How to Buy Mealworms

If you would like many birds to come in your yard, and often, it would be a good idea to get some mealworms. Birds of all kinds will eat mealworms as a child eats candy. Keep reading to learn how to buy, store and care for mealworms as well as feed them to wild birds.

Things You'll Need

  • Mealworms
  • Plastic container for refrigerator storage
  • Old-fashioned rolled oats or wheat germ
  • Carrot
  • Strainer or slotted spoon
  • Container for feeding
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase mealworms online, through a catalog or from a pet store. Mealworms from pet stores are usually more expensive and of poorer quality.

    • 2

      Keep mealworms in the refrigerator for a while to keep them dormant. Put your mealworms in a container that allows air to flow in and out. Mealworms can't climb the edge of many containers, but a lid with holes might be best to keep from giving an unsuspecting family member from getting a nasty surprise when they are looking for a snack.

    • 3

      Take the mealworms out of the refrigerator every week to allow them to eat. Clean out old food, waste and dead worms on a regular basis or you will end up with a stinky mealworm house quickly.

    • 4

      Feed mealworms bran. Old-fashioned oats will work. Quick oats are not sufficient food, because they don't have bran in them. If you can find wheat germ at your grocery store, that would be best. Also, keep a carrot in the box for moisture. The mealworms must have moisture to survive. If the carrot dries out or begins to mold, replace it with a new one.

    • 5

      Place some mealworms in a heavy dish with no lid when you are ready to offer some to the birds. It needs to be heavy so that the birds don't knock it over when they perch on the edge. Otherwise, you can secure a plastic container to a base so that it can't move. Use a strainer or slotted spoon to remove some worms from the main container and leave their food and waste behind.

    • 6

      Watch the birds discover that there is a free mealworm buffet at your house. If you put worms out often, you will soon have a large flock visiting your yard regularly.