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meal worm farm

14 years ago

Hi,

It is with great sadness that I must acknowlege that I won't be a bluebird host in the foreseeable future. I left my bluebird-friendly home in MD 18 months ago and took the mealworm farm with me, even though my new house wasn't suitable for bluebirds. Kept it going all this time, but now I have to move again and the new place would never attract blues, and I really don't think I have room for them..

Anyone in northern VA interested in a sizeable meal worm farm? I can't part with the boxes (I have about 30 boxes) because I know I'll do this again some day, but if you are interested in the contents, let me know.

Ann, moving from Leesburg to Stafford, VA.

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Comments (2)

tmjoseph
14 years ago
Too bad about moving to an area without Bluebirds! We moved from an area with Chikadees and Nuthatches to Bluebirds without my Chikies! I loved those little guys!
How did you start your mealworm farm? We have had two sucessful Bluebird fledging this summer out of three nests. The mealworms are rare in our Pet supply stores and expensive! I would love to know how to raise my own!
Ann
Original Author
14 years ago
Start with a big batch of mealworms from a supplier. To have a good supply, you need a pretty big operation because they take SO LONG to mature! But if you have room for 2+ cheap shelves full of boxes, it's worthwhile. Sort of fun, actually.
Feel free to email me directly for specifics. It's not rocket science, but I can help you avoid a few blunders that I experienced.

Ann
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I cannot think of any reason why offering mealworms to wild birds would be harmful. When used as food for a captive bird, such as an injured or orphaned bird that does not have access to a variety of other food sources, they may be nutritionally deficient. Commercially available mealworms and crickets can be "gut-loaded" by feeding a nurtitional food source to them prior to offering them to the bird. The average wild bird that is using your meal worms as an occasional snack and even feeding its young with some of them is not going to be harmed. They will feed on many other insects that will balance the diet (and fruits and possibly seeds depending on the species).
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