Mealworm Poisoning?

[JuliaT]

I recently bought some mealworms through the RSPB and left them with a friend to look after for a few days. Unfortunately they were fed on green potatoes and although they seem to have survived this, I am concerned that they may now be poisonous to birds. Does anyone have any knowledge about this that they can share?

[Blackbrook Eye]

Hi Julia, welcome to WAB,
As green pototoes contain the poison Solanine, which is a strong fungicide/pesticide, the same as in all of the 'nightshade' family, the fact that the mealworms survived suggests that they did not ingest very much of the potato juice if any, however If you have any doubts as to the safety of the birds feeding on them, I suggest that you dispose of them elsewhere, preferably by burning and replace them with fresh.

Keith

[jaykay]

what can you feed the worms on? sorry but have only used the dried ones but tempted to put live ones out now that babies have started to arrive sorry for butting in on your thread

and welcome to WAB JuliaT

[Hedge Witch]

Mine are doing well on porridge oats, a sprinkling of wholemeal flour and a slice of apple (just one slice, so mould doesn't become a problem).

Julia, I suspect that the worms will be safe for the birds, but you could purge them on a different diet for a few days to be sure.

[nightshade]

Don't feed them to the birds yet, I agree with HW purge them with a change of diet, the porridge oats should work well

[Elizabeth B]

Originally Posted by jaykay

what can you feed the worms on? sorry but have only used the dried ones but tempted to put live ones out now that babies have started to arrive sorry for butting in on your thread

I buy mealworms by mail order, and when they arrive put them into an ice cream box, and add a slice of potato, cut into 2 or 3 pieces. As they eat the bran in which they arrive, I add a little more bran (bought loose from the pet shop - much cheaper that branded products from a supermarket), remove any dried up potato and add a fresh slice.

I'm also offering mini mealworms now that the bluetit eggs have hatched - but the parents seem to be finding plenty of little green caterpillars at the moment. (One of our boxes is in a large mature oak tree, so perhaps they don't need to go far to find food)?

[nightshade]

My last lot of mealworms bought from Oddies favourite shop were not up to much. Where do you buy yours from please (the local pet shop started to keep them then gave up due to lack of demand)

[wildliferescuer]

We breed our own, keep them in bran, but fresh slices of apple in every day (taking out the previous days), put pieces of cuttlefish in too which they eat & corrugated cardboard on top of the bran.
They do very well & we rarely have to buy any in as they breed so well.

[Elizabeth B]

Originally Posted by nightshade

My last lot of mealworms bought from Oddies favourite shop were not up to much. Where do you buy yours from please (the local pet shop started to keep them then gave up due to lack of demand)

I get mine from Monkfield Nutrition - but unfortunately their online ordering facility is not available at the moment. I've also used Live Foods Direct in the past. (Both can easily be found by Googling).

[Northumbrian bir]

Most garden centers that have pet shops, selling snakes etc will stock them- i get them £2.50 a box- last about a week- will breed them now i have found out how to do it! Thankx!