Live Mealworm Prices

shenk1 · #1 (**permalink**) 30-01-2010, 01:57 PM

As Spring is coming up fast does anyone know the cheapest places to get live mealworms for the birds? When googled thousands come up and not all are relevant and as we and many others go through 2kg plus per week in breeding season it can be a dear do so all savings are welcome.
Cheers

shenk1

Cowgirl · #2 (**permalink**) 30-01-2010, 02:30 PM

I'd be interested in that as well

2kg

! Do your birds come with carrier bags?

shenk1 · #3 (**permalink**) 30-01-2010, 02:36 PM

Thats restricting them and particularly the starlings tocertain feeding times otherwise we would be living in the trees with them

We have a cage feeder with a dish in the centre to slow the starlings and bigger birds down but they all hang around like kids on street corners waiting to mug the little birds!

Dan Salter · #4 (**permalink**) 30-01-2010, 02:38 PM

Im not sure about that kind of quantity....however...I currently buy 'dried' mealworms in tubs from Wilkinsons..They are usually £2.49 a tub...but are at 2x for £4 right now.....this same size tub at both my local garden centres is between £6 and £9!!!!!!....needless to say the shelf is emptied in wilko's daily but if you ask they usually have more out the back?

Cowgirl · #5 (**permalink**) 30-01-2010, 02:49 PM

Are dried mealworms ok for parent birds to feed to chicks? Always wondered 'bout that.

shenk1 · #6 (**permalink**) 30-01-2010, 03:26 PM

I think livev are better because of the moisture content, plus ours won't touch the dried ones

Garden Carpet · #7 (**permalink**) 30-01-2010, 03:44 PM

Have you thought of growing your own mealworms? My friend did this for some time and it worked out a great deal cheaper. All you need is a starter colony, some pots with small holes in the lids.. like a plastic storage box and some damp sawdust.

jaki

Astra · #8 (**permalink**) 30-01-2010, 05:05 PM

I usually buy mine from Wiggly Wigglers.

They often have deals on but at the moment the regular price is £19.50 /Kg.

Wiggly Wigglers, the really rural store

RKB · #9 (**permalink**) 30-01-2010, 05:21 PM

Dried mealworms are a swizz - avoid them. Nestlings get all of their water from the food brought by their parents, so birds feeding dried mealworms to their young will probably end up killing them through dehydration (this does happen in garden nestboxes). They're ok in winter, but a no-no in spring/summer.

Tip: buy mini mealworms, and then put a carrot in. You get many more worms for your money, and they grow quickly on the carrot (a week). You can put them in the fridge to slow them down, or leave them somewhere warmer to speed them up. So you end up with more big worms for less money.

I buy mine online from livefoods.co.uk, and they arrive next day.

Rearing your own is much cheaper (plenty of info online). But unless you live somewhere without much green space (and so your blue tits or sparrows are struggling to rear their brood in heavily built-up areas), or it hasn't rained for a long time (and Blackbirds are struggling to find food in dry ground), most birds can do without artifical livefood.

Cowgirl · #10 (**permalink**) 08-03-2010, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shenk1

As Spring is coming up fast does anyone know the cheapest places to get live mealworms for the birds? When googled thousands come up and not all are relevant and as we and many others go through 2kg plus per week in breeding season it can be a dear do so all savings are welcome.
Cheers

shenk1

Hi, have just had delivery of 500g from livefoods.co.uk £6.63 free delivery.

Their prices are:
1kg £12.03
2kg £21.86

Cheers