Mealworms Care
The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Live Mealworms
Everything you need to know about storing, feeding and getting the most from your live mealworms
Live mealworms are one of the very best foods you can offer garden birds. Packed with natural protein, healthy fats and valuable moisture, they're a favourite of robins, blackbirds, wrens, starlings, blue tits, great tits, house sparrows and many other garden visitors.
Unlike dried mealworms, live mealworms provide hydration as well as nutrition, making them especially valuable during hot, dry weather and cold winter months when natural food and water can be scarce. They're also DEFRA-approved for feeding poultry, making them a fantastic treat for chickens and ducks too.
Whether you've just received your first tub or you're a regular buyer, this guide will help you keep your mealworms healthy, active and fresh for as long as possible.
Why Choose Live Mealworms?
Mealworms are the larval stage of the darkling beetle (Tenebrio molitor). They're naturally rich in:
- High-quality protein for growth and feather production
- Healthy fats for energy
- Natural moisture to help prevent dehydration
- Vitamins and minerals including B vitamins and essential amino acids
Garden birds rely heavily on insects throughout the year, but especially during spring when they're feeding hungry chicks. A regular supply of live mealworms can make a real difference to breeding success and help young birds grow strong.
They're also ideal for:
- Hedgehogs (where appropriate)
- Chickens
- Ducks
- Reptiles
- Amphibians
- Fish
How to Store Live Mealworms
Proper storage is the secret to keeping mealworms fresh for weeks.
Keep Them Cool
The ideal storage temperature is between 5°C and 10°C.
A refrigerator is perfect, although an unheated garage, shed or utility room also works well during cooler months.
Cool temperatures slow the mealworms' metabolism, meaning they eat less, stay cleaner and develop much more slowly.
Avoid freezing them.
Let Them Breathe
Always keep mealworms in a container with ventilation.
If you're transferring them into another container, use one with air holes or a mesh lid.
Good airflow prevents condensation and mould.
Keep Them Dry
Moisture is the biggest enemy of healthy mealworms.
Too much dampness encourages mould, bacteria and unpleasant smells.
Never allow water to sit in the container.
Instead, provide moisture through vegetables.
What Should You Feed Mealworms?
Mealworms are surprisingly easy to feed.
Their main food should be a dry cereal-based substrate, such as:
- Wheat bran
- Oat bran
- Rolled oats
- Porridge oats
- Wheat middlings
This doubles as both bedding and food.
For moisture, offer small pieces of fresh vegetables.
Good choices include:
- Carrot (the favourite)
- Potato
- Sweet potato
- Apple
- Cucumber (small amounts)
- Courgette
Remove any uneaten vegetables after a day or two before they begin to spoil.
A small slice every few days is plenty.
How Long Will Mealworms Last?
Stored correctly in the fridge with occasional fresh food, live mealworms can remain healthy for several weeks.
Warmer temperatures speed up their development, meaning they'll eventually pupate into beetles.
If you're feeding birds regularly, this usually isn't a problem because they'll be eaten long before then.
Before Feeding Birds
If you've been storing mealworms in the fridge, simply remove the amount you need and allow them to warm up for five to ten minutes.
As they warm, they'll become more active, making them even more attractive to birds.
When Is the Best Time to Feed Birds?
The best time is early in the morning.
After a cold night, birds have used up much of their energy reserves and need food quickly.
A morning meal of live mealworms provides:
- Quick energy
- Protein
- Moisture
A second smaller feed in late afternoon can also help birds prepare for another cold night.
Which Birds Love Mealworms?
Mealworms are enjoyed by many species, including:
- Robin
- Blackbird
- Song Thrush
- Starling
- Wren
- Blue Tit
- Great Tit
- Coal Tit
- House Sparrow
- Dunnock
- Pied Wagtail
- Nuthatch
Once birds discover a reliable supply, they'll often visit every day.
Can I Feed Mealworms to Chickens?
Yes.
Our live mealworms are DEFRA-approved for feeding poultry.
They make an excellent natural treat but should always be fed alongside a balanced poultry diet rather than replacing it.
Chickens absolutely love chasing live mealworms, providing natural enrichment as well as nutrition.
Making the Most of Mealworm Frass
One of the hidden benefits of keeping mealworms is their frass.
Frass is simply a mixture of mealworm droppings, tiny cast skins and fine bedding particles.
Far from being waste, it's an excellent natural soil improver.
Why Gardeners Love Mealworm Frass
Mealworm frass contains:
- Organic matter
- Nitrogen
- Chitin from shed skins
- Beneficial nutrients for soil life
Many gardeners use it as a gentle natural fertiliser to encourage healthier roots and stronger plants.
The chitin found in insect skins is also thought to stimulate plants' natural defence mechanisms and encourage beneficial soil microbes.
How to Harvest Frass
Every few weeks:
- Sieve the bedding through a fine mesh.
- The fine powder that falls through is your frass.
- Return the mealworms and larger bedding back to the container.
- Store the frass somewhere dry until you're ready to use it.
How to Use Frass
Sprinkle lightly:
- Around vegetables
- Into seed compost
- Around flowers
- In raised beds
- Around container plants
Or mix small amounts into compost before planting.
A little goes a long way.
Want an Endless Supply?
If you regularly feed birds, reptiles or chickens, you might like to grow your own mealworms.
A Mealworm Bug Factory allows you to breed mealworms at home, producing a continuous supply with very little maintenance.
The complete life cycle—from mealworm to beetle and back again—takes around 10 weeks under warm conditions, after which you'll have your own home-grown mealworms whenever you need them.
It's fascinating for children, rewarding for gardeners and can significantly reduce the cost of buying live feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do mealworms bite?
No. Mealworms cannot bite people and are completely harmless to handle.
Can I keep mealworms in the fridge?
Yes. In fact, it's the best place to store them. Cool temperatures slow their growth and keep them fresh much longer.
Why have some turned into beetles?
Mealworms naturally develop into pupae and then darkling beetles as part of their life cycle.
This is completely normal.
If you're simply feeding birds, use your mealworms before they reach this stage, or separate any pupae if you're breeding your own colony.
Can I freeze mealworms?
Freezing kills live mealworms, so it isn't recommended if you intend to keep them alive.
How often should I feed my mealworms?
A small piece of carrot or potato every few days is usually enough, along with a constant supply of bran or oats.
Why do my mealworms smell?
Healthy mealworms have very little smell.
A strong odour usually means there's too much moisture or old vegetables beginning to rot.
Remove spoiled food, replace damp bedding and keep the container cool and well ventilated.
Can birds eat mealworms all year round?
Absolutely. They're beneficial throughout the year, but they're especially valuable during:
- Spring breeding season
- Summer when feeding chicks
- Autumn as birds build reserves
- Winter when natural insects are scarce
Are live mealworms better than dried?
Both have their place, but live mealworms offer several advantages.
Because they're alive, they naturally contain moisture as well as nutrients, helping birds stay hydrated. They're also more appealing to many birds because their movement triggers natural feeding instincts, making them an excellent choice for attracting new visitors to your garden.
With just a little care, live mealworms can stay fresh for weeks, providing a nutritious, natural food source for birds, poultry and wildlife. And if you decide to breed your own, you'll not only enjoy a constant supply of mealworms but also a steady harvest of nutrient-rich frass to help your garden thrive—a perfect example of nature working in a wonderfully circular way.
