You dodnot have to "throw away" the mealies.You can put them in little plastic containers(with air holes in the lid)and refrigerate them.Put them out in October when the BBs don't have bugs outside.They will start coming.When the mealies are just about done, start feeding them suet.I start mixing suet with mealworms by November.
michelle

Thanks michelle 4466 - I do have the "mealies" in the fridge but didn't know how long I could keep them there. We certainly have a lot of bugs out now here in the Atlanta area. I'm just surprised how the BBs just disappeared. I will follow your advice and wait until Autumn and try putting them out again.
Thank you!

If it is any consolation my bluebirds always leave me in August and don't return until October. It's something I just expect now. Ditto with the mealworms suggestion, but just take them out every week or two and leave them out for a day, letting them eat and give them some moisture (potato, carrot, lettuce)
Tammy

Lately our little bluebird family has been scarce, sometimes not showing up for 2 days at a time. The mealworms that are left behind in the feeder (in a glass dish) are still there, so I give them bits of lettuce to feast on and give them a bit more shade (like the fatted calf LOL).
My DH thinks, after 2 days, that the bluebirds have abandoned us for the year. He insists that the bluebirds are afraid of the lettuce, and that's why they don't show up. (More likely, the terrorist mockingbird gang is to blame.)
Well, yesterday, one of the youngest fledglings jumped right into the feeder with no hestitation, picked up the lettuce and shook it violently. She ate the mealworms, and then she stuck her little head out of the feeder and spit out the lettuce.
Hah, afraid of lettuce.
BlueBars

BOY I hope mine show up again in October, I never believed I would miss them so much!!!
I have a few mealies waiting for them when they DO come back.
I DO have a question:
You all mention feeding Suet...What kind and do I gradually get them used to it, or will they just dig right in?
I tried the blue Bird nuggets and the first batch liked them (early Spring) the second pair would not touch them!
I would like to give them stuff they like when they do return.
I am new at this stuff!

Debbie, I have tried bluebird nuggets and suet each summer but I have never gotten the Blues to take it. The fledglings are always picking things up so I thought maybe they would try it but to no avail. Even if the worms are all gone they won't touch the nuggets.

My family of Blues is still coming daily but I am thinking of slowly stopping feeding them. I am always afraid that if I keep feeding them that they won't leave when they should as there is a good food source and they don't overwinter here in Central WI so I don't want them to stay when they shouldn't, kwim? It has gotten very cool already temps the last two mornings were only 38! It feels like October instead of September. I am thinking by the end of this month I may be done feeding them. Hopefully they will come back next summer.

Donna

I would like to get a batch of those nuggets or freeze dried mealies to use in the summer, that way if they don't eat them in the summer, I can save them for later. As far as how long you can keep mealies in the fridge, I think I kept mind in there for two months, I took them out after a month for a couple of days and stuck some apple peals in there and then stuck them back in the fridge.
Keith

Keith, when you feed the mealies you should leave them out of the fridge to feed, the apple peals need to have some apple on them too, not just the peals as they need the moisture from the apple. Mine eat the apple and leave the peals. I have kept mine in the fridge from October to April and they have stayed alive. You just need to take them out like once every three weeks or so and feed them or they will die. When you feed them you leave them out of the fridge for several hours so they can wake up enough to eat, I usually leave them out a whole day but not overnight. They also eat the wheatbran or oatmeal that they are in but they need apple/carrots/lettuc etc for moisture. Do not leave the moisture source in them when you put them back in the fridge though or they could mold and kill the mealies.

Donna

Donna,
I second that. Too much moisture in the fridge will kill the mealies. Wheatbran, oatmeal or cornmeal might absorb some of the moisture. But if you store the mealies in the fridge without meal, be sure to sift them from the "little black dots" because even that will be too much moisture.
Been there.
BlueBars

Donna and bluebars:
Thanks for the information, I did get a bunch of moisture in my container and it did mold, eventually threw that bunch away. Fortunately I broke up the 2,000 I bought into 3 containers.
Keith