Feeding mealworms are often for the purpose of attracting birds and enticing them to nest within the vicinity. Some bird enthusiasts also want to enjoy watching birds around, thus they place mealworm feeders near their house. Aside from personal fulfillment, doing this also helps the bluebirds with their food supply when they cannot locate any other food for their young after winter or during rainy days. Birds fed with this diet are often healthier. Some of the common sights in mealworm feeders are bluebirds, sparrows, robins, woodpeckers, cardinals, finches, buntings, chickadees, mocking birds and many others.
Almost any material can be made into a mealworm feeder. From empty tin cans, to scrap wood, PVC pipes, glass, unused plastic bottles to improvised small-sized pet cages. A mealworm feeder usually has similar features to the usual bird feeder-having two end holes where the birds can poke in with their beaks in order to get the worms. It is a good thing that most birds prefer a worm meal to a seed meal. But, some wild birds would be hesitant to go near mealworm feeders unless there are placed strategically on the front part of your house, specifically on your yard or front lawn, if you have any.
If you want to hang a mealworm feeder, you will love the following tips:
- The very first concern is getting the attention of the birds and letting them know of the mealworm feeder that you have constructed for them. So, it would be practical to place it where you notice a lot of birds. Since your mealworm feeder would be placed outside, the weather would be greatly affecting the freshness of the worms. So, make sure that it would not be hit by too much sun, or flooded by water if it rains, or attacked by snow. In either situation, the worms die or get frozen. Birds usually dislike eating dead or frozen worms. To attract more birds coming to your mealworm feeder, find a suitable place within your yard.
- One suggestion is to hang your mealworm feeder on an existing tree, on its trunk or branch. A couple of ropes, wires and nails, screws or hooks would do the trick. If you do this, make sure that it is not covered by fallen leaves or dripping with water from the leaves. You might want to put a cover on top of the feeder to keep it visible to the birds and to keep the worms fresh.
- You can also purchase some mealworm feeders that come complete with a pole or rod so that it will stand independently. If this is the case, you can locate it in the middle of your yard where it can be easily seen by the birds. Just make sure that it will be sturdy enough to resist pressure from wind and rain. Also, always remember not to expose it to too much heat, snow, or rain.
If you are mainly concerned about providing easy access for mothers feeding their young, you can place your mealworm feeder near their nests or nesting boxes. This will allow the mother birds to feed their babies without going too far. This way they can still protect their babies from predators.