World's Most Expensive Blackbird?

[Sue]

Hi
I rashly started feeding dried mealworms as I knew the blackbirds and robins love them and all was fine till one blackbird decided that this would be the main foodsource for her babies - not great for them either.
I think she's a single mother now, her husband having got knocked down by a car - at least I've seen a male blackbird corpse nearby on the road and no longer see her mate.
I'm hoping they fledge soon (when is that?) as it's costing me over £20 a week - can ill afford this and more than I spend on my own housekeeping... but having started didn't think it fair to stop.
She's there in seconds when I arrive at the allotment and "chacks" like mad till I fill up the empty food tray then she proceeds to shovel them in and off she goes backwards and forwards.
I mentioned this to a fellow allotment holder and he said grow your own... when questioned he had no idea how to do this - so can I? what insect are they and how do you go about it. Not too good on the gross factor although gardening is rapidly making me less sensitive (slugs, spider, daddy-long-legs...) so just might be able to cope with thousands of maggots and the thought of saving all that money will spur me on.
best wishes
Sue

[shirlthegirl43]

Can't say what mealworms are but younger son didn't clean out the cat feed bowl the other day and we had a lovely crop of bluebottle maggots in that - YUK (just as well the bowl was outside on the windowsill or I would have gone mad). I suspect the birds would have eaten them if the cat hadn't been sat looking at the bowl and waiting for fresh food (yup, feathered would have done)

[Two_Sheds]

Fascinating... they are darkling beetles. Have you tried letting any of the mealworms pupate? The beetles apparently breed very successfully!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mealworm

[Rowan]

The organic company Wiggly Wigglers sell mealworm breeding kits, but I've not used them.

[dexterdoglancashire]

You could always try putting out soaked bread and soaked raisins - our blackbirds LOVE them! If you did it gradually they would get used to the new food and hopefully, forget the mealworms! PS I also put out bird seed and any other kitchen scraps including cake, biscuits and cheese - the blackbirds really like it. Bernie

[HappyMouffe]

The blackbirds and robins in my dad's garden have a bit of a mealworm habit too - they know when they're on to a good thing! The blackbirds also enjoy scones. Dad swears he spends more money feeding the birds than he spends feeding himself.

[Flummery]

Our son is a licensed bat handler and we've occasionally had injured bats to look after. They love mealworms too. We kept them in a box with apple and bran to eat - consequently I can's face any bran and apple cereals, ceral bars etc. The beetles are interesting too - the bats will happily consume any that get to beetle stage. However, to feed the bat you give it about 20 - 30 mealworms in its living box - but to stop them wiggling away and invading your whole house you cut their heads off. They stlll wiggle - but not too far. It's really gross.

[shirlthegirl43]

Yik to cutting their heads off - lucky you to get up close to the bats!!

[rustylady]

You really don't need to spend that sort of money to keep birds happy. OK I like steak, but I don't eat it every day. Blackbirds will happily dig up their own worms and grubs, but they do also like fruit so put out some raisins, apples (cut into bits) and they will be really happy. Fresh water is also important, so a dish or tray changed daily will help. Blackbirds are ground feeders, so hanging stuff up won't do the trick. "My" blackbirds are currently enjoying the strawberries that I bring home from the lottie and can't eat myself (just too many)

[kirsty b]

When Steve and the kids went through a pet creepy crawly stage we used to get mealworms from a local pet shop as a food source for them. Himself just kept them in a box and when they pupated in to beetles they bred and we got more mealworms.
We stick to normal pets now (dog, cats, chooks, african land snail).

[madmax]

When Steve and the kids went through a pet creepy crawly stage we used to get mealworms from a local pet shop as a food source for them. Himself just kept them in a box and when they pupated in to beetles they bred and we got more mealworms.
We stick to normal pets now (dog, cats, chooks, african land snail).

Food source for who? Steve & the kids? Or a grub eating pet?

Our dakky rat loves mealworms. Yik.

[Sue]

Been spurred into looking at DIY mealworms, can't find the kit on the Wriggly Wigglers site but apparently all you need is about 1,000 mealworms bed them down in a large plastic container half filled with oatbran, put in quarter of an apple per 1,000 and put some scrunched up damp brown paper on top. And that's it, or so they say, sit back and wait for an excess of mealworms. Just don't look forward to fishing them out but needs must!
As for other food, the blackbird helps herself to my strawberries and she's given special blackbird/robin food as well.
Sue
bestwishes
Sue

[TPeers]

Cheapest source would be your local fishing tackle shop - mealworms are bait!