skip to main content

worm feeder near the nestbox

17 years ago

I don't put the feeder near the nestbox since other birds, including house sparrows, will visit to take worms for their young. I don't think it's a good idea to have the feeder close to the box. Any opinions on this? I bring this up because in another post someone mentions having the mealworm feeder near the nestbox.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

april_birdylover
17 years ago
the house sparrows were never interested in mealworms.. Right now I only have just finch food, mealworms, and suet available.. the only birds I've ever seen interested in my mealworms are chickadees, titmouse, blues, woodpeckers, and caralina wrens.. That's crazy the house sparrows are interested in the worms.. I can't stand those birds.
anita55
Original Author
17 years ago
I've used mealworms to trap House Sparrows so they do indeed take them, especially when they have young to feed. Be very careful of encouraging other birds to come near your BB nestboxes.
Related Discussions
my name is shawn and I am an over feeder
Q
Comments (20)
12 Steps for Overfeeders Anonymous Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable Step 2 - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character Step 7 - Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings Step 8 - Made a list of all earthworms we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all Step 9 - Made direct amends to such earthworms wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs This version of the 12 steps is an adaptation from the original 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and is intended for general use with any addictive or dysfunctional behavior, such as overfeeding your earthworms, obsessing about bin size or breeding habits, etc.
...See More
Robin chasing blues away from feeder
Q
Comments (1)
Could you put the mealies into an enclosed feeder so that Robins can't take all the food? I have one with 1 1/2 inch wire that keeps the larger birds out. I do sometimes get a Red-bellied woodpecker that tries to get in. While he's there the other birds don't go near it. But he gives up eventually and then the Blues can feast on the mealworms.
...See More
Mealworm feeder suggestion
Q
Comments (5)
I whistle and I call them by name (if I've named them) or I whistle and holler "Come on Blues" This year I just have a generic pair. LOL Believe me they get used to that. They will even come to the sound of a screen door slamming after a while. I have a bowl that I put a piece of blue painters tape on the side At first I just put it out near their box and then move it to where I want. You could put some tape on the bowl inside the feeder. They are attracted to blue and usually investigate. Good Luck Cathy
...See More
Any unusual birds at your feeders...
Q
Comments (19)
Linda, I've missed seeing you around. I just asked about you over at the other forum. Meal worms are very easy to raise. You need some wheat bran which you can get at health food stores or the cereal aisle in bigger supermarkets...or the feed store, if they will split a bag for you. They sell it by 50 lb. and you don't need that much. I use a plastic bucket with a lid...you could use smaller. Punch holes in the lid. Put in the meal worms and some slices of apple or peel or potato. You have to let some of them turn to beetles to reproduce, but it doesn't take long. Periodically, you need to replace the bran with fresh because it will get p*ssy smelling. I raise them for my fish, and all the wild things love them. I was trying to feed them to the armadillos I raised but too small and took too many....had to go to night crawlers for them. The new creature here is a feral pig. She is some kind of "special pig", I think. The local hog hunter went to prison and I am sure he released her. She was red with horizontal white stripes...about the size of a cat when she first showed up. Now the size of a medium sized dog and all red. She is very skittish and only comes at night with the coons. I put out special treats for her. I hope she stays because I don't want anyone killing her. I buy hen scratch for the doves, pigeons, crows and black birds...and scatter it all down my driveway, which is long and helps keep them out of the yard a little. The crows are here every morning tho, and clean up any food left over from the night before. A woman who works in the kitchen of a home for problem children brings all of her scraps to me and my friend who rehabs with me. We get tons of stuff...that we split. I had 14 pecan pies here and the raccoons had a party with them one night. Get a lot of beef, scrambled eggs, vegetables, chicken, fruit, melon, etc., which gives the possums a little more variety and bread which I give the horses for treats. It enables me to have a little extra money to buy the scratch, niger and sunflower seed.
...See More
griffin_MD
17 years ago
You're absolutely correct, Anita. I never put any type of food source near the nestboxes for that very reason. No point in giving Mr. and Mrs. Blue the problem of having to defend their nesting territory from hungry birds. House sparrows here eat mealworms as well, so I've had to be crafty about feeding the blues--we have multiple mealworm feeders but only the blues and the Carolina wrens know about the one out front!
You know, when I took over one of the bluebird trails I currently monitor, several of the nestboxes had metal catfood cans nailed to the top--I'm sure the previous monitor used these to put mealworms in. Taking the cans off the nestbox rooves was my first renovation--definitely not a good idea because other birds also like mealworms--that was a fight waiting to happen.
Kathy
renee_2006
17 years ago
Hosp here also like mealworms I had to quit offering them here because it was attracting them.

Renee
Rural SW Indiana
organicgardener
17 years ago
One of my mealworm feeders is about 20 feet from the BB nestbox. I also put mealworms in a hanging tray on my porch for the Carolina Wrens. Mama Bluebird saw me putting worms in the tray and made a beeline for the tray. Now the bluebirds sit on a pine tree limb and look at me through the window. They have me trained.

Linda C
bluebars
17 years ago
In my humble opinion, if you have nesting birds, you should not have seed feeders, because the added activity at seed feeders can attract predators. It's not worth the risk for the parents as they shuttle food to nestlings and especially at very vulnerable fledging time.
Seed eaters don't need it in nesting season anyhoo.
We do feed our bluebirds mealworms, offered only once in AM and once in PM, and only enough that the blues will can eat them all in one visit. That way, other birds don't even know about that feeder. It is also some kept distance from the nestbox (once the bluebirds are made aware of it).
BlueBars
fairychick
17 years ago
I keep my seed feeders in the front yard and only feed meal worms in the back yard. So far th is has kept everyone but the Robins and the occasional titmouse away from the birds.

tara
organic_bassetlvr
17 years ago
Some of us have the luxury of space to do both. All my houses are in my fields or the edges of fields and the seed feeders are in my yard, where I can enjoy seeing the birds use them. I have blues in 2 houses, chickadees in 1 house, and tree swallows in 1 house. All houses are on poles, properly baffled. I don't feed mealworms but have in the past. I check the houses when I take my dogs for a walk around the fields. I don't check daily, although I walk daily. Just 2 or 3 times a week or when something seems off.
Susan
bettycbowen
17 years ago
I'm learning so much from you guys. My bluebirds appeared again this late aftenoon, I was sure they had left me for good. So I'm reading about them again...
april_birdylover
17 years ago
I'm learning so much too.. I think I'll move my finch feeder to the front of my house but keep my mealworms in the back just a distance from my boxes.... thanks for the great tips!

Related Stories

GARDENING FOR BIRDS What to Know About Birds Nesting in Your Yard

By Mitchell Parker

Learn how to observe, record data and help ornithologists with NestWatch’s citizen science project understand bird trends

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES A Quick-Start Guide to Bird-Watching for Fun and Learning

By Alison Hodgson

Set out some seed and grab your field guide. Bird-watching is an easy, entertaining and educational activity for the whole family

FARM YOUR YARD Hello, Honey: Beekeeping Anywhere for Fun, Food and Good Deeds

By The Best Bees Company

We need pollinators, and they increasingly need us too. Here, why and how to be a bee friend

GARDENING GUIDES How to Bring the Joy of Bluebirds to Your Garden

By Habitat Network

Attract these beautiful songbirds with nesting habitat and food sources, including berry-producing trees and shrubs

FARM YOUR YARD How to Grow Vegetables in Containers

By Annie Thornton

Get glorious vegetables and fruits on your patio with a pro’s guidance — including his personal recipe for potting mix

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops

By Marianne Lipanovich

This guide will help any gardener get started on growing the freshest warm-season veggies and berries for summer

LIFE How to Outsmart Backyard Critters

By Tiffany Carboni

Learn to think like a raccoon, skunk or squirrel to keep your home safe and your garden intact

FALL GARDENING 7 Reasons Not to Clean Up Your Fall Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Before you pluck and rake, consider wildlife, the health of your plants and your own right to relax

GARDENING GUIDES Oh, Deer! 10 Native Flowers That Stand Up to the Herds

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Keeping a garden amid hungry deer can be hard, but these plants should fare well

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crop: How to Grow Blueberries

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant blueberries in spring or fall for garden beauty through three seasons — and a sweet superfood in summer

Sponsored