How to Attract Bluebirds With Mealworms
Bluebirds are one of the best kinds of birds to have around your yard. However, with the urbanization of our country, bluebirds are actually in serious decline, and the best chance they have of continued survival is with the help of humans. One way to attract bluebirds to staying around your property is to make things as inviting as possible, and this includes making sure that they have something to eat -- preferably mealworms, which is one of their favorite foods.
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Things You'll Need
- Small plastic disposable container (approximately 4-ounce size)
- 6-inch length of string
- Hole punch (optional)
- Mealworms
Instructions
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How to Attract Bluebirds with Mealworms
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Provide a home for the bluebirds. Since bluebirds don't build nests, they usually will find either an abandoned dead tree with cavities, or they can use houses specifically built for bluebirds. These bluebird houses are available either online or in many local lawn and garden stores. It's important to have a habitat for the bluebirds; offering mealworms when there aren't any bluebirds around will not make them appear.
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2
Get the mealworms. You can either raise the mealworms yourself, or you can simply purchase them from local pet stores. Mealworms are fed to a wide variety of reptiles and birds, so many pet stores will have them in the refrigerated section.
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3
Refrigerate the mealworms until you intend to feed the bluebirds. Mealworms will hibernate when they are kept in a refrigerated environment. However, when they are removed from the refrigerator, they will quickly "wake up," and start moving around. This movement helps attract the bluebirds when it's feeding time.
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Take a small plastic container (some of the disposable plastic containers you find in supermarkets will work) and make a hole in opposing sides. The container should hold about half a cup (4 ounces). You can either use a hole punch or push a nail through the plastic to create a hole.
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Take the string and tie one end through the first hole. With the opposite end of the string, tie a knot in the second hole. You should now have a "hanging handle" for your mealworm feeder.
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Place the mealworm feeder near one of the bluebird homes. If the bluebirds are in a tree, hang the mealworm feeder on a branch close to where the bluebirds appear to be nesting.
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Place a dozen mealworms on the ground beneath where the mealworm feeder is hanging. Bluebirds will eat mealworms off the ground, and the movement of the mealworms on the ground will attract their initial attention.
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Tips & Warnings
Mealworm feeding is best done in the middle part of the day, rather than in the early morning hours or toward late afternoon.
Bluebirds won't eat dead mealworms. You can tell a dead mealworm from a live one by its color -- the dead mealworms turn very dark.
References
- Photo Credit Rotkehlchen, Erithacus rubecula image by guentermanaus from Fotolia.com
