Wildlife in our gardens

youngatheart_2

I have really enjoyed reading about the wildlife in everyone's garden and as we back onto a cemetary we also get a lot of birds visiting our feeding stations. I have never put out mealworms before but I am tempted now. How do you store the live ones. Would they die if kept in a closed container and should they be kept in the fridge?

margaretclare

Hello

I bought a box last week from the local pet shop and was advised there to keep them in the fridge except when taking them out to feed some to my robins etc.

Following advice on this thread - thank you, ~Chameleon~ - I've just received a box: http://www.livefoodsdirect.co.uk/prodinfo.asp?number=MR1TUB

They don't die in the box in the fridge, they just become a little less lively. I use an old spoon to put some on to the hanging livefoods feeder down the garden, and I've watched the robins coming for them.

HTH

youngatheart_2

Thanks MargaretClare.
Do you know how long they will keep in the fridge and are you supposed to feed them? The reason I ask is that I presume that it might take the birds a while to spot the container.

margaretclare

youngatheart wrote: »

Thanks MargaretClare.
Do you know how long they will keep in the fridge and are you supposed to feed them? The reason I ask is that I presume that it might take the birds a while to spot the container.

Er, no, I don't know the answer about feeding them. You could try looking up the Livefoods site (link above) and see what they say on there. Or ask ~Chameleon~.

It took my robins NO time at all to spot the container. I put some out late morning and by lunch-time they were all gone.

System

Margaret you are right, it IS a woodmouse, I stand corrected.

margaretclare

My robins are nesting in the ivy in the bottom corner of the garden! I spotted them carrying nesting materials in there this morning. It's close to the tree where the hanging livefoods feeder is suspended from a branch. I put out mealworms earlier today and I saw the robin getting them. I can't stop the starlings getting them too, but never mind, I know the robins have had some.

The ivy they're nesting in is right beside a robin nest-box which has been there for about 5 years, and is at present unused! They did nest in it a couple of years ago, but not since. They'll only nest where they choose! Not like the sparrows - they've used all their boxes.

mentat72

When I lived in my flat, I was talking to my girlfriend (now the wife) and there was a tapping on the window. It was a squirrel who had climbed up on my bike (below the window) and was tapping on the window!

To this day I don't know if he wanted food or the key for the bike lock.

olly300

mentat72 wrote: »

When I lived in my flat, I was talking to my girlfriend (now the wife) and there was a tapping on the window. It was a squirrel who had climbed up on my bike (below the window) and was tapping on the window!

To this day I don't know if he wanted food or the key for the bike lock.

:rotfl:Knowing the pesky 2 squirrels that visit my garden he wanted the bike lock.

Gingernutmeg

Just wanted to say my coal-tits came out of the nest today for the first time! They are so small, I've spent far too long today watching them stretching their wings in the sunshine, and being blown around by the wind. I'm listening to one now that's sat on the patio shouting for mum - the parent birds must be exhausted today!

~Chameleon~

Well, I've had a couple of new visitors today - a pair of greenfinches and a female songthrush! I heard her bashing snail shells long before I spotted her

It was so lovely to see her as they've been absent from the garden the last couple of years. The greenfinches were a first though and I had to look them up on google to positively ID them as it's the first time I've ever seen any

Something is also making rather a racket deep in the undergrowth at the bottom of the garden, but I don't have a clue what it is. It's certainly not a sound I recognise (from the usual birds around here anyway) so I'm intrigued to find out what it might be.

youngatheart wrote:

Do you know how long they will keep in the fridge and are you supposed to feed them? The reason I ask is that I presume that it might take the birds a while to spot the container.

They will keep for quite a while, several weeks, if kept at cool temperatures. They will eventually turn into beetles if kept long enough and you can breed your own mealworms from these if you want to keep a long term supply. If not just throw out the beetles onto the garden for the birds to eat too