I was out at the pet store the other day picking up a new bag of food for my lovebirds.
Before I’d gone out, I’d decided I was going to try and get a new kind of snack for them—they seemed less interested in the treats I’ve been getting recently, so I thought it was time to change it up and get them something to be excited about.
Once I’d picked up their regular food, I started browsing for something else.
I noticed big bags of mealworms, and wondered whether these would make good treats.
So, can lovebirds eat mealworms?
Yes, lovebirds can eat mealworms. They are a good treat, but should be fed in strict moderation. Lovebirds should mainly eat seeds, fruits, berries and leaves, and only small amounts of insects like mealworms. Small amounts once or twice a week is a good treat.
So, yes, they can eat mealworms.
There are, as ever, important caveats with this question, though.
Lovebirds in the wild are not huge eaters of insects, preferring to stick to various kinds of vegetation, seeds and fruits.
Mealworms make a great occasional snack, but beyond that, they should not make up a huge part of their diet.
Let’s look further into this.
Are mealworms good for lovebirds?
Yes, they are, in more than a few ways.
They are a great source of protein, for one thing.
Lovebirds don’t need a huge amount of protein in their diets, but they will certainly take what they can get.
Mealworms are good for this, then.
You also shouldn’t underestimate the value of a treat that they love.
Not all lovebirds will love mealworms, though.
Their highly individual personalities mean that some will like them and some won’t.
For the ones that do, though, mealworms make a great, tasty snack, that will lift their mood as well as provide nutrition.
All of this said, though, moderation is always key.
The main thing is that the protein content of mealworms is so high it could become excessive quite quickly.
Around 50% of the nutrition in a mealworm is protein.
Lovebirds really only need to eat a small amount before they have got all the benefits out of it, though.
As I said, a lovebird’s diet should be mostly fruit, seeds, and vegetation.
In the wild, lovebirds may occasionally eat insects here and there, but they don’t really make much of a habit of it.
But are they bad for lovebirds in any w
Are mealworms bad for lovebirds?
Inherently, no, mealworms are not bad for lovebirds.
They are healthy and nutritious, and provide a good source of protein and even enrichment for your lovebird.
The best thing to do is change up their treats as much as you can, to keep them from getting bored.
The problem with mealworms comes in eating them excessively.
Given the quantities you can buy them in, it may feel natural to just put a load out for them and let them have at it. while, usually, lovebirds won’t overeat in this way, it still isn’t worth risking it.
Mealworms are a great treat, and once a week at most is plenty, in small amounts.
This will provide a good source of protein and will keep them from overeating on insects.
Be sure to swap the mealworms out with other treats during the rest of the day and the week. this will provide the greatest balanced diet possible, both simulating a wild diet and providing all the myriad nutrients they need to keep happy and healthy.
Mealworms do come in a number of different forms, though, so let’s look into that.
Can lovebirds eat dried mealworms?
Yes, they can, and this is what will be most commonly available in pet stores.
Dried mealworms are very commonly used for bird feeders, providing food for wild birds in your garden.
So, they are easy to get in most pet stores and even department stores.
These are perfectly safe for your lovebirds, although all the same caveats still apply.
You need to make sure you don’t give them too many, or it will become a problem.
It’s also probably a good idea to break them up a little bit, to eliminate any choking hazards.
Their tough beaks should do a fine job of breaking them up, but it’s better safe than sorry.
Can lovebirds eat live mealworms?
Yes, they can also eat live mealworms.
You can more commonly find these at places like tackle shops, and there are some benefits to feeding them live mealworms.
They may prefer it that way, for one thing.
However, they are probably more likely to ignore live mealworms, since they don’t have a strong drive to eat insects.
They will recognize it as such if it is live.
Live mealworms aren’t terribly advantageous, mainly because they are going to be more difficult to get hold of.
So, your best bet is to stick with dried mealworms.
Mealworms are a good snack, then, and not much else.
They are a helpful part of the overall diet, but should only be fed occasionally to your lovebirds.
If you overfeed them on mealworms, they will end up missing out on important nutrients that they would have gotten elsewhere, but will now not eat as they are full on mealworms.
So, mealworms are a good treat, but be sure to carefully incorporate them into the diet.