 PM (#2002517) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Scrump Why not just feed the birds porridge (oatmeal) and cut out the middle man (or worm)? |
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20 Mar 07 - 05:25 PM (#2002522) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Liz the Squeak Wonder if my tits would appreciate a wiggly worm one day? LTS |
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20 Mar 07 - 07:54 PM (#2002641) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: GUEST,.gargoyle Meal Worms - maggots
Almost the same thing.
Every trash day - there are maggots crawling out of the trash bin. I save the meat for two days before pickup. Maggots bred fast. The birds, (half a hundred?) scatter and sing below the dumpster. They hang around long after the trash is gone.
As a child I got maggots to bred in milk bottles with nothing more than handful of frozen peas for food.
Stop paying the price - breed maggots - they are free and plentiful
Sincerely,
Perhaps, let your meal worms cacoon and hatch and see what comes out of it....they may be maggots in disguise. |
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21 Mar 07 - 02:41 AM (#2002822) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Phillip You could try fat balls for the tits, of course. There are few sights better than a pair of tits on your fat balls. |
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21 Mar 07 - 07:54 AM (#2002973) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Rapparee Maggots make good bass bait. And being 90% protein they're healthy, mostly fat-free, eating. Deep-fried they're sort of crunchy. AND they will clean out an infected wound better than a surgeon. Maggots are your friends. Unfortunately, they turn into flies and flies are not your friend. |
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21 Mar 07 - 10:16 AM (#2003046) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Scrump I'm not sure whether tits eat worms, do they? Blackbirds and robins certainly do, though. |
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21 Mar 07 - 12:09 PM (#2003185) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Liz the Squeak Last time I gave my tits a fat ball, the pussy got the squitters... look up a thread entitled 'pussy, tits and fat balls'. I've got them a nice big nut pecker now. LTS |
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21 Mar 07 - 12:35 PM (#2003197) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Scrump The fatballs are popular not only with the tits, but starlings too. |
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21 Mar 07 - 03:33 PM (#2003395) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Stilly River Sage Groan. . . |
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25 Mar 07 - 11:44 AM (#2006686) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: GUEST,Aurther i like to eat meal worms for breakfast and maggets for lunch and for supper FLIES they a crunchy on the outside and slimey on the inside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE TASTEY BUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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25 Mar 07 - 11:51 AM (#2006690) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: tarheel wow....sooooooooooo grossssssssssss! |
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25 Mar 07 - 12:31 PM (#2006717) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Stilly River Sage Aurthur is a typing toad, Tarheel. You can relax. |
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25 Mar 07 - 02:45 PM (#2006829) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Rapparee But...maggots are your friends!! Edible, good fish bait, and they will eat away all your infected flesh. How could anyone not love a maggot? |
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26 Mar 07 - 09:02 AM (#2007422) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Liz the Squeak Want really gross? We have a mould to make chocolate bugs. Make the giant maggots with white chocolate and you can gross out an entire class of 9yr olds! LTS |
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26 Mar 07 - 09:15 AM (#2007431) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Rapparee Liz, make a nice chocolate cake. But bake gummy worms inside. Frost it with a nice green frosting -- over gummy worms. Sprinkle green-dyed shredded coconut over all to simulate grass. Make sure some of the gummy worms show. Anyone over the age of reason (whenever that is) thinks it's disgusting. |
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26 Mar 07 - 05:19 PM (#2007835) Subject: RE: BS: Meal Worm Bird Feeding Question??? From: Liz the Squeak You want disgusting? Make egg mayonnaise. Add a couple of drops of black food colouring. Dip a cocktail stick in red food colouring and draw through the egg mayo. Put egg mayo in a sandwich. Voila, brain sandwiches. Not even the 9yr olds would eat it! LTS |