Want to attract a different set of wild birds to your small outdoor space? Or perhaps try something different than the standard birdseed and nut combinations?

Worms and insects may be the answer.

Caution

Encouraging wild birds that enjoy insects to visit your wildlife porch, patio, deck, or balcony could be dangerous for visiting butterflies and caterpillar larva.

Introduction

Some species of wild bird will not eat seeds or fruit but will visit your small outdoor space if you provide worms or insects. Perhaps the most known is the mealworm (an insect, not a worm).

Mealworms

Mealworms are fed live, frozen, or dried. They can be fed separately via specialized feeders or within a mix or suet cake.

How to Offer

Provide mealworms via feeders designed for live mealworms or dried mealworms.

Quick Tip

Try different sizes of mealworms for different types of wild birds, like the mini mealworms for goldcrests and small warblers.

Other Worms and Insects

You can also provide waxworms, earthworms, dried grasshoppers, caterpillars, silkworms, snails, and insect mixes. For suet with insects, try an insect suet cake from Pine Tree Farms.

What Kinds of Bird?

Mealworms are usually associated with bluebirds but are enjoyed by chickadees, robins, sparrows, cardinals, grosbeaks, jays, catbirds, orioles, tanagers, thrashers, warblers, and mockingbirds. The same birds will enjoy waxworms.

Earthworms and insect mixes are enjoyed by robins.