cold & windy. Feeding mealworm question?

[Trishy]

This is the 4th day of cool, windy, off and on rain. I have been feeding crickets, but have a house with 6, should be about 10 day old, babies in it. I haven't been able to do nest checks because of the weather. I want to put mealworms in a ceramic dish and set it on the porch so parents can feed the babies. Is this a good idea? The asy male did take a few crickets in the house, but I don't think it was enough by any means. They are not foraging now as it is only 53 degrees.

[Guest]

I would not put on a dish for safety reasons. The dish could tip over and block the opening. But you can just lay them there.
Or place them on a platform feeder.

[Trishy]

Thanks Susan for your input. I have tried laying them on the porch and they crawl away. Can't say as I blame them.
This is a real heavy dish I bought at a pet supply store. I can't put them in the feeder tray because the bluebirds eat them. They know when the pole is lowered there will be food in it when it gets back to the top. Too bad the martins can't figure that out. I did have one martin take a couple of crickets from the tray this morning. Maybe the others will catch on. I just hate to lose my first batch of martins to cold weather.

[mjneppl]

i live in wisonsin also. i would not do this. i would not feed them. i would just leave them alone. it has been in the 60's and is warm enough. --you do need to check for mites and if they have mites--small tiny red bugs around the babies ears and eyes. i would apply a small table spoon of seven dust under the nest.

[drdoo55]

Trish -You need to freeze the crickets first and then put them inside by the entrance hole and don't use the bowl.I feed over 2 thousand crickets in the last day and a half and already have a nest failure and I think there will be more.Anyone in Wisconsin not feeding you could be in for trouble.Tony

[Trishy]

Tony, that is truly distressing news. I am so sorry to hear about your nest failure. Wish I would have gotten your post earlier. I will check the nest tomorrow and pray that I am not too late. Do you use 1" crickets? They seem so big for such little mouths. We didn't get over 55 degrees today with wind and on and off rain. I have had a bad feeling most of the day. Hope it is a false alarm. Thanks a bunch.

[trank]

Trish,

Looks like we are in for another day of this nasty weather. After 4 days of this it can try the patience of any lanlord.

Tony has the right idea, freeze your crickets then thaw them. If you don't have a raised platform feeder place them inside the entrance hole.

I also have been supplemental feeding, after feeding 2 thousands crickets
plus meal worms and scrambled eggs, I still don't know if it was enough.This morning after feeding I noticed some of the adults were not returning to there nests to feed there babies. I'm not looking forward to the next nest check.

Tom

[Trishy]

I started a new post for this. It was too late for me. Hope everyone else has better luck than I did. This is definitely a learning year for me.

[The Olsons]

Trish,

I agree with Susan on the dish on the porch....it is always good either have a a platform feeder or something mounted in between your housing or gourds, but not in front of the entrance. You could also simply put crickets into the cavities, but that would required lowering of the housing which often is not a good idea in bad weather conditions.

I also feed 1" crickets and our martins have fed those to their babies. I am not sure if they "chop them up" before they do, but I think the supplemental feeding saved many of our babies this year. In our case it is due to the drought. You should freeze the crickets and then thaw them out before you serve them...otherwise most of them will disappear....

Astrid

[Trishy]

O.k. Astrid. Thank you. Hopefully I won't need to supplement anymore this summer, but you never know in this country.