Dried mealworms for birds

Mealworms are a great source of natural, nutritious food for birds. Packed with healthy fat, protein and fibre that help strength and growth, mealworms make great bird food that feeds hungry birds all year round. You can also add mealworms to dried bird food such as seed mixes to create a more varied and attractive offering around your feeder.

Soft-billed and perching birds love to eat mealworms — so watch out for these birds around your feeder:

• Robins
• Blue Tits
• House Sparrows
• Starlings
• Thrushes
• Blackbirds

Many other varieties of birds also eat mealworms if they’re available, which makes them a great food for attracting birds all year round.

Both dried and live mealworms are nutritious foods for birds, providing valuable protein, fat and fibre. Live mealworms naturally contain much more water, but once dried mealworms have been soaked, they provide a similarly nutritious and moisture-rich alternative.

Live mealworms may attract birds more readily because they move, while dried mealworms are easier to store and offer. This is mainly a difference in convenience and appeal rather than a significant difference in their value as a supplementary bird food.

During spring and summer, soak dried mealworms in water before offering them. This increases their moisture content and makes them softer and easier for adult birds to feed to their chicks. Offer mealworms in small amounts and clear away anything uneaten by dusk.

No, mealworms are not safe to feed Hedgehogs. This is because they contain high levels of phosphorus and low levels of calcium, which, if consumed regularly, can lead to Metabolic Bone Disease. When feeding birds mealworms, particularly when scattered on the ground, ensure you clear away any leftover mealworms at dusk, to prevent any Hedgehogs eating them.