How to Keep Sparrows Out of a Mealworm Bird Feeder

Sparrows may dominate feeders and bully other birds.

Live mealworm feeders offer nutritious protein to insect-eating birds such as robins, bluebirds, chickadees and warblers. In addition to feeding themselves, birds will use the larvae to nourish their young during the spring season. Unfortunately, mealworm feeders may also attract sparrows, who will eat most any food offered to them. Invasive sparrows are notorious for bullying native birds and occasionally destroying their eggs or young. When left uncontrolled, sparrows can take over bird feeders and discourage nicer, desirable songbirds. There are ways to deal with the problem of pesky sparrows at your feeder.

Things You'll Need

• Tube-style bird feeder
• Shepherd's crook
• Cone-shaped baffle
• Sparrow halo

Instructions

1. Replace your current bird feeder with a hanging tube-style bird feeder. Sparrows prefer large dish-style feeders, and have a difficult time using the hanging feeders. Hang the feeder on a shepherd's crook with a cone-shaped baffle to prevent predators from accessing the feeder and harming your birds.

2. Install a sparrow halo over the feeder. A sparrow halo, available at garden supply centers, is a ring that goes over your feeder to exclude sparrows without discouraging desired birds.

3. Offer an alternative food source for sparrows as a last resort. Sparrows favor cracked corn, millet and bird seed mixes over live mealworms, and will stop frequenting your mealworm feeder if given a better option. Place a large dish-style feeder in your yard and fill it with alternative food for sparrows.

4. Alter or replace inactive nest boxes in your yard to prevent sparrows from nesting. Only use nest boxes with no perch and a 1-1/2-inch diameter hole to invite smaller birds such as bluebirds, swallows and chickadees while excluding sparrows.

Tips & Warnings

• Never place mealworms in an active nesting box. The worms can attract other birds, who may enter the nest box and harm the birds living inside.

References

• Sialis: Feeding Mealworms
• The Scoop on Wild Birds: A Bluebird Feeder will Invite Different Guests
• Amish Gourds: Birdhouse Hole Size Chart

Resources

• SIalis: The Magic Halo and Other Means to Deter House Sparrows from feeders