This moment that Martin – one of our fabulous Wiggly Customers has captured — a juvenile blue tit chewing a live mealworm, delivered by a parent who knows exactly what it’s doing — pretty much sums up everything that matters about bird feeding.
Because this isn’t about treats.
It’s about survival, growth, and timing.
Why live insects are a game-changer for fledglings
Garden birds don’t raise their young on seed.
In the wild, chicks are fed soft, high-protein live insects — caterpillars, larvae, beetles — precisely because growing birds need:
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protein for muscle and feather development
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moisture (live insects are naturally hydrating)
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fast, digestible energy
Live mealworms tick all three boxes.
When a fledgling is learning to feed itself, live food also moves, which triggers instinctive feeding behaviour. That wriggle matters more than you might think.
The UK advantage: a nation of bird feeders
The UK is genuinely unusual.
We feed birds — a lot.
That matters, because modern gardens don’t produce the insect numbers they once did. Neat lawns, fewer native hedges, pesticide use, and unpredictable weather all reduce natural food availability.
Reliable access to live insects can bridge the gap — especially during:
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cold snaps
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late springs
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wet, miserable weather when insects simply aren’t flying
In short: what happens in gardens now has a direct impact on fledgling survival
Cold weather: when things get critical
Cold, wet conditions are brutal for young birds.
Parents burn more energy foraging.
Insects disappear.
Chicks cool faster and need more calories just to stay alive.
This is where having live mealworms on hand can make a real difference — not just to one bird, but to an entire brood.
Thinking about a live mealworm subscription? Here’s what you need at home
You don’t need fancy kit. You need simple, practical, and breathable.
What works brilliantly:
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An ice-cream tub or similar plastic container
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Tiny air holes (needle size is perfect — enough to breathe, not enough to escape)
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A layer of bran (food + bedding — we sell this for a reason)
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A small sieve (kitchen sieve is fine). You will use this to sieve the frass and bedding material from the worms when you want to put them out.
Keep them:
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cool (a shed or garage is ideal)
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dry
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out of direct sun
What’s frass — and why you shouldn’t throw it away
Frass is the fine, powdery material you’ll find building up at the bottom of the tub.
It’s basically mealworm poo mixed with shed skins — and it’s gold dust.
Sieve it out every few days using a kitchen sieve and:
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sprinkle it around plants
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add it to compost
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use it as a gentle soil feed
Nothing wasted. Exactly how we like it.
5 useful tips that actually help birds
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Feed little and often
Especially with live food — freshness matters. Just sieve a few and put them out every morning. -
Use a shallow dish or feeder with steep sides
Makes it easier for fledglings to access without falling in. -
Keep live food dry
Damp kills mealworms fast. Dry bran = happy worms. -
Don’t stop suddenly
If you start feeding live insects during nesting, taper off gradually. -
Watch the birds — they’ll tell you
Busy feeders, repeat visits, and bold youngsters mean you’re doing it right.
That photo you’ve taken isn’t just beautiful — it’s a reminder that small, practical actions in ordinary gardens really matter.
Sometimes the difference between a fledgling flying off…
and not…
is one wriggling mealworm at the right moment.
Order our Wiggly Live Mealworms here https://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/collections/mealworms
